/ London Guide/ London Shopping
August 13, 2019
Jewellery always makes a wonderful gift, and London has some incredible places where you can find antique, vintage or new designs. Knowing just where to go from the Park Grand Hotel Kensington Hotel to find that special jewellery makes shopping much easier.
Mayfair has long been the home of top jewellery retailers such as Aspreys who are the Queen’s jewellers. This is the area in which you can find upmarket retailers, selling expensive designer items especially modern and contemporary designs. Many of the shops have been trading here for over a century and are internationally renowned.
This area is also a good place to go if you are seeking antique or vintage pieces. Sothebys and Christies regularly hold special jewellery sales which can attract buyers from all over the world. Within Mayfair, there are several specialists who focus on antique and vintage jewellery such as the Antique Jewellery company located in Davies Street, and Andrew R Ullmann in nearby Greville Street.
Perhaps costume jewellery is more to your taste? Almost every street in the West End has stores selling a wide range of costume jewellery suited to every price point.
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The West End is not the only area of London where exquisite jewellery can be found. For centuries, Hatton Garden near Holborn has been the centre of not just the jewellery industry, but the diamond industry too. Although a relatively small area of interconnecting streets, it contains several hundred businesses all involved in jewellery. There are over 90 shops to be found here selling the stunning designs, many hand made on the premises or in the buildings nearby. Whatever type of design you are seeking, be it classical, contemporary or traditional, this is the area where you can guarantee to find it here. You can also arrange to have custom made items created to your own special design.
One of London’s best-kept secrets is located near here. Book any of the hotels in Central London and head for Chancery Lane tube station to seek out the Silver Vaults. Hidden behind the big doors are stairs leading deep into the ground, for this is where you can find a subterranean maze of dealers selling all kinds of modern and antique jewelry as well as everything sparkly and silver.
The Silver Vaults are an amazing place. Initially opened back in 1876 as strong rooms where Londoners could store precious items in total security, it slowly turned into business premises. Damaged during WW2, it was turned into specialist retail units catering for the silver dealers. Visiting the Silver Vaults and the host of specialist companies inside has become one of the premier places to explore for anyone wanting to buy jewellery.
