The dealership spent more than 50 years atop the London Silver Vaults on Chancery Lane, before moving this summer to a 3200 sq ft showroom over two floors of a Georgian building at 11-12 Dover Street. Now in Mayfair, the firm has decided to grow its presence in jewellery, to complement its silver specialism.
A part of the expansion is the arrival of Kimberley Smith, daughter of director Lewis Smith, and Sam Hug. Both previously worked in Sotheby’s jewellery department. A designated space in the new gallery has been dedicated to jewels.
Lewis Smith explains: “London remains one of the world’s main centres for unparalleled works of art and our new location in Mayfair, puts us at the heart of London’s luxury market. Hence we feel we are now better positioned to give fine jewellery a heightened level of prominence.
“Jewellery hasn’t always been something we’ve placed at the forefront of our business, but the connection has always been there. One of our founders Eddy Koopman was a trained diamond cutter from Amsterdam and was deeply involved in the jewellery trade before he became known as an expert dealer in antique silver.”
The new Koopman Rare Art showroom in Dover Street.
Kimberley Smith says the firm will offer an eclectic array of period and vintage pieces: “Our jewellery encompasses quite a wide net from the 18th century to the modern day, but each piece must demonstrate a combination of instant appeal, wearability, together with evidence of the maker’s thought, care and attention to detail in its design and manufacture.”
As part of the changes at the business Koopman Rare Art has upgraded its website and now has a separate members area and a blogging section.
