More than 75 guests descended on stockbroker Killik & Co’s home on Grosvenor Street in Mayfair for the ‘History & Heritage: Collecting Antique Jewellery’ event with a panel discussion from jewellery experts and Berkeley Square Gin cocktails.
Killik & Co is the sponsor of the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair this year and the pair have teamed up to offer a number of events in the run up to the September fair in Berkeley Square.
Chaired by LAPADA’s fair director Mieka Sywak and Killik partner Georgie Killik, the panel comprised experts Anthea Gesua from A.G. Antiques, Amy Burton from Hancocks London and Aimée van Kranendonk Duffels from Dutch dealer VKD Jewels. They discussed jewellery trends, advice on what antiques to buy and how they got started in their careers.
The panel agreed that more and more women are buying their own jewellery, which has influenced what pieces are purchased.
Gesua said popular periods to collect are moving later, and that the 1960s and 70s are now very desirable.
For those deciding to buy their first piece of antique jewellery, Gesua suggested “earrings as they dress the face and can be worn every day,” while Burton said she likes to buy “bold cocktail rings that you can look at and enjoy yourself”.
Sywak said of the success of the event, “It goes to show that curated events focusing on a particular subject are a good way to engage with people who are not necessarily familiar with a traditional art and antiques fair or the trade in general.”
