SPRING SALE ONLINE CATALOGUE & ONLINE BIDDING

SPRING SALE – PRINTABLE CATALOGUE

Established in 1870 Shipton and Co. are a family run jewellers.  The Hastings branch was a well loved shop on the White Rock section of the seafront.  Described by many as ‘an Aladdin’s Cave, the shop was long and narrow with the workshop at the rear having been hewn into the rock itself.  Specialising in gem-set silver jewellery, often using patented ‘Shipton and Co’ patterns, the family were also lapidaries and the shop offered collectors a wide range of stone specimens.  In early 2014 father and son were going about their usual daily routine when a strange sound outside caused the son to head onto the pavement to see what the cause was.  He was horrified when at that very moment part of the cliff face directly above the shop collapsed, crashing down through the building into the shop preventing access and trapping his 96 year-old father in the workshop at the very back.  With father and son unaware if the other were still alive, both feared the worst.  The emergency services arrived and having surveyed the situation concluded that the safest way to access the back of the shop was through the building next door by creating a downwards tunnel through the rock and rubble.  It was at this point that those outside were delighted to be told that a whistle had been heard.  Having lived through the second world war the 96 year old had found a whistle and was blowing it the way people had been advised to do during The Blitz to alert rescuers to their location.  Several hours later he emerged shaken by not injured, having travelled up the narrow tunnel on the lap of a fireman.

Structurally unsound the shop was not able to re-open, and it was with very heavy hearts that the family eventually decided to cease trading.  Some stock was able to be retrieved and it has taken the owners nine long years to get to a point where they are prepared to move on and sell it.  We are honoured to be able to assist them and will be offering a wide range of their rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants, beads, brooches and earrings over our next few sales.

Offered within our Spring Sale is a selection of the stock they have given us to sell and more will be made available in future sales.