Bentley & Skinner

Bentley & Skinner is a British family-held luxury jewellery and silver business based at 55 Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. The modern company was formed in 1997 through the amalgamation of two established businesses: Skinner & Co., founded in 1880, and Bentley & Co., founded in 1934. Its historical identity rests on specialist dealing in fine antique jewellery, silver, objets d'art and works associated with Carl Fabergé, rather than on mass-market jewellery production or a broad contemporary fashion brand. Skinner & Co. developed a connection with the English royal and aristocratic worlds during the reign of Queen Victoria and subsequently supplied jewellery to members of the British royal family. The firm's historical record includes a major commission made in 1893 for Spencer Compton Cavendish, the 8th Duke of Devonshire. He commissioned a diamond coronet for his wife, Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. To create the piece, diamonds from the Devonshire Parure and other family heirlooms were combined with additional stones supplied by Skinner. The coronet became an important example of late-Victorian aristocratic jewellery and illustrates the firm's role in high-value bespoke work. Bentley & Co., the other predecessor, was established in 1934. The 1997 merger brought together the two histories under the Bentley & Skinner name and created the business that operates from its Mayfair premises. The company is described as jewellers and silversmiths by appointment to the Queen and the Prince of Wales, a designation associated with its service to the British royal household and its specialist reputation. The firm's commercial scope includes the acquisition, sale and expertise-led presentation of historic jewellery, precious-metal objects, silver and decorative works of art. Its Fabergé specialism connects it to the market for Imperial Russian decorative arts and luxury objects, while its antique-jewellery activities span historically significant pieces rather than only newly manufactured designs. As a specialist dealer, its value proposition is based on provenance, craftsmanship, rarity, historical importance and connoisseurship. Bentley & Skinner also participated in a prominent contemporary-art commission. In 2007, the jeweller created the diamond-encrusted skull sculpture For the Love of God for artist Damien Hirst. The project extended the firm's craft and precious-stone expertise beyond traditional antique dealing into a highly visible contemporary-art context. Despite that high-profile collaboration, Bentley & Skinner remains principally identified with specialist jewellery, silver and objects of art. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about its current management, financial performance and international sales structure.

Bentley & Skinner's history combines two London jewellery businesses with separate nineteenth- and twentieth-century origins. Skinner & Co. was established in 1880 and built a reputation in fine jewellery and silver. During the reign of Queen Victoria, it began supplying jewellery to the English royal family, establishing a relationship with the royal and aristocratic circles that later became part of the firm's institutional identity. One of Skinner & Co.'s best-known historical commissions dates from 1893. Spencer Compton Cavendish, the 8th Duke of Devonshire, asked the firm to make a diamond coronet for his wife, Louisa Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. The duchess was a prominent society figure and fashion leader. The commission used 1,041 diamonds removed from the Devonshire Parure and other family heirlooms, including the 6th Duke's Garter Star. Skinner added a further 840 diamonds, producing an important aristocratic jewel associated with the late Victorian period. Bentley & Co. was founded in 1934. The available historical record does not identify its founder or provide a detailed chronology of its independent operations, but the business became the second predecessor of the modern company. In 1997, Bentley & Co. and Skinner & Co. were amalgamated to form Bentley & Skinner. The merged business continued the predecessors' specialist focus and operates from 55 Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. Bentley & Skinner is described as a jeweller and silversmith by appointment to the Queen and the Prince of Wales. This designation reflects its association with royal commissions and service rather than indicating that the business is a royal institution. Its areas of specialisation include fine antique jewellery, silver, objects of art and works by or associated with Carl Fabergé. The business therefore sits within the specialist, expertise-driven end of the luxury market, where rarity, historic provenance, craftsmanship and condition are central to value. The company also undertook a major contemporary commission in 2007, creating For the Love of God for Damien Hirst. The diamond-encrusted skull sculpture was a notable departure in context from traditional antique jewellery and silver dealing, although it drew directly on the firm's skills in mounting and working with precious stones. The project demonstrated that Bentley & Skinner could apply its jewellery craftsmanship to contemporary art as well as to historic objects. Public reference material does not establish a detailed account of the company's current directors, ownership structure, revenue, store network or online commercial operations. It does, however, identify Bentley & Skinner as a continuing British family-held company located in Mayfair. Its present identity remains tied to specialist jewellery and silver dealing, Fabergé and decorative arts expertise, royal associations and high-value commissions.

• 2007

  For the Love of God created

  [1]Bentley & Skinneren.wikipedia.org

  Bentley & Skinner created Damien Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull sculpture For the Love of God.

• 1997

  Bentley & Co. and Skinner & Co. amalgamated

  [1]Bentley & Skinneren.wikipedia.org

  The two historic businesses joined to form Bentley & Skinner, which operates from 55 Piccadilly in Mayfair, London.

• 1934

  Bentley & Co. founded

  [1]Bentley & Skinneren.wikipedia.org

  Bentley & Co. was established as the second predecessor to the modern Bentley & Skinner business.

• 1893

  Devonshire diamond coronet commissioned

  [1]Bentley & Skinneren.wikipedia.org

  The 8th Duke of Devonshire commissioned Skinner & Co. to create a diamond coronet for the Duchess of Devonshire, using stones from family jewels together with additional diamonds supplied by Skinner.

• 1880

  Skinner & Co. established

  [1]Bentley & Skinneren.wikipedia.org

  Skinner & Co. was founded in Britain and began building the specialist jewellery and silver business that later became one half of Bentley & Skinner.

A specialist British luxury dealer and jeweller positioned around antique jewellery, historic silver, Fabergé objects, provenance-led collecting and bespoke high-jewellery craftsmanship.

• Jewellery

  Antique jewellery

  Bentley & Skinner specialises in fine antique jewellery, with its offering centred on historically significant pieces valued for design, materials, craftsmanship, rarity and provenance. The business is associated with the specialist end of the jewellery trade rather than high-volume contemporary retail.

• Decorative arts

  Silver and objets d'art

  The company deals in silver and other objects of art, extending its expertise beyond wearable jewellery into collectible precious-metal and decorative works. These categories are presented within a connoisseurship-led luxury and antiques context.

• Decorative arts

  Fabergé works

  Bentley & Skinner specialises in objects associated with Carl Fabergé, linking the business to the market for Imperial Russian decorative arts and finely crafted luxury objects. The reference material does not specify a separate product range or catalogue structure.

• Contemporary art commission · 2007

  For the Love of God

  Created in 2007 for Damien Hirst, For the Love of God is a human-skull sculpture covered with diamonds. The work showcased Bentley & Skinner's ability to apply high-jewellery stone-setting and precious-material expertise to a contemporary-art commission.

• 2007

  Creation of a diamond-encrusted contemporary-art sculptureProduct launch

  Background

  Artist Damien Hirst commissioned specialist jewellery expertise for a major work using diamonds and a skull form.

  Action taken

  Bentley & Skinner created For the Love of God.

  Aftermath

  The commission gave the jeweller a high-profile contemporary-art association while demonstrating its precious-stone craftsmanship outside conventional antique jewellery dealing.

  Source

• 1997

  Amalgamation of the two predecessor jewellersM&A

  Background

  Bentley & Co. and Skinner & Co. were established decades apart but operated within the British specialist jewellery tradition.

  Action taken

  The businesses were amalgamated under the Bentley & Skinner name.

  Aftermath

  The combined company continued as a family-held Mayfair jeweller and silversmith with a focus on antique jewellery, silver, objects of art and Fabergé works.

  Source

1. 1Bentley & Skinneren.wikipedia.org