Boodles

Boodles is a British family-owned luxury jeweller and jewellery design house whose history can be traced to the founding of Kirk & Co. in Hull in 1798. The business developed through successive generations of the Wainwright family and became associated with the Liverpool jewellery firm Boodle and Dunthorne. Its present identity combines retailing, bespoke jewellery design, gemstone sourcing, watchmaking heritage, trophy creation, and cultural and sporting partnerships. The company’s formative Liverpool history began when Henry Wainwright entered the watch and jewellery trade as an apprentice in 1878. He later managed Kirk & Co.’s Liverpool premises, acquired the business, and renamed it H. Wainright & Sons after his sons Herbert and Harold joined him. In 1910, Herbert and Harold established their own enterprise by purchasing Boodle and Dunthorne. Following Harold’s death during the First World War, the family merged the two businesses. The combined company moved to the corner of Lord Street and North John Street in Liverpool, a location that remains associated with Boodles’ head office. Boodles expanded gradually across north-west England before establishing a stronger London presence. A Chester store opened in 1965 and a Manchester store followed in 1982. In the 1990s, Nicholas and Michael Wainwright succeeded their father, Anthony Wainwright, in the family business. The company adopted the shorter Boodles name in 2005, replacing the Boodle & Dunthorne identity, and moved its London flagship to New Bond Street in 2007. It subsequently opened or operated boutiques in prominent London locations including the Savoy Hotel, Harrods, the Royal Exchange, Sloane Street and Brompton Road. Boodles’ offering ranges from diamond and coloured-stone jewellery to engagement and wedding pieces, bespoke commissions, watches, and historically significant silver and trophy work. The company has also maintained a connection with prestigious timepieces, including a 2018 collaboration with Patek Philippe. It is the exclusive United Kingdom retailer of Ashoka diamonds developed by William Goldberg in New York, according to the referenced company history. Its craftsmanship and design work has been recognised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, which selected the Boodles Raindance Ring for its permanent jewellery collection in 2009. The brand has used cultural collaborations and experiential events to reinforce its British luxury positioning. Collections have drawn on ballet, literature, travel, art and historic journeys, while sponsorships have included tennis, horse racing, equestrian events, art exhibitions, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and charitable fundraising. The company’s documentary profile increased through Channel 4’s coverage of the Greenfire Suite, a high-value emerald jewellery collection, in 2014. Boodles was named Walpole British Luxury Brand of the Year in 2023. Boodles remains a privately held business rather than a publicly traded jewellery group. Its retail network has included locations in London, Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, Leeds and Dublin. The company describes its Old Bond Street Townhouse as a global flagship, combining retail areas with private consultation spaces and offices. Its contemporary identity therefore rests on a combination of family continuity, British design, high-value gemstones, bespoke service, heritage craftsmanship and selective partnerships with cultural and sporting institutions.

