Pictured left to right: Tom Crookenden, Suzy Bilby, David Bilby, Charlie Pragnell

Remembering David Bilby

(1943 – 2026)

For 68 years, David devoted himself to the world of fine jewellery. From the moment he entered the trade as a teenager, work became one of the great passions of his life, and he continued working for us until the very end. His knowledge, eye, integrity, and instinct for people made him not only an exceptional jeweller but also a trusted adviser and friend to generations of clients and colleagues.

David’s story began in 1958, when, aged just 15, he answered a newspaper advertisement seeking a “bright young lad to learn the jewellery trade”. The advertisement was placed by Attenborough of Fleet Street, the prestigious pawnbroker where he began his gemmology training. By the age of 18, he became one of the youngest people to qualify as a Fellow of the Gemmology Association, and he later completed the Diamond Diploma in its inaugural year.

Yet David’s education was never only about stones, settings or hallmarks. He learned, early on, how to understand people: how to listen carefully, assess a situation, and build relationships founded on trust. Those qualities would stay with him for the rest of his career.

David Bilby, 1980s

After Attenborough, David joined Garrard, then home of the Crown Jeweller. Born to a working-class family in south London, he entered a rarefied world on the strength of his expertise and quiet confidence. The story of his interview became part of his legend: “During my interview, the boss pulled out a piece of antique silver and said, ‘tell me about this’,” David recalled. “I said ‘it’s by Samuel Watson, 1732, rather nice’. He said, ‘you’re wrong, it’s 1731’. I said, ‘with the greatest respect sir, it’s 1732’. He looked back at his hallmark book and said, ‘you’ve got the job’.”

David quickly rose through the ranks, becoming sales and showrooms director, travelling the world to introduce wealthy clients to fabulous jewels. Photographs of him aboard yachts and in the company of royals attest to the glamour of those days, but David never allowed it to define him. He was modest, practical and understated. As he once said of himself, “I don’t say much, I just get on with it.”

In 1989, David established his own jewellery company in Mayfair. He went on to manage Hunt & Roskell, part of the Asprey group, before rejoining Garrard, moving the company to Bond Street and becoming General Manager at Asprey & Garrard. In 2000, he established his own venture again, bringing together clients and exceptional goods from all over the world.

A move to the Cotswolds eventually brought David to Pragnell. He found there a company rooted in the values he cared about most: relationships, quality, rarity and trust. Working alongside Jeremy, Charlie and Tom, he became a much-loved presence within the business, sharing his wisdom generously and continuing to delight clients with the kind of rare and beautiful pieces that only he could fully bring to life.

While the jewellery trade changed dramatically over the years, David maintained that some traditional approaches remained the most effective. He sent handwritten letters, stamped with his personal seal, and his relationships were grounded in trust, integrity and honesty.

David once described himself not as a salesperson, but as a facilitator. “I’ve learnt to observe silence and listen,” he said, “and get to know what people want. The most important thing is that everyone walks out of the door feeling ten feet tall.” It was a philosophy that captured him perfectly: generous, attentive, dignified and deeply human.

Across 68 years in the trade, David saw fashions change, businesses evolve and the pace of communication transform beyond recognition. But the things he valued most remained constant: honesty, discretion, craftsmanship, beauty and trust.

David will be remembered with gratitude and affection: a gentleman of rare knowledge and quiet strength, whose life's work was built not only around exceptional jewels, but around the friendships, trust and relationships that endured throughout a remarkable career.

Diamond-set loupe tie pin in 18ct yellow gold, presented to David Bilby by the Pragnell family on 17 September 2018 to mark 60 years in the British jewellery trade.