In the making
At the age of five, Guy Burton could be found in his father’s jewellery shop, helping to clean the countertops. He learned the business through the osmosis of family life— his parents are both directors of the company—and Guy has helped bring their bespoke designs to life with his talent for spotting the finest stones and knowing just what to do with them.
Founded in Mayfair in 1849, Charles Frederick Hancock’s company dealt in fine jewellery, serving the great and the good, including Queen Victoria, among other European royalty. In 1856, the Queen awarded Hancocks a Royal Warrant and commissioned it to make the Victoria Cross, a medal awarded for ‘conspicuous bravery’ (regardless of rank) cast from the bronze of two canons confiscated during the Crimean War. the commission was a huge honour for the jeweller and Hancocks has made every Victoria Cross since.
Guy’s father, Stephen Burton, took over the business in the late 1980s, after running a successful jeweller next door. He was brought in to shake up Hancocks, which had changed little in years and specialised in dealing in exciting vintage and antique pieces, from big jewellery houses (still a large part of the business today). ‘they had the name, but my father had the eye,’ explains Guy. this helped the company to quickly flourish once again.
Burlington Arcade is now the company’s home (I try, and fail, on a weekly basis, to pass the window without stopping to gaze at something new on display). Guy joined the family business 10 years ago when he was in his twenties.
What sets Hancocks apart? Guy’s dedication in sourcing and making the finest jewellery on the block— you can buy a piece straight from
the window or design something bespoke with Guy at your side, for no extra cost. Such is his drive to give the customer exactly what they want, he has an infectiously fierce passion for old-cut diamonds (now I’ve spent a sparkly morning in his shop, I’ve caught the bug) and sources them from select dealers around the world.
‘I’m so drawn to old-cut stones for all kinds of reasons,’ he enthuses. ‘they involve an insanely high level of skill—they were cut by hand, purely
to catch the most amount of light, as they were designed to be worn in candlelit rooms. the most famous stones of all time are old-cut.’ It’s still true that machine-cut stones somehow don’t hold the same romance. the old ones were stones cut with the highest level of craftsmanship—they’ll never be totally perfect, but that’s part of their charm. they were cut solely to enhance their beauty and for the love of the stone— there’s no better sentiment than that.
‘ If you look at a ring and love it, that’s the only important grade there is ’ Guy Burton, bespoke director, talks to Hetty Lintell