Asprey & Garrard bought

Bond Street jewellery store has long and proud history

Bond Street jewellers Asprey & Garrard have been bought by the co-chairmen of US fashion group Tommy Hilfiger.

Jewellers by royal appointment

Private investors Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou paid an undisclosed sum for the famous firm.

They say they plan to open more stores. At present, Asprey & Garrard has two - in London's Bond Street and the Trump Tower in New York.

The purchase brings to an end five years of ownership by the Brunei royal family.

Heritage

Asprey & Garrard, which traces its history back to the 18th century, was bought by Prince Jefri Bolkiah, a younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei in 1995 for £243m.

At the time it was a UK listed company, owning the Crown jewellers, Garrard, as well as Mappin & Webb and Watