YOUR VIEWS
VOICE ON THE HIGH STREET
HANCOCKS
Voice on the High Street
1 Name: Hancocks
2 Location: London
3 Established: 1849
4 Number of staff: 15
5 Website: www.hancocks-london.com
Talk me through the history of your
company?
The company was established by Charles
Hancocks in 1849. He started the shop on
the corner of Bond Street and Bruton Street
and quickly established a name for himself
with queen Victoria and a lot of monarchies
across Europe.
How do you bring the tradition and
relevance of your jewellery to today’s
trends?
You have to reach the market and know
what is selling and what is not. In terms of the
engagement ring the raw diamond market is
very strong for us. We aim to be on top of that
by selling unique pieces, so we only sell cut
diamonds and gems and make them into rings
which are made by hand, we never make two
of the same rings.
We also have a phenomenal necklace which
dates back to the 1950s that is another of our
prized pieces.
What has been Hancock’s biggest
accomplishment so far?
I think the biggest accomplishment is that
we continue to have the very best jewellery
of every single era, from the early 19th
century all the way to the present day. I
don’t think anyone has done it better than
we do.
What have been some of the challenges
your company has had to overcome?
Well, the company goes back 170 years,
so it’s had every economic challenge that
can be thrown at it, including both world
wars. The changes within the west end have
always been a challenge as well, because it’s
a more expensive place to have a business.
Additionally, a constant problem is to find
the rare unusual pieces from the private
collections and museums; it’s a constant
battle.
How do you see Hancocks in the near
future? Do you have any expectations?
We’d like to expand it, I’d like to promote our
jewellery more so we have an ever bigger
presence and continue to improve our range
and sell it for a better price.
What are your favorite features of the
products offered today by Hancocks?
We currently have a very unusual old
European diamond with incredible stone work.
58 JEWELLERY FOCUS
August 2018 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk