David Callaghan, FGA
Retired director of Hancocks, now faculty member for NAG's Institute of Registered Valuers and regular conference speaker
"Fings ain't what they used to be"
Spanning the period 1955 – 1997 David Callaghan's career saw many changes in the jewellery trade. For his first visit to GIA, he wanted to talk about how the trade in London operated until relatively recently.
He started working as an apprentice in 1955 with Hancocks, an established West End jeweller in London. His apprenticeship was arranged through the National Association of Goldsmiths and lasted four years. In those days National Service was in force in the UK, but it was being phased out at the end of his apprenticeship and he was able to continue his career uninterrupted.
David started learning gemmology under the tutorage of the late Robert Webster at the renowned Chelsea Polytechnic and passed his FGA in 1958. In those days students began their studies concentrating on the Big Five: Diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald and pearl. David gave his opinion on what he believed were two miracles in our trade:
- Precious opal. "It is amazingly simple and yet amazingly beautiful and complex," he said. Over the years David and Hancocks built a strong reputation as opal specialists.
- A pearl. "The oyster is a very dull creature with a weird digestive system. Yet inside is (possibly) a pearl. And you don't need to do anything to it except extract it, it's a miracle."
He recounted being sent one day on an errand to what was officially known as the Gem Testing Laboratory of The Diamond, Pearl and Precious Stone Laboratory of the London Chamber of Commerce, better known to all as ‘The Gem Lab'. It was there, in the basement of 15 Hatton Garden, that he first met the ‘Phalanx of Four', the famous British gemmologists Basil Anderson, James Payne, Robert Webster and Alec Farn. He described them all with fond memories and supporting photographs.
The lab had tested 145,000 sapphires in 1948. It was a huge business. Back then gemmology was very simple. There were few major gemmological separations to make and it was very different to today with the wide range of treatments and synthetics.
At the time business for a retailer was very structured. There was a strict unwritten rule, David said. The manufacturer sold to the retailer and the retailer sold to the consumer. Hancocks didn't manufacture jewellery, they used workshops such as E. Wolfe and Co, which is still operating today.
One of the biggest challenges to the trade back then was various government tax initiatives such as Purchase Tax, a forerunner of the current VAT system. Purchase tax was designed to stop people by luxury items. This resulted in very little new jewellery being made for home consumption in Britain, though it could be made for export. The trade is still suffering from these government decisions today.
Throughout his talk, David gave advice on how to get ahead in today's competitive industry. He stressed the importance of building strong personal relationships. "People and relationships are very important in this trade."
He advised people to always say ‘Thank you', and ‘Well done' to suppliers. "If you have a good relationship with them," he said, "then it is easier to get work re-done or improved." He advised people to learn to understand what other people's problems are and work with them.
He ended by commenting that he had a very exciting and enjoyable 42-year career in the jewellery trade and he wished those gathered the same joy.
David brought a wide array of items to display, from items of jewellery and instruments to catalogues and drawings dating back to the 1930s. A large crowd gathered at the table asking questions and enjoying the experience.
Many thanks to David Callaghan for a wonderful evening and a trip down memory lane.
27th October 2011