News

Our clients have been telling us that they have been using their lockdown time to sort out their jewellery boxes! This is great news but if you find that your box has a few broken pieces that you thought were beyond repair, you may be surprised to know what could be done.  Breathing new life […]

In accordance with current Government guidance, we are planning on re-opening the shop to customers by Tuesday 16th June. Our opening hours may be limited to begin with but we hope to be fully up and running 9.30am – 5pm by the end of July. Here are our revised opening hours: Monday-Wednesday 10am – 2pm […]

Pearls are a most beautiful gemstone, formed in a most unique way, and which are still immensely popular in classic jewellery design. Pearls.com explain that: “Natural Pearls form when an irritant – usually a parasite and not the proverbial grain of sand – works its way into an oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defense […]

The expectations of a customer buying antique jewellery have increased significantly over the last few decades and I’m sure this is, in part, due to the increased popularity of antiques programmes on TV. This is a development from 30 years ago when buyers just accepted what the retailer was selling without question. Now, customers want […]

  Due to the recent Government announcement, as a non-essential shop, we are now temporarily closed.   If you have an item with us for service or repair, please be assured that it is being stored safely, securely and is insured. Over the coming weeks we will endeavour to contact as many customers as possible […]

During this uncertain time, we would like to reassure our customers that we are still open for business and will continue to open as per our normal hours. We are a very small team of 4 in a very small town but keeping our customers and staff well is our absolute priority. To this end, […]

When Heirlooms first opened in 1986, it was at the height of Romantic fashion – all frills, sentiment and statement jewellery. Georgian and Victorian styles were in demand and, as a result, Heirlooms only dealt in jewellery that pre-dated the 1930’s. Not only was antique jewellery fashionable but the stories behind the jewels were equally […]

When I was growing up, my Grandparents worked in the horse racing industry and were lucky enough to live in some amazing estate houses in Ireland so I grew up with lots of lovely things around me. My Grandmother was a bit of a collector and she would often pick up ceramics and jewellery and […]

Giving jewellery at Christmas was a popular pastime in years gone by and is a tradition that continues today. Jewellery was often worn by women historically as a statement of social status to display their husband’s wealth, so the more diamonds and pearls you wore back in the Victorian period, for example, the wealthier your […]

Although I started my journey with Heirlooms in 2017, the full story started in 1986 when it was founded by gemmologist Gabrielle Young and her watchmaker husband Michael. The shop used to occupy the left-hand side of the current building at 21 South Street (where Paul’s the Barbers is now) but quickly moved into the […]