The story
Early history
The company Kirk & Co. was originally founded in 1798 in Hull. In 1878, Henry Wainright began as an apprentice in making watches and jewelry under his uncle, William Wainright. In 1889, Henry Wainright began managing Kirk & Co.'s new location in Liverpool. He later bought the company and renamed it H. Wainright & Sons when his sons, Herbert and Harold, joined the business in 1898.
In 1910 the two sons established their own business with the purchase of Boodle and Dunthorne. After Harold was killed in WWI, Henry and Herbert chose to merge H. Wainwright & Sons with Boodle and Dunthorne. They relocated the business to the corner of Lord Street and North John Street in Liverpool, which remains Boodles head office today.
In 1965 Boodles opened a second store, in Chester, and a third, in Manchester in 1982. In the 1990s, Nicholas and Michael Wainwright took over from their father, Anthony Wainwright. Boodles opened several stores in London.
2000s: Opening in London
In 2005, the company rebranded from Boodle & Dunthorne to Boodles. In 2007, the store relocated to Bond Street, becoming the flagship showroom and solidifying Boodles’ position in British luxury jewellery. The brand later expanded, with boutiques in Harrods, the Savoy Hotel, the Royal Exchange and Sloane Street.
2010s: Rebranding
In 2012, Boodles launched its e-commerce platform, allowing the company to reach a global audience online. In 2014, Channel 4 aired The Million Pound Necklace, a documentary showcasing Boodles' creation of the Greenfire Suite, a jewellery collection made of emeralds valued at £2.8 million.
In 2015, Boodles collaborated with the Royal Ballet to create the Pas de Deux collection, which featured jewelry inspired by ballet. Boodles launched its new showroom at No.6 Sloane Street in early 2017. In 2018, Boodles partnered with Patek Philippe to produce a special World Time wristwatch with Liverpool positioned at the 12 o'clock spot.
2020s
In 2020, Boodles launched The Secret Garden Collection, inspired by the film adaptation of the classic novel, with a portion of proceeds supporting the NSPCC. In 2021, Boodles introduced the Peace of Mined Collection, focusing on diamonds from the Cullinan Mine. In 2022, Boodles launched the Around the World in 16 Days Collection, inspired by Anthony Wainwright’s 1962 globe-trotting journey. In 2022, Boodles won a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the Boodles Travel Garden, inspired by Anthony Wainwright’s travels.
In October of 2022, The history of Boodles was the subject of an exhibition at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight. On display were jewellery and objects relating to the company, including Grand National trophies.
Read the full text
In 2024, Boodles created The National Gallery Collection for the National Gallery’s 200th anniversary, also sponsoring a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show called NG200, inspired by gallery paintings. In November, sponsored the Hay Wain Constable Exhibition, and designed a line of brooches inspired by Constable's works. In 2024, Boodles worked with Bentley to create a unique ‘one-of-one’ Boodles Bentley, which was unveiled at the Jack Barclay showroom.
Boodles has ten stores including five in London: Savoy Hotel, Old Bond Street, Sloane Street, The Royal Exchange, Brompton Road and Harrods, three in North West England; (Liverpool, Chester and Manchester), one in Leeds, West Yorkshire and one in Dublin, Ireland.
On 28 September 2026, Boodles opened its new flagship store, the Boodles Townhouse, at 23 Old Bond Street in London. Designed by GPstudios, the premises cover 13,170 sq ft (1,224 m2) across seven floors and include a courtyard garden by landscape designer Catherine Macdonald. Two archive rooms document the company's history and jewellery design, with displays developed with assistance from National Museums Liverpool. The archive includes jewellery, silverware, historical documents and designs for Grand National trophies.
From Wikipedia’s article on Boodles (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4