Boodles traces its origins to Kirk & Co., a watch and jewellery business founded in Hull in 1798. The company’s later history is closely connected with the Wainwright family. Henry Wainwright began training in watch and jewellery manufacture in 1878 under his uncle, William Wainwright. In 1889, he became manager of Kirk & Co.’s new Liverpool location. After acquiring the business, he operated it as H. Wainright & Sons when his sons Herbert and Harold entered the firm in 1898. In 1910, Herbert and Harold created a separate business through the purchase of Boodle and Dunthorne. Harold was killed during the First World War, after which Henry and Herbert combined H. Wainright & Sons with Boodle and Dunthorne. The merged business moved to premises at the junction of Lord Street and North John Street in Liverpool. This Liverpool base remains central to the company’s identity and headquarters. The company expanded its retail footprint during the twentieth century. It opened a second store in Chester in 1965 and a third in Manchester in 1982. Its early activities included silversmithing, watchmaking and jewellery manufacture. Boodles also supplied chronographs and watches to military officers and produced presentation pieces and sporting trophies, including the solid-gold trophy associated with the Grand National. During the 1990s, Nicholas and Michael Wainwright took over the business from their father, Anthony Wainwright. The firm later pursued a more unified luxury identity. In 2005, it changed its public name from Boodle & Dunthorne to Boodles. In 2007, its London operation moved to Bond Street, creating a flagship presence in one of the United Kingdom’s most important luxury retail districts. Further London locations followed, including boutiques at the Savoy Hotel, Harrods, the Royal Exchange, Sloane Street and Brompton Road. Boodles broadened its customer reach in 2012 by launching an e-commerce platform. Its public profile grew through design collaborations and media projects. Channel 4’s 2014 documentary The Million Pound Necklace showed the development of the Greenfire Suite, an emerald jewellery collection. In 2015, Boodles worked with the Royal Ballet on the Pas de Deux collection. In 2018, it collaborated with Patek Philippe on a special World Time wristwatch whose dial placed Liverpool at the 12 o’clock position. In the 2020s, Boodles continued to combine jewellery launches with cultural, charitable and experiential activity. The Secret Garden Collection appeared in 2020 with a charitable link to the NSPCC. The 2021 Peace of Mined Collection focused on diamonds from the Cullinan Mine. In 2022, the company drew on Anthony Wainwright’s 1962 travels for Around the World in 16 Days and received a Gold Medal for the Boodles Travel Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The company’s history was also explored through the Pure Brilliance: The Boodles Story exhibition at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight. Boodles marked the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary in 2024 with The National Gallery Collection and support for the NG200 Chelsea Flower Show garden. It also sponsored a Constable-related exhibition and created brooches inspired by John Constable’s work. That year, the company collaborated with Bentley on a one-of-one Boodles Bentley unveiled at the Jack Barclay showroom. Boodles’ current model combines a multi-location boutique network with private-client and bespoke services. Its locations have included five London sites, Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, Leeds and Dublin. The Old Bond Street Boodles Townhouse serves as a flagship incorporating retail, consultation and office functions. The company remains privately held and family associated, with its market identity built around British luxury, historic craftsmanship, gemstones, bespoke design and partnerships across art, sport, fashion and charity.

• 2023

  Walpole names Boodles British Luxury Brand of the Year

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Boodles receives the Walpole British Luxury Brand of the Year award.

• 2012

  E-commerce platform launches

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Boodles adds an online sales channel.

• 2009

  Raindance Ring enters the V&A collection

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  The Boodles Raindance Ring is selected for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s permanent jewellery collection.

• 2007

  New Bond Street flagship opens

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Boodles relocates its London flagship to Bond Street.

• 2005

  Brand becomes Boodles

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  The company retires the Boodle & Dunthorne trading name in favour of Boodles.

• 1982

  Manchester store opens

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  The company adds a Manchester location.

• 1965

  Chester store opens

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Boodles expands beyond Liverpool with a store in Chester.

• 1910

  The Wainwright brothers acquire Boodle and Dunthorne

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Herbert and Harold Wainwright establish their own business by purchasing Boodle and Dunthorne.

• 1878

  Henry Wainwright enters the trade

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  Henry Wainwright begins an apprenticeship in watch and jewellery making.

• 1798

  Kirk & Co. is founded

  [1]Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org

  The business that ultimately developed into Boodles begins as Kirk & Co., a watch and jewellery company in Hull.

British family-owned luxury jewellery centred on heritage craftsmanship, bespoke design, fine diamonds and coloured gemstones, private-client service, and cultural and sporting associations.

• Luxury jewellery

  Fine jewellery

  Boodles designs and retails fine jewellery using diamonds and coloured gemstones. Its range includes rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other pieces, alongside private commissions. The brand’s presentation combines contemporary collection design with the company’s long history in jewellery manufacture and retail.

• Custom jewellery

  Bespoke jewellery

  Bespoke work is a central part of Boodles’ luxury proposition. Clients can work with the company on individually designed pieces, including engagement jewellery, wedding jewellery and high-value commissions. The service draws on gemstone sourcing, design expertise and workshop craftsmanship rather than relying solely on standardized catalogue products.

• Diamonds

  Ashoka diamonds

  Boodles is identified in the reference material as the exclusive United Kingdom retailer of Ashoka diamonds, a diamond type developed by William Goldberg in New York. These stones form part of the brand’s premium diamond offering and are used in selected jewellery designs.

• Watches

  Luxury watches

  Watchmaking and watch retailing are part of Boodles’ historic and contemporary activities. The company’s heritage includes chronographs and watches supplied to air and naval officers, while its modern profile includes collaborations such as the special 2018 Patek Philippe World Time wristwatch created with Liverpool positioned at the top of the dial.

