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Show Notes
In this episode, Louise is joined by her longtime friend Adrian Dickens, jewellery historian, personal jeweller and specialist in antique, estate and remodelled jewellery.
Their conversation explores why jewellery can be so much more than something beautiful we wear. A jewel may carry memories of a grandmother, mark a significant moment in our lives, represent extraordinary craftsmanship or quietly reveal something about our personal style.
From Garrard to a Lifetime in Jewellery
Adrian traces his fascination with jewellery back to childhood visits to Garrard, then the Crown Jewellers in London, where his older brother worked.
Those early visits introduced him to jewellery, silver, watches, clocks, workshops and the craftsmanship behind luxury objects. At 16, what was intended to be a three-week holiday job in a jewellery store in Sussex became six years of hands-on training and ultimately the beginning of a career spanning more than four decades.
The Jewellery Trends of 2026
Rather than simply accumulating more jewellery, Adrian is seeing clients become increasingly considered about what they own.
With precious-metal prices remaining high, some clients are choosing to repurpose jewellery they no longer wear, using existing gold and stones to create fewer, more meaningful pieces.
There is also renewed enthusiasm for coloured gemstones, including sapphires, rubies, tanzanites and garnets, alongside delicate chains and pendants particularly popular with younger jewellery wearers.
Giving Heirlooms a New Life
One of the loveliest themes of our conversation is the reinvention of inherited jewellery.
A diamond or coloured stone inherited from a grandmother does not necessarily need to remain in its original setting. Adrian explains how inherited stones can become part of a completely new design while retaining their family history.
Louise shares the story of her own “life ring”, created by Adrian using family diamonds and gold, a piece whose significance comes not simply from its materials, but from the generations and memories it represents.
The Return of the Brooch
Brooches are most certainly back, and importantly, they are no longer confined to women.
Adrian, who regularly wears a brooch himself, believes they are among the most beautifully designed pieces in jewellery history. Contemporary menswear has also embraced the brooch, particularly worn against the simplicity of a dinner jacket or tuxedo.
The message from Adrian is wonderfully simple: if you have inherited a beautiful brooch, wear it. Do not leave it forgotten in a drawer.
Estate Jewellery Meets Modern Style
An older piece does not necessarily need to be worn in the way its original owner wore it.A brooch can become a pendant. An inherited stone can become part of a contemporary ring. Vintage jewellery can be worn with modern clothing, and a beautiful scarf can be given another dimension with an antique brooch or scarf ring.
It is this mixture of old and new that allows jewellery to become genuinely personal.
Craftsmanship Still Matters
Modern technology has changed jewellery design considerably. CAD design and even AI can now help clients visualise a piece before it is made.
However, Adrian emphasises that technology does not replace craftsmanship. The quality of the setting, the amount and strength of the metal used and the expertise of the jeweller remain enormously important, particularly when securing valuable stones.
A beautiful design is only truly successful when it is beautifully made.
Jewellery as an Investment?
Adrian offers a refreshing warning about one of the jewellery industry’s familiar sales pitches.
In more than 40 years in the profession, he says he has never sold a piece of jewellery on the promise that it will be an investment.
Markets change. Gold prices fluctuate, currencies move, diamond values change and fashions evolve. Certain signed or historically important estate pieces may become highly collectible, but no reputable jeweller can guarantee what a piece will be worth in ten or twenty years.
His advice is instead to buy knowledgeably, buy quality and, most importantly, buy something you genuinely want to own and wear.
Why the 1960s and 1970s Are Worth Watching
Although Art Deco has long been one of Adrian’s favourite periods, he is increasingly fascinated by jewellery from the 1960s and 1970s.
The bold, Modernist and sometimes Brutalist designs of the period feel distinctive and fresh again. Pieces by respected makers can also remain relatively accessible compared with jewellery from more established collecting periods.
For anyone interested in estate jewellery, Adrian believes this is a particularly interesting era to explore.
Adrian’s Jewellery Essentials
In a quick-fire finale, Adrian nominates:
- The one piece every woman should own, a row of pearls.
- The one piece every man should own, a brooch.
- The underrated gemstone, peridot, a wonderfully vivid green stone that Adrian says simply makes him smile.
- And if you inherit a jewellery box? Before selling, remodelling or discarding anything, have the contents assessed by someone with genuine expertise.
Jewellery Tells a Story
Louise often says that elegance is not about wealth, but thoughtfulness.
Jewellery can embody precisely that idea. A single carefully chosen piece may say more about personal style than an abundance of expensive jewellery ever could.
Jewellery can connect us with family, history, craftsmanship and memory. Perhaps the most elegant thing we can do with those pieces is not save them for some undefined special occasion, but bring them back into our lives and wear their stories.
Links & Mentions
Adrian Dickens and Circa AD Jewels
Website: https://www.circaadjewels.com/
Instagram: @circa_ad_jewels
Adrian’s previous conversation with Louise
The CARTIER Exhibition, NGV Melbourne
The 2026 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition features almost 400 jewels, watches and precious objects and runs at NGV International from 12 June to 4 October 2026.
Champagne Afternoon Tea and Presentation with Adrian Dickens
Tickets: https://thepercyinstitute.com/upcoming-events/
The Percy Institute
For upcoming events, courses, masterclasses and more information about modern manners and elegant living, visit: https://thepercyinstitute.com
Have a Question for Louise?
Send your questions and modern etiquette dilemmas via Instagram @ThePercyInstitute or email l.percy@thepercyinstitute.com
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