The Secret World of Jewellery: Glenn Spiro
“I’d say I’m an artisan of jewels rather than an artist. I’ve got a toe in the art world and many of my clients who are big collectors reside there, but ultimately, I’d call myself a jeweller.”
For Goldsmiths’ Stories, Melanie Grant delves behind-the-scenes of the jewellery industry to share the secret ways and wisdom of its pioneers in a three part series – The Secret World of Jewellery. For the third and final instalment she spoke with jeweller Glenn Spiro about a life at the heart of the London jewellery trade.
Life’s Curriculum
I loved my childhood; we were Londoners, and we had a simple life. My father worked super hard, my mum stayed home with us, and everything was very much centred around going out to earn a few quid. School was certainly not an important part of life’s curriculum, appreciated more to get us out of the house during the day rather than a valued formal education. My younger brother was pushed more academically than I was and for me it was just get up in the morning and go and can you come back as late as possible? Fundamentally, that was it. I left school early with no qualifications and didn't go back much past my 14th birthday as embarrassing that is now. I had a friend, who worked for a company called English Artworks as an errand boy and he rarely went to school because we were always playing football outside. He wasn’t keen on his job either so one day I went in his place to earn a bit of money. We looked similar and for three months, nobody noticed while I ran his errands. Finally, they realised I wasn’t the person they had employed basically but they liked me and gave me an apprenticeship.
Those were good times! I got £3 a week and I gave half to my mum. Part of my training included cutting the Queen's head out of a 3D coin with one blade and I must have been good because I was eventually given the option to go into the workshop as an apprentice jeweller. I was there for a good eight or nine years and became a Master Jeweller under their direction, then I did a year in Hatton Garden where I met Robert my first business partner. We went out on our own and set up our first little workshop in Farringdon Road called Robert Glenn Ltd. I'm still best friends with him today. He’s a fantastic guy but in life you go in different directions. We were together for 9 years and that was the start really of my career in jewellery.
Acting up a Storm
There was no expectation that I would have a creative career, but I was always drawn towards creativity. When I was 14 my auntie took me to the Adelphi Theatre on The Strand because she had decided I should become an actor due to my extrovert personality. We were sitting in this beautiful auditorium with loads of other kids, and I thought ‘What am I doing here?’. They were all constantly getting on and off the stage and when I did the same, I somehow managed to get the part as one of the Siamese kids in the King and I. You couldn’t make it up. My auntie was very happy. Then they asked me if I wanted to read for the part of Louie the teacher’s son. I agreed because there was a little extra money for doing that. I got the part of Louie and I starred for a year and a half. English Artworks allowed me to go for matinees and the evening performances after work. I was Louis the teacher’s son with Yul Brynner and Sally Ann Howes at The Palladium and the Adelphi Theatre. I can still sing all the songs.
And it didn’t end there. There was a film called The Champ with a young Jon Voight and I read for that with my dad in a pawn shop. They offered me the part, but my parents wouldn't let me go to America because it was so far away, and a kid called Ricky Schroder was cast in the role. He became The Champ, and they got the Oscar. It was Best Picture. That was the end of my movie career but now I'm older, I think there was no question that I would have just kept knocking on doors until I became successful. Even to this day, I need someone to have a truly a sensible reason as to why they want to say no to something I’m determined to do.
Most people in life will take the comfortable route and accept ‘no’ when someone decides to close the door because of the way you look or who they are. Because of your race, that you speak with a cockney accent, or no, that's not what we're looking for. I just wanted a chance. I thought, if that door closes, there must be a side door. What about the window? Any person that goes into business can't be frightened of failure. I've lost and failed many times, both in my personal life and in business. Fear is really important, and I definitely experience it every day but at the ripe old age of 62 I realise that setbacks are a gift and there is no easy route to happiness or success, it’s all about the journey. I have feared too, over the years, being too abundant or extravagant with myself. It didn’t feel right to give myself too much of a reward even when it was warranted but I’ve started to enjoy myself more. I think the anticipation has always been the excitement for me and that adrenaline helps me focus on what’s important.
That Old Game called Jewellery
The jewellery business is a complex game really and it took me years to understand the rules. If I work double the amount of hours I do now and I double my investment in the business, I'm sure I would have succeeded financially to a greater degree but almost certainly at personal cost. I need balance in my life to enjoy time with my family and friends. I am a first-generation jeweller and it’s really, really, really, hard to be a first-generation jeweller. Hard for the main reason that it is a very small, specialised business, especially the area that I focus on. There are only a handful of collectors in the world that buy works at our level and it’s very competitive. In order to get and keep their attention, we have to keep delivering jewels that surprise and excite them on a regular basis.
Life as they say, is like a game of snakes and ladders. You get a six and you think you’re off. Then you slide right back to the beginning again. I’ve hit loads of sixes and I've gone right back to stage one multiple times. I've lost my homes. I've lost everything. My bank account has been empty. Zero. No salaries. Nothing. Those times are hard to get through. I'm not saying that's the right way of being successful. I can only look at myself. It taught me to have more respect and more care and focus on the nature and quality of what we do. I believe in the jewels that are in my safe, I know they’re good. I'm proud of where we are today because in a relatively short period, we have a seat at the table as one of the great jewellers of the world.
I had an epiphany when I was younger, and I know exactly when jewellery became my future. A guy I knew asked me for a diamond ring for his girlfriend. He wasn’t sure what he wanted but I had the sense that he had something ambitious and unique in mind. I had the commitment as he gave me the money upfront and I remember making my way to the diamond bourse in Hatton Garden, I put on a suit and tie, my pockets were awash with cash, and I was truly excited. All the Hasidic dealers were there, and I'm this Jewish guy walking around ready to buy something big. I’d been there as a delivery boy in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt for a few years before that and my grandpa used to go to work every day in a shirt and tie, so it really meant something. I was amazed at how many people spoke to me that day in the bourse. I quashed my first thought which was just to spend the money on something I knew and I started looking at different stones. Before that, I was usually told what I should buy but now I had money, and I could take my time. A lovely old man showed me these gorgeous stones. Old cuts which I'd never seen before. They weren't as good on paper, but they were really good-looking in real life, and I bought one. It was an old cushion-cut and when I mounted the stone my client gasped and said, “My God that’s beautiful.” His partner was flipping out and I realised what a great business this can be. That was my first experience of earning proper money (around £800 - £1,000 which was a lot in those days) When I went back to English Artworks in my suit, they laughed at me in the workshop, but I wore a shirt and tie to work from that day on.
If the Stones Could Talk
When Robert and I went out on our own the idea was to make nice, good quality jewellery. Not our own jewellery as we had no money to buy stones but for the big brands like Garrard and Mappin & Webb. English Artworks had closed down and so we built four benches by hand and four of the guys who were master craftsmen came to work with us, paying us bench rent. My job was to go out and get the work. Garrard was our first customer, but we soon realised that the margins on making jewellery of this kind were small, so we needed more business. We hustled for more clients, and I used to know Gerald Ratner so when he took over his father's business which at the time had twelve shops, I went to his house in Highgate to see him.
He had a little spare bedroom with a big glass panel which had three big stickers saying ‘sold’ ‘nu - line’ and ‘discounted’. He was intent on having stickers in his shops with jewellery behind them but was frustrated that his Dad had saddled him with brands like Capi de Monde when all he wanted to do was create discounted lines of diamond rings, so I offered to buy all the stock he wanted to offload and supply the diamond rings. We literally got a truck and cleared out all the Ratner’s shops, then I went bankrupt two weeks later because I couldn't pay him! I thought I could sell it quickly, but we couldn't. I went to a diamond dealer, and I asked if he could lend me some diamonds. We ended up having 40-50% of their diamond ring window business which grew and grew because Ratner’s had 2000 shops at their peak and that put us on the map. We had to merge with others as the business expanded, and from the profits I started buying nicer stones and making our own jewellery which we sold on to houses like Garrard. Our high-end jewellery line had begun. Playing it safe was never the option I have gone for.
For a long time, a lot of the money I earnt was from buying and cutting stones. Laurence Graff taught me something once I'll never forget. I worked for Christie's for a while, and they gave me two stones and asking me to go and see Mr. Graff. My mother grew up with him in the East End and they knew each other. When I got to his hotel room, he picked up one of the stones and said, “She's beautiful, isn't she?” I went “Beautiful.” He said, “I think I’ll go with that one.” I agreed and the way he bought the stone, like that, taught me to have complete confidence to trust my eyes and not a piece of paper. 95% of our trade will buy a piece of paper and it angers me in a way that the art of the stone has disappeared when I deal in old antique stones. Stones have become a commodity rather than a thing of beauty, but I always stuck to the stones I found inherently beautiful because I know that when I’m passing them on to clients, I’m doing so with total belief in their true value.
Finding Balance
Even though I’ve always pushed the boundaries, I found it very hard to sell a piece of jewellery I didn't like. Even the box needed to look right because I’m a perfectionist in my own way. I want the craftsmanship to be perfect, the stones must be stunning, and the cost must be right. I do everything in my power to make that happen. I love opening that box and thinking ‘that’s really nice’ and I think over the years, I've pushed that along. That's the result of everything I’ve been through during my career. All the ups and downs. I can't draw, but I know what I want and when I go to Geneva to our workshop the language is… colourful. We argue and we laugh, then we get a piece of amber or a diamond and we go to work.
