Theo Fennel - King of Bling

It is not often that art and jewellery meet and have as great a success as is found with Theo Fennell. Fennell’s eponymous brand is recognisable for its careful handcrafting and the uniqueness of the pieces that combine values of art and culture with non-traditional style and approaches.

Theo ‘King of Bling’ Fennell was born in Egypt in 1951 to Major Alistor Ivor Fennell and Beryl Fennell. It is no wonder that being born into an army family that travelled around the world and being immersed in different cultures resulted in Fennell having a colourful personality that spread into his work. Fennell was educated at Eton - a school well known for having royalty and the wealthy as borders. From tere, he went to the york College of Art and finally the Byam Shaw School of Art. Following on from his formal education, Theo Fennell got to work and his first position was at Edward Barnard - the company best known for creating the ‘lily font’ which is the silver baptismal font used by all but one of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren.

After his apprenticeship, Fennell moved across the road from Barnard’s and set up a solo studio at 177 Fulham Road. It was here that the Theo Fennell brand was born and it was only once in the brand’s 40 years that it has moved premises - and this was only 8 doors down to number 169! It was very important to Fennell that every step of creating a piece can happen under one roof, meaning the workshop, studio, and gallery of the brand can all still be found in the same building today.

The company was established in 1982 and since then has been nothing short of extraordinary. The uniqueness and personality of each piece of jewellery draws attention from around the world and can be found in the collections of many celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga, and Madonna. It is said that once Elton John spent £200,000 on one trip to Fennell’s flagship store! The brand does not mass-produce pieces and prides itself on creating hand-crafted wearable art that breaks away from tradition.

Creativity very clearly runs through the Fennell family. Most young people today are possibly more in-tune with the work of his eldest daughter Emerald; even if they don’t know they are. Two-time Oscar winner Emerald Fennell is the mastermind behind the 2023 sensation ‘Saltburn’. The film stars our very own Barry Keoghan and is a social commentary on the lives of the wealthy - a life known all too well to the Fennell family and no doubt written with the view of personal experience. She is also known for playing Camilla Parker-Bowles in the latter seasons of Netflix’s ‘The Crown’. Despite her father’s love for gems, his daughter’s name is not inspired by the green stone, but rather a 1930s society hostess, Lady Maud ‘Emerald’ Cunard. Fennell’s younger daughter, Coco, is also successful in her own right. Her self-titled fashion brand and it’s 1960s inspired designs are popular amongst celebrities like Kylie Minogue, Laura Whitmore and Jameela Jamil.

All this to say that the Theo fennell brand is unique in its approach to jewellery design and how it has not changed in 40 years. In our February auction, we have a fabulous solitaire from Theo Fennell that encompasses the originality and dedicated craftsmanship of the brand. The 2.53 carat brilliant cut diamond is mounted in 18ct yellow gold to an 18ct yellow gold ‘rail’ band and is the perfect addition to any jewellery lover’s collection. Fennell’s designs can often be a touch obscure and not necessarily wearable for every day; take his great white shark ring for example, which is a scene straight out of ‘Jaws’ which can be worn on your hand. However, this solitaire is a far cry from that while still being recognisably by Fennell and would fit seamlessly in any fanatic’s jewellery box (and hand!)