B is for Boodles

There’s a chance you haven’t heard about Boodles.

Safe to say, it’s not a mass-market brand.

But for those in the know, this British, family-owned business has gained an eager following all around the world thanks to its beautiful and impeccably-crafted jewellery.

Here’s a potted history of its name.

Let’s start in the eighteenth century

1798, to be exact.

That’s the year Boodles’ business dates back to. Its origins are a jewellery shop in the north-west of England owned by a man called Mr Kirk. (His forename is now lost to history.)

In 1855 - Kirk’s jeweller’s was acquired by a successful Liverpudlian watchmaker, William Wainwright.

And in 1910, William’s sons, Harold and Herbert, acquired another local jewellers - Boodle & Dunthorne.

‘Boodles’ as it was popularly known, is simply named after the founding partner, Mr Boodle.

While perhaps it’s an uncommon surname (according to one dictionary, the word boodle means fool), its very uncommonness gives it the sense of difference that allows it to stand out.

The fact it rhymes with words such as oodle, noodle – and even poodle – introduces a sense of personality and playfulness at a subconscious level. While any associations with the aristocratic London gentleman’s club Boodles help link the brand with its society patrons.

A workbench at Boodles – the birthplace of Britain’s most beautiful jewellery.