My son Joe has been a big influence on our new collections using materials from the old world. He is far more knowledgeable than I, more well-read and he has a real understanding and passion for the business. I'm sure it's not easy working with me but he's hanging in there and it's lovely having him alongside me. I’m proud to have him sit at my table, it’s a great thing. He's a good man, a kind man, and wise beyond his years. I guide and mentor and him but there is a balance between being a parent and being in business with your family member. He has to find his own way. I'm an apprentice father and I'm an apprentice jeweller and I'm learning as I go. I make mistakes, I learn and I evolve.
I had no problem letting my work go when I made for other brands because that was business, and I was less attached to the pieces then. We made big sets and big parure's but even then, colour was always my speciality. Different levels and dimensions of design, movement, and tone. I’m always moving forward mentally and physically but I somehow think we’re always falling behind. I often feel our jewellery isn’t celebrated enough but when it is I'm not sure we really deserve it so you could say I have impostor syndrome.
When Opportunity Knocks
But then again, you don’t always get what you want when you want it. That goes for everything. Love comes two or three times in your lifetime. Go with it. House and business opportunities, two or three times in your lifetime. Take it as it comes. Take the plunge, just jump in because if you're good, everything will work out. One way or another, it will work. It doesn't mean you'll stay with it. You'll make it work and then switch to what you want to do. But it will work. If you keep looking for utopia, its unlikely to arrive. I'm over the moon for people that find their soulmate or their perfect business first time round. Well done. Some people hit a tennis ball, some drive a motor car, but pain comes along the way, and you need to remember it’s also a business. It needs to work for you because otherwise love and passion will drive you crazy.
I worked at Christie's from 1992 To 2000. I did fine up until then but once I had my son, I needed to make more money. There is a great saying: turnover is vanity, profit is sanity. You sit there and you think, ‘I’ve done really well but what’s in your pocket?’ I was doing all right, but I wasn't succeeding, and I wasn't happy. My wife's cousin was a man called Gilbert de Botton and he was a hugely respected art collector and banker, and he changed my life. I called him and asked if I could go and see him for some advice. He gave me an address in St. James’s, and I went to his office where he took me to a private room with a round table. I remember, he had on a grey suit, and he asked me what the problem was?
I explained everything. That I was working and doing everything I could think of, but it wasn’t enough. I told him the Chairman of Christies (whose car I used to clean) had offered me a job and I was torn as to whether to take the job or carry on with my own business. Gibert got a pencil and on an A4 sheet of paper, he drew a circle. “This is the world” he said sagely. Inside that circle he drew another. “This is England where we live”. Then he drew another. “This is London” He said, “My friend. If you remain on your own, you will remain in this dot. If you go to Christies, this is your office (his hands encircled the paper) “Global. You will be open 24 hours a day and you will see the world.”
I went straight from his office to Christies on King Street, and I asked if the job was still open then I offered to change my whole life to take it. I was 31 years old, and I wanted to see the world. They said yes and I was in London for three months before they moved me to LA with my wife and son. I headed up the Christie's LA office, which then was tiny back then but I knew it had huge potential. The transition was exactly as Gilbert described it. I had no idea what was out there. Absolutely no idea. If you play football and you play in a local or low-level league you don't really understand the speed, the power, the scope of the global game. But if someone sees your talent and sends you to play with Manchester United or Man City and you experience the finest training camps, then they move you to Madrid - your legs naturally move faster. Your feet move faster, your body moves faster and eventually, your mentality. It’s the same with anything that is entrepreneurial. I just sat with people, and I said wow!
I looked at paintings and I thought how much?! Who's buying that? I saw the world, really saw the world and I had more of an understanding of money and wealth. I had more confidence to make what I wanted to make, because when I was in that little dot, I made for others there but when I saw the world, there were no limits. Christie's and Francois Curiel, who was a big mentor to me, Christopher Davidge and Giblert de Botton completely changed my life. They each offered me a gift in their own way and without question contributed to where I am today.
