Whether you're Kate Middleton, Kayne West, Mr T or darts supremo Bobby George... everybody loves a bit of bling.
It doesn't matter what you're in the market for: earrings, a necklace, bracelet, brooch, watch, toe-ring or even... engagement ring! London is crammed full of jewellers to match every taste, pocket and need... so please allow us to walk you through our pick of the capital's best emporiums of bling!
Laura Lee is an independent jeweller in Covent Garden beloved by celebrities and fashionistas alike. Dainty diamond rings, miniscule pearl earrings and quaint charm necklaces are the staples that represent her tasteful and often quirky style.
Mango might be known more for its clothes than its jewellery but the Spanish retail giant buys some of the best trinkets around for its high street stores. You’ll find anything from rings to broaches in amongst the affordable range.
Tatty Devine is the original purveyor of vinyl jewellery. Often copied but never bettered, the stores in Covent Garden and Brick Lane appeal to women of all ages. Think magpie earrings, giant cherry bling rings and name necklaces.
Thor and Wistle began as a collaboration between two small jewellery studios in Netil House in Hackney before the protagonists partnered up and opened a shop just off Redchurch Street in Shoreditch. The handmade rings, necklaces and earrings incorporate gothic elements and utilize old materials for the purpose of up cycling, which creates one-off pieces that are unavailable from anywhere else.
The Australian high street stalwart is known primarily for its watches but it also stocks a healthy range of jewellery. Delicate charms, bracelets and earrings come in a range of materials such as silver, gold, suede and leather at affordable gift-friendly price points.
Mawi is all about the exclusive and the exotic. Having trained in New York for a stint, the store’s eponymous jewellery designer Mawi makes highly individual and covetable pieces. Prices are high but the design quality, the amount of handmade production involved and the scarcity of the items make them well worth the investment.
A visit to Basia Zarzycka is like a trip into another world; a world that’s coated in dazzling colours, textures and materials that make you want to stay forever. That’s right, FOREVER! Vintage pearlescent pink bracelets, antique Mona Lisa pendants, opulent bridal earrings and Victorian trinkets line the overstocked shop. Bring your credit card, this place is one of a kind!
Affordability and design collide in Accessorize, the high street store that has furnished thousands of teenage jewellery boxes. But the appeal of Accessorize’s playful designs and over the top garish copies stretches way beyond school discos. There is arguably nowhere better to find a quick jewellery fix in London than in an Accessorize store.
Yes, we know that Hatton Garden isn’t a shop but that’s not going to stop us including it as our final entry. The dense population of jewellers in this ancient trading street makes it the ideal place to find a deal. You can find contemporary and antique, custom and bespoke rings for all occasions – usually weddings/engagements – and best of all, you can barter.