• Silverware and presentation pieces

  Sporting trophies and silverware

  Boodles has historically designed and crafted cups and trophies for sporting and other competitions. Its associated work includes the solid-gold Grand National trophy, reflecting the company’s earlier silversmithing and presentation-object capabilities in addition to its jewellery business.

• High jewellery collection · 2014

  The Greenfire Suite

  The Greenfire Suite is an emerald-focused high-jewellery collection developed by Boodles and featured in a 2014 Channel 4 documentary. The collection used emeralds and was publicly described in the reference material as having a value of £2.8 million.

• Art-inspired jewellery · 2024

  The National Gallery Collection

  Created for the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary, The National Gallery Collection connects Boodles jewellery design with works and themes associated with the London institution. It formed part of a wider 2024 programme of cultural collaboration and anniversary activity.

• 2024National Gallery 200th anniversary programme

  United Kingdom

  Boodles created The National Gallery Collection and supported the NG200 garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the gallery’s bicentenary.

  Outcome. The programme broadened Boodles’ visibility through a multi-part partnership with a major British cultural institution.

  Source
• 2023Discover Constable and The Hay Wain

  United Kingdom

  Boodles sponsored a National Gallery exhibition programme focused on John Constable and The Hay Wain and designed related brooches.

  Outcome. The programme connected the jewellery brand with British art history and museum-led cultural programming.

  Source
• 2022Boodles Travel Garden

  United Kingdom

  Boodles supported an RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden based on Anthony Wainwright’s travels.

  Outcome. The garden received a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

  Source
• 2022Boodles Boxing Ball

  United Kingdom

  Boodles supported a biennial charity boxing event held in London to raise money for charitable organizations including the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

  Outcome. The event generated charitable fundraising and reinforced Boodles’ association with formal social and philanthropic events.

  Source
• 2020The Secret Garden Collection

  United Kingdom

  The collection was inspired by the film adaptation of The Secret Garden and incorporated a charitable contribution to the NSPCC.

  Outcome. The launch combined literary and film inspiration with fundraising support for children’s welfare.

  Source
• 2015Pas de Deux

  United Kingdom

  Boodles collaborated with the Royal Ballet on a jewellery collection inspired by ballet and the relationship between dancers.

  Outcome. The collaboration expanded Boodles’ cultural positioning through a collection linking jewellery with performance and dance.

  Source

• 2024

  Collaborate with Bentley on a one-of-one vehicleOther

  Background

  Boodles continued to pursue limited cultural and luxury partnerships beyond conventional jewellery launches.

  Action taken

  The company worked with Bentley to create a unique Boodles Bentley, unveiled at the Jack Barclay showroom.

  Aftermath

  The commission extended Boodles’ luxury-brand storytelling into automotive design and collectible craftsmanship.

  Source

• 2018

  Create a special Patek Philippe World Time watchProduct launch

  Background

  Boodles used a partnership with Patek Philippe to connect fine watchmaking with its Liverpool heritage.

  Action taken

  The partners produced a special World Time wristwatch with Liverpool placed at the 12 o’clock position.

  Aftermath

  The watch became a distinctive example of Boodles’ use of heritage-led collaborations in luxury products.

  Source

• 2012

  Launch e-commerceStrategy

  Background

  Boodles operated a network of physical boutiques but sought to reach customers beyond its store locations.

  Action taken

  The company launched an e-commerce platform.

  Aftermath

  The online channel gave Boodles a broader audience and complemented its boutique and private-client model.

  Source

• 2007

  Move the London flagship to Bond StreetStrategy

  Background

  Boodles was expanding its London presence and seeking a prominent location within the capital’s luxury retail district.

  Action taken

  The company relocated its London flagship to New Bond Street.

  Aftermath

  The move established Bond Street as a major showroom for the brand and supported its positioning in British luxury jewellery.

  Source

• 2005

  Adopt the Boodles nameStrategy

  Background

  The business had historically traded under the Boodle & Dunthorne name while operating as a family jewellery company with roots in Liverpool.

  Action taken

  The company rebranded itself as Boodles.

  Aftermath

  The shorter name became the identity used for subsequent flagship development, collections and international-facing activity.

  Source

1. 1Boodles (company)en.wikipedia.org