How do we buy our jewellery?
Amy has written a series of short blogs letting you into a few trade secrets of our shop. Here is the first.
How do we buy our jewellery?
AUCTION
Having built my career in the jewellery department of a leading auction house, I have over 10-years experience in the wonderful and exciting world of auctions!
This has given me a unique understanding of the process of buying at auction and now 10% of our stock is sourced from auction.
The advantages of this are:
- we have huge variety of items on offer
- we know the full provenance of each piece
- we know that each item has gone through some form of testing/examination by the auction specialist as well as a due diligence check.
- we can obviously check everything in a piece to ensure quality
PRIVATELY
I have been lucky enough to value many wonderful private collections of jewellery over the years which has made Heirlooms Jewellery the first port of call for those wishing to sell any items.
I have often looked after that piece of jewellery for many years so I know exactly where the piece has come from, how it has been looked after and what repairs, if any, have been done to it. This means I am able to give potential customers peace of mind with their purchase.
OTHER JEWELLERY SPECIALISTS
I have formed excellent relationships with a handful of key suppliers of both antique, pre-owned and modern jewellery. These are trusted suppliers who follow the same professional ethics that I do so I know what I am buying. Several of our suppliers have been supplying us since the shop started in 1986 and come from a long line of family generations in the business, which means they are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what they do.
Additionally, they are all UK based. With our modern jewellery, I know exactly where in the UK the item has been manufactured and know that all of the stones used have been mined in a conflict-free way.
WE MAKE IT OURSELVES!
We are lucky enough to have our own workshop which means that we can design and create our own jewellery. We love being able to watch the items developing at each stage, and we can monitor the quality of materials and finish used in the piece. Our own hallmark will also be applied in the UK which means we can assure our customers of the quality of metals and certify that it has been UK made.
Jewellery should tell a story, from the way it is bought to the way it is worn and then handed down for different reasons. The story of a piece we sell is very important to us and, by ensuring we know every element of our supply chain, we can offer the very best service and selection of items to our customers.
