Marcus

LEICESTERSHIRE

During a long, varied and fascinating career that has taken him from his humble ‘Saturday job’ in Leeds to The Bahamas and back, Marcus, Associate Director, has engaged with virtually every aspect of the jewellery trade. His excitement and pride in a business that he loves is infectious. He remains committed to ensuring that clients receive the ultimate experience in terms of choice, quality and service.

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I actually started as a “Saturday lad” in a family owned jewellers in Leeds in 1980 while studying for A levels. I continued working there in the university holidays, going full-time after graduation. After ten years, I was managing the largest showroom in the group, before moving to The Bahamas, where I spent five years as Island Manager, running seven locations and serving a varied and international client base. Returning to the UK in the Millennium, I provided consultation, training and development services for several jewellery companies before joining Pragnell in 2006, subsequently becoming General Manager and Managing Director for the Leicestershire location. My tenth anniversary saw me appointed an Associate Director of our parent company, George Pragnell Limited. I still head up our Leicestershire showroom, combining it with my other ‘hats’. I love the industry, our unique fine jewellery and our long established and sophisticated client base.

Qualifications:
Retail Jewellery Diploma.
Gemstones certificate.
DGA & FGA Diplomas.
Diamond Grading courses with the GIA in London.

Q & A

What is your earliest jewellery memory?
Selling the largest and highest value diamond in the showroom during my first month while the manager was out on lunch…

What is your favourite gemstone?
I have two: diamonds and emeralds. Get in touch and I will tell you why…

What advice would you give someone looking for a bespoke piece?
Come to Pragnell, as our expertise is your guarantee for something truly bespoke.

Describe your jewellery style in three words?
Quality. Simplistic. Beautiful.

My Favourite Piece

The 5.06ct Asscher cut diamond ring, which is from our Masterpiece collection. This is truly a Masterpiece with its Art Deco style. For me, it is just so simple, and the way that the diamond has been faceted acts like a window into the diamond itself, enabling you to see right into the stone. Although it doesn’t handle light in the same way as a round brilliant cut, the Asscher cut has an exceptional and unique shimmer.

A Comic Commission

I have a ‘quirky’ sense of humour and it’s really refreshing to find that many of our clients share that same trait. One customer, a collector of special edition comics, commissioned the production of some cufflinks. The actual design was inspired by the famous Spiderman character, but the interpretation was all done by our in-house, award winning designers. The detail and the result was fabulous. Another happy customer!

My favourite period of jewellery design

Art Deco: to have a period in time where a design philosophy influences so many aspects of life is truly remarkable. From the early years before World War I, right through to the 1930s, so much was ‘Deco’ in design. I once stayed in a hotel overlooking the Chrysler Building in New York, whose design is so iconic. Art Deco inspired buildings, furniture, cars, theatres and ocean liners (the cruise ship of today) ensure we are still surrounded by this style, with its straight lines, geometric forms and cubes. From my cartographic training I like how lines work and tell a story (contour lines get interesting when very close together!). The ultimate expression of the Art Deco form would be in the hands of the skilled goldsmiths across Europe. The Art Deco style, the jewellery produced both in that era and with the same design elements today, remain highly desirable. Angular settings with simply cut precious gemstones will always retain that classical beauty.

Art Deco: to have a period in time where a design philosophy influences so many aspects of life is truly remarkable. From the early years before World War I, right through to the 1930s, so much was ‘Deco’ in design. I once stayed in a hotel overlooking the Chrysler Building in New York, whose design is so iconic. Art Deco inspired buildings, furniture, cars, theatres and ocean liners (the cruise ship of today) ensure we are still surrounded by this style, with its straight lines, geometric forms and cubes. From my cartographic training I like how lines work and tell a story (contour lines get interesting when very close together!). The ultimate expression of the Art Deco form would be in the hands of the skilled goldsmiths across Europe. The Art Deco style, the jewellery produced both in that era and with the same design elements today, remain highly desirable. Angular settings with simply cut precious gemstones will always retain that classical beauty.

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Stratford-Upon-Avon 5 - 7 Wood Street

+44 (0) 1789 267 072

Mayfair 14 Mount Street

+44 (0) 207 409 2845

Leicester 23 - 25 Market Street

+44 (0) 116 255 4434