Christmas gifts with a story 14 Bridge Street, Caversham
Nash & CoINDEPENDENT JEWELLERS · CAVERSHAMVisit the shop
Menu

Why an independent jeweller

Independent jeweller
or high street chain?

Reading has plenty of places to buy jewellery, from the chain stores in the town centre to independent shops like ours over the bridge in Caversham. Here is what is different about buying, selling or repairing with an independent, so you can decide what suits you.

Visit the shop
A finely detailed gold bangle from the Nash & Co archiveAN EXAMPLE FROM OUR JEWELLERY ARCHIVE

Side by side

The honest differences.

General differences, not a claim about any particular shop.
Every business is different; ask and compare.

How a high street chain and an independent jeweller typically differ
High street chainIndependent jeweller
What is in the windowThe same new ranges in every branch, chosen centrally and made in volume. Pieces are rarely unique.Antique, vintage and second-hand pieces alongside handmade jewellery, chosen one at a time. The stock changes as pieces arrive, and no two are the same.
Who you deal withBranch staff working to a company process, who may not have handled the piece before you asked about it.The people who run the shop and chose the stock. The person who sells you a piece is the person you come back to.
Repairs and resizingUsually sent to a central workshop and quoted from a price list, so the person taking the ring in may not have assessed it.Looked at in front of you, with the options, cost and timing discussed before any work is agreed.
Selling your gold and jewelleryMany do not buy at all. Those that do tend to price by weight, or pay in gift cards.We buy gold, silver, platinum and fine jewellery, and look at each piece as jewellery as well as by weight.
Engagement rings and bespokeA choice of settings and stones from set ranges, sometimes through an online configurator.Antique and vintage rings in the shop, a ring made to your design through our network of makers, or a stone found for you.
PriceNew retail prices carry the cost of national advertising, shopping-centre rents and branded packaging.Pre-owned and antique pieces often cost less than a new equivalent, and you are paying for the piece rather than the brand around it.
AfterwardsAftercare follows the company policy and the branch that happens to be open.Cleaning, checking a setting, resizing after a surprise: bring it back to the same counter and the same people.

In fairness

When a chain
is the right choice.

A particular brand.

If you want a specific branded watch or a named designer collection with the manufacturer's warranty, go to an authorised stockist. We will tell you so.

Long interest-free credit.

National chains can offer finance over long periods. Talk to us about budget and we will be straightforward about what we can and cannot do.

Late and Sunday opening.

We are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 3pm. If you can only shop on a Sunday evening, a shopping centre is open when we are not.

A purple cabochon gemstone in an ornate gold ring

What you get here

A piece nobody else has.
And someone to ask.

We choose every piece ourselves, look it over before it goes out, and tell you what we know about it. If it needs resizing, cleaning or a setting checked later, you bring it back to the same counter and the same people.

If you are selling, we look at the piece as jewellery, not just as metal on a scale. If you want something made, we design it with you and make it through our network of makers.

See antique & second-hand jewellery

Common questions

Before you decide.

Is an independent jeweller more expensive than a high street chain?
Not necessarily. Independent shops carry lower overheads than a shopping-centre unit and do not pay for national advertising, and much of what we sell is pre-owned, which usually costs less than a new equivalent. For a new piece of comparable quality, prices are often similar. The difference is what you get with it: a unique piece, honest advice and the same people afterwards.
Is jewellery from an independent shop hallmarked?
UK hallmarking law applies to every seller, independent or chain. Precious metal above small exemption weights must carry a hallmark whoever sells it. Older pieces may carry worn or historic marks, and we tell you what we know about the metal of any piece before you buy.
Can an independent jeweller do engagement rings?
Yes. Antique, vintage and pre-owned engagement rings come through the shop, and we make rings to your design through our network of makers and jewellers, or search for a particular stone. Start early if you have a date in mind.
When is a chain the better choice?
If you want a particular branded watch with the manufacturer warranty, a specific collection from a named brand, interest-free credit over a long period, or late-evening and Sunday opening, a chain store will serve you well. For a piece with character, a repair you can talk through, or selling jewellery, an independent is usually the better conversation.
Why buy second-hand jewellery from a jeweller rather than online?
You see the piece in your hand, try it on, and hear what the shop knows about it. It is looked over before it goes out, can be resized or adjusted here, and if anything needs attention later you bring it back to the same counter.

Still deciding? Call 0118 947 2295 and describe what you are after. If a chain is the better place for it, we will say so.

14 Bridge Street, Caversham

Come in.
Have a proper look.

Browse the jewellery or bring a piece you’d like us to look at.
Call ahead if you’re looking for something particular.

Plan your visit 14 Bridge Street, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8AA