Art Deco Jewellery
Art Deco jewellery is attractive for us today for its simplicity of line, shape, abstract form. It can equally be luxurious or sumptuous. Its roots in Modernism evoke a more refined age – an imagined world of Agatha Christie’s Poirot …
How to buy an engagement ring
It’s one of those special moments in life: asking someone to marry you. Your first concern: will they say yes? But not too far behind: what about choosing the engagement ring? Helping you make the big decision We can help …
Ben Goodwin on craftsmanship
PERSONAL PASSIONS: BEN GOODWIN I started in the business in 1993 — and it was a complete surprise. I didn’t know I was coming into the family business. After university I went to work for Polaroid on a placement as …
Buying Your Wedding Band
HOW WE SELL WEDDING BANDS Here at Goodwins, rather than holding a stock of wedding bands, we keep a pattern box. Inside are a range of patterns — every width and finish, in a wealth of sizes — made out …
GOODWINS’ GUIDE: Insurance
Goodwins’ Guide to Insuring Jewellery Jewellery represents an intrinsic and an emotional investment. Its intrinsic worth may be substantial. Check with your insurance provider first, to determine what your home and contents deal does and does not cover. You can …
Encountering Napoleon
SOURCING THE UNUSUAL Surprises are one of the best things about dealing in antiques. When you never know what will turn up, ever day is an adventure. For instance, we once got hold of an easel that had belonged to …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Diamond Cluster Ring
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Diamond Cluster Ring £5,190 An 18ct yellow gold and platinum mounted diamond cluster ring comprising a central old cut diamond surrounded by 8 old cut diamonds. The shank is 18ct yellow gold and the setting is …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Antique Dirk
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Silver mounted antique Scottish dirk £2,350 An antique sterling silver mounted dirk with ebony, silver studded handles and foiled paste stones set onto the handles. All the mounts are hand engraved, and it is mounted …
Goodwins’ Guide: Cleaning Jewellery
GOODWINS’ GUIDE TO CLEANING JEWELLERY AND SILVER: If you want to keep your diamonds (emeralds, sapphires…) sparkling, it’s important to look after your jewellery. Dirt is what blocks the light, making stones appear dull. But what’s the best and safest …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Trumpet Vase
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Hallmarked Birmingham, 1906, this silver flower vase consists of a central trumpet shaped vase with three removable, smaller trumpet shaped vases, set on a circular base. Height: 19cm/5.5″ £395
Personal Passions: Joe on Silver
Joe Goodwin here. Of all the things we sell, I’ve always been the most interested in silver. Back in the day, people had dining rooms and filled them with all the accoutrements: candelabra, candlesticks, claret jugs, muffin dishes, cutlery, and …
Item of the Week: Art Nouveau Clock
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Art Nouveau Mahogany Inlaid Mantel Clock £825 Art Nouveau pieces are distinctive for their swooping shapes, based on nature’s own designs. This beautiful mahogany mantle clock features a tulip design, with delicate floral pattern wooden inlay. …
The Great Heist of 1987
THE GREAT HEIST OF OCTOBER 1987 It was a Saturday in October, back in 1987. Back then jewellers never tended to lock their doors. Crime wasn’t a big problem here in Edinburgh. Working in the Queensferry Street shop that …
Item of the Week: Opal Ring
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Opal, Diamond and Gold Ring £3,900 Is there an October baby on your gift list? Or maybe your birthday falls this month? In that case, this ring should hold extra appeal to you! It comprises a central …
GOODWINS’ GUIDE: Buying Silver
GOODWINS’ GUIDE TO BUYING SILVER The first and foremost rule when buying silver is this: do you like it? You have to find it lovely. Whatever you purchase should be practical and pleasurable in equal measure. How much it might …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Jade Earrings
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Jade, onyx and diamond drop earrings, £1900 A pair of 18ct white gold mounted jade, onyx and diamond drop earrings. Each earring has a circular piece of jade held by a diamond set clasp surmounted by a …
GOODWINS’ GUIDE: Travelling with Jewellery
GOODWINS’ GUIDE TO TRAVELLING WITH JEWELLERY [Photo, Sir Norman Parkinson] For most of us, holidays are a time for relaxation, when we hop off of the daily treadmill and unwind. But all seasoned travellers know that’s easier said than done …
GOODWINS’ GUIDE: Engagement Rings
GOODWINS’ GUIDE TO BUYING AN ENGAGEMENT RING Congratulations! Have you given thought to what kind of ring you would like? Have you seen anything in our window that calls to you? Do you want a classic single stone ring, a …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Lyre Clock
Item of the Week: Antique Lyre Clock, £6750 Antique French ormolu lyre clock garniture with swinging paste set pendulum. The lyre shaped case with bead gilt bronze borders and gilded trailing leaf in the open frame, surmounted by a gilt …
Item of the Week: Mourning Brooch
Item of the Week: Mourning Brooch £795 A very rare gold mounted,Victorian, owl themed mourning brooch comprising a scrolled gold oval mount with black enamel embellished with gold floral flourishes. The Victorians honoured their dead with elaborate mourning traditions often deeply …
Birthstone of the Month: Sapphire
Birthstone of the month: Sapphire for September Throughout the ages, mankind has believed that sapphires represent honesty, loyalty, trust, and purity. Ancient Persians thought the Earth rested on a giant sapphire, and that its reflection gave colour to the sky. …
Scottish River Pearls: What you must know
In her lyrical novel Dear, Thief (Jonathan Cape, 2014), Samantha Harvey sends her characters to Scotland hunting for pearls. Her description is vivid: “To fish for river pearls you need shallow, fast-flowing water. You lower a glass-bottomed bucket into the …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Wine Funnel
ITEM OF THE WEEK Sterling Silver Wine Funnel London, 1807; £1495 What can you buy the wine lover who has everything? We recommend this useful, beautiful wine funnel, complete with its original modelling ring. To use it, simply clip a …
Item of the Week: Terrier Brooch
Item of the Week Terrier brooch, £695 A perfect gift for the dog lover you love, this brooch features an 18ct white gold mounted diamond-set terrier with a ruby eye. It is mounted on a 15ct white gold bar for …
Selling to Us vs Selling via Auction
When the time has come to sell a piece of jewellery or silver, where should you go? To an auction room, or to a reputable, trusted dealer? One reason to work with a dealer is speed. If the item you have …
Item Of The Week
Item of the Week: William Yeoward Crystal Flavia Goblet, £325 We are Edinburgh’s only independent stockist of William Yeoward Crystal, which operates by royal appointment to Prince Charles. The pieces are new but crafted to evoke old designs. A few …
GOODWINS’ GUIDES: Pearls
Pearls Creamy or colourful, smooth or nubby, pearls are always beautiful and always correct. But where do they come from, and how should you care for these precious beauties? Pearls are the only gem created inside a living organism. In salt …
Item of the Week: Pheasant Brooch
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Pheasant brooch, £425 This is a sweet 18ct gold flying pheasant brooch. The yellow gold body has white gold detailing on the wings and tail. The head is enamelled in red, green and white. The pheasant …
Our Relationships are Built on Trust
The cardinal rule with using a family jeweller is trust. Whether you require a valuation, wish to sell your property, or have it repaired and cleaned, you’ll be handing over things that are sentimentally and actually very valuable. As a client …
Mysterious Portrait
People often ask about this large, haunting portrait hanging in our Queensferry Street shop. Our father, Ronald, bought it from a respected art dealer about 30-40 years ago. It’s a picture of Lady Mary Templetown and her son, circa 1802. …
Item of the Week: Salt cellar
Silver plated salt cellar; £180 This is an electroplated nickel silver salt cellar in the form of a frog pulling a snail shell. The snail shell has a beetle on the top and the shell’s interior is gilded in 18ct gold. …
Everyone Loves Art Deco
It’s been 90 years since the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratif in Paris that gave the world Art Deco, and its appeal has never really gone out of fashion. Characterised by geometry and dazzle (chrome, glass, mirror — not to …
ITEM OF THE WEEK: Peridot Ring
Peridot is August’s birthstone (we wrote about it last week here on the blog). This pretty little dress ring, £375, is an 18ct white gold mounted, three stone ring comprising a central, emerald cut peridot, flanked either side by a single …
Item of the Week: What is this?
ITEM OF THE WEEK What IS this?! Well, we do know, but it took some time. At first we guessed that it was a device for administering medicine, since we’ve seen antique silver dishes used for feeding invalids. But further …
August Birthstone: Peridot
August Birthstone: Peridot (also the gem marking 16 years of marriage) [This pendant is known as the Green Goddess. It weighs 154 carats and is surrounded by yellow diamonds. Photo: Field Museum] In its most distinctive form, peridot is either citrusy …
Welcome to Our New Website
Welcome to our new website. We hope you’ll take time to explore all its features, including an archive of family photos tracking how the Goodwin family business began, and the changes we’ve weathered over the years. Another terrific new feature …
Experts since 1946
Goodwins is a family business founded in 1946. We're experts in antique jewellery with three generations of experience with precious stones.
Visit us at Queensferry Street
Come to visit us in our main Edinburgh shop on Queensferry Street in Edinburgh's New Town, just a few minutes from Princes Street.
Visit us at Rose Street
Our Rose Street shop stocks Scottish jewellery, pre-owned items and watches from Citizen and Seiko. You can also call in for watch repairs.
Goodwins Antiques is a member of LAPADA
