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Ben Goodwin on craftsmanship

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 …

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Buying Your Wedding Band

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 …

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GOODWINS’ GUIDE: Insurance

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 …

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Encountering Napoleon

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 …

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Personal Passions: Joe on Silver

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 …

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The Great Heist of 1987

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 …

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GOODWINS’ GUIDE: Travelling with Jewellery

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 …

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Birthstone of the Month: Sapphire

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. …

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Scottish River Pearls: What you must know

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 …

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Our Relationships are Built on Trust

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 …

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Mysterious Portrait

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. …

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Everyone Loves Art Deco

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 …

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Item of the Week: What is this?

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 …

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August Birthstone: Peridot

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 …

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Welcome to Our New Website

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 …

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