Garrard & Co.

Garrard & Co.
Name	Garrard & Co.
Industry	Jewellery, Silversmithing
Founded	1735
Founder	(traditional) George Wickes
Headquarters	Mayfair, London
Products	Jewellery, Silverware, Regalia, Timepieces

Garrard & Co. is a London-based firm founded in the early 18th century, historically renowned for high-end jewellery and crown jewels work and long associations with European and Commonwealth monarchies. The firm developed ties with aristocratic patrons, state institutions, and international collectors, producing regalia, tiaras, and ceremonial silver that appear in royal ceremonies, state visits, and museum collections worldwide. Over centuries Garrard interacted with a network of silversmiths, gem cutters, jewel traders, and luxury houses across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

History

The firm's roots trace to an 18th-century London workshop associated with George Wickes, contemporaneous with Georg Friedrich Handel, Robert Adam, Charles II, and late-Stuart patronage patterns; later proprietors included the Garrard family who linked the house to Regency architecture and Victorian era taste. In the 19th century Garrard supplied ceremonial plate and jewels to clients such as the British Royal Family, Tsar Nicholas II, Napoleon III, and titled families of France, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. During the early 20th century Garrard adapted to Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements alongside firms like Cartier, Boucheron, Tiffany & Co., and Mappin & Webb. The company navigated wartime economies during World War I and World War II, collaborated with designers influenced by William Morris and Liberty of London, and responded to postwar modernism linked to figures such as Dame Vivienne Westwood and Mary Quant. In late 20th-century globalization Garrard engaged with collectors from India, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and United States elites including connections to houses like Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, and Selfridges. Recent corporate events involved ownership changes similar to those affecting De Beers Group, Richemont, and LVMH houses.

Products and Services

Garrard produced ceremonial piecework including state crowns, scepters, national coronation plate, bespoke engagement rings, bespoke tiaras, and bespoke necklets, alongside silver services, objets d'art, and bespoke watch commissions partnering with firms such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Breguet. The firm’s gem procurement network extended to auctions and dealers like Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, and Phillips, sourcing diamonds from cutters trained in Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Tel Aviv and colored stones from markets in Colombo (Sri Lanka), Jaipur (Rajasthan), and Bangkok. Garrard's atelier employed gem setters, lapidaries, enamellers, and CAD technicians working alongside conservation teams from institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Museum, and Royal Collection Trust for restoration, appraisal, and provenance research.

Royal Patronage and Crown Jewels

Garrard served as Crown Jeweller for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, supplying regalia used by figures such as Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, Queen Elizabeth II, and ceremonial occasions involving heads of state from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The firm's responsibilities overlapped with custodial institutions like the Tower of London and curatorial staff at the Royal Collection and liaised with palace officials during investitures and state ceremonies attended by dignitaries from Japan, Spain, and Sweden. Garrard created or altered pieces associated with historic items such as the Imperial State Crown and worked on jewels connected with marriages involving members of the House of Windsor, House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and continental dynasties including the House of Bourbon and Hohenzollern family.

Notable Designs and Commissions

Significant commissions include bespoke tiaras commissioned by royal brides and aristocrats, presentation plate for diplomatic missions such as state visits by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Charles de Gaulle, and diplomatic gifts exchanged during summits like the Congress of Vienna-era traditions and modern G7 meetings involving leaders of United Kingdom, United States, France, and Germany. Noteworthy clients and collaborators span personalities and institutions such as Princess Diana, Camilla, Queen Consort, Princess Anne, Diana, Princess of Wales (noting multiple emblematic pieces), corporate commissions for families like the Rothschilds, the Vanderbilts, and commissions for museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hermitage Museum, and Musée du Louvre. The firm also created engraved trophies for sporting events associated with organizations such as Wimbledon, Rugby Football Union, and historic regattas like the America's Cup.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Throughout its existence Garrard transitioned from family ownership into corporate forms, aligning with larger luxury conglomerates and private equity investors similar to transactions seen with Clarins Group and Kering. Board-level governance involved partnerships with retail houses such as Harrods and international distributors across Hong Kong, Dubai, and New York City; financial advisors and auditors in late-stage restructuring mirrored practices at Barclays, HSBC, and investment firms like Permira and CVC Capital Partners. Executive leadership historically drew from practitioners rooted in Goldsmiths' Company traditions and alumni of specialist institutions including the Gemological Institute of America, Central Saint Martins, and the London College of Fashion.

Exhibitions and Museums

Garrard pieces regularly appear in exhibitions and loan programs at institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Academy of Arts, Imperial War Museum (for wartime silver), and touring displays at venues like The British Museum, National Gallery, and international exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution, Nationalmuseum (Stockholm), and Tokyo National Museum. Curatorial collaborations have featured historians and experts linked to universities such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Glasgow, and preservation projects coordinated with the National Trust and royal archives held by the Royal Collection Trust.

Category:Jewellery companies of the United Kingdom Category:British royal warrant holders