Door Openers
When I left Christies and returned from LA, we rented a building on Grafton Street and a gentleman called Mr. Ian Rose, who then worked with Moussaieff and David Morris came to see me. I had always liked Ian and he was very experienced with private customers, so I asked him if he’d like to come and work with me one day. He looked at me doubtfully and asked, “Don’t you just sell to the trade?” Later, when some time had passed, he asked what the salary was, but I couldn’t pay him anything and I couldn’t give him a contract. He said, “What do you mean, I've got two kids?!” I told him I understood, and after shaking hands Ian joined me and I decided to close one side of the business down which was supplying other jewellers and instead focus on what we were making for us. We changed things and there is no question that he opened the door into a whole new world of private clients for us.
Another door-opener was titanium. I remember going to lots of dinners and it really bugged me over the years that people used to put fancy clothes on and speak about their designer outfits all night long. Where they got them, the look, the way they were made, even the label. They loved it. Men used to have watches which they would take off and put back on again to draw attention. But women, as soon as the first course was finished, they took off their jewels and put them in their handbag. Off came the earrings and in the bag they went. I thought that was ridiculous! How can you spend that much money on jewellery and then take it all off? These jewels represented more of an investment than the entire table’s outfits put together, but they were more comfortable wearing nothing rather than suffering under their weight. Then one day, it must be twenty years ago now, we started playing around with titanium for a cuff. It was an old piece of jewellery which was heavy, and someone suggested we experiment, so we played around with the metal. Twenty years on, we've become master craftsmen at using titanium and I honestly think we were one of the first in the world to master it.
As a metal, it changed design. I still use gold but when it comes to earrings, the lightness makes a big difference and the colour you can achieve is phenomenal. No one says, “How much is the metal worth?” either because the focus is on the art and that is liberating. The women who choose us are women of means, of confidence, of style and they have the courage of their convictions. They are often fun too. Sometimes I look at the corporate world selling jewellery and it's very serious and while I understand that people have to be trained in what to say, sometimes it just needs to be fun.
All in Good Time
Not long ago, I went to a birthday party in an exotic place, and they had all these tables with work from jewellery houses, but we weren’t one and I remember sitting there with my wife saying that’s not right?! The hostess was wearing our designs but the jewellery shining on every table was from other brands. My wife said “Why are you angry? You have to earn that. Everything takes time. One day, you're going to see your name on one of these table”. Since then, I’ve come to realise that the work leads, and the brand follows. You have to, by virtue of respect, and success and continuity earn the right to have your name where you want it to be.
I’d say I’m an artisan of jewels rather than an artist. I’ve got a toe in the art world and many of my clients who are big collectors reside there, but ultimately, I’d call myself a jeweller. I have showrooms in exotic places now – St Tropez, St Barts, LA that 15-year-old Glenn, when he started at English Artworks wouldn’t have believed was possible. Back then, I was asked to escort a lady to a Hartnell fashion show in Mayfair and remember sitting there in wonder at the space and the glamour of it all, and twenty years later I went back and signed a lease for the same building which is now my atelier. Gilbert de Button told me not to be frightened of the world and that was a defining moment. My wife Arabella has also been an instrumental part of my life and success. Ironically when I met her she didn’t wear much jewellery. She's a beautiful woman but wasn't raised with it. She looks really good in my work but she's the worst saleswoman in the world because she wears my earrings and I’m trying to arrange them and she says, “Can you please leave my hair alone!” She has developed an unhealthy attachment to my sensational 40 carat D Flawless Jahanara diamond ring which is strangely ironic for someone who doesn’t wear jewellery. She say’s “This is the most beautiful diamond I've ever seen, it’s stunning.” I say, “You’d never wear it” and she says, “I’d wear it everywhere!” I hope she reads this as she’s not having that one!
I think the bottom line about creating something with longevity is that you’re creating a legacy. When a lovely man who was my friend’s dad died, we went to sit Shiva. I remember standing there as a young guy and the Rabbi said “You can start there and end up there. You can be a super-rich man, super-powerful and enjoy everything you want. But at the end of the day, all you leave really is your legacy”. I would like to think I'm a good guy, a funny guy, an honest guy. Not just honest in himself but humble with good energy. When I’m gone and people talk about me one day, I want them to do it with a smile. Love or hate me, just do it with a smile.
Written by Melanie Grant for Goldsmiths’ Stories.
Images courtesy of Glenn Spiro:
1 - Glenn Spiro at the Bruton Street atelier
2 - Cognac diamond Shell Earrings
3 - Materials of the Old World, Natural non nacreous pearl, carnelian bead, briolette diamond and brilliant-cut diamond earrings
4 - Glenn and his son Joe Spiro in Bruton Street
5 - Materials of the Old World Amber, citrine and diamond necklace
6 - Natural White Pearl ’Nautilus’ Cuff set with brilliant cut diamonds
7 - 40.51ct internally flawless Pear-Shaped Diamond Ring in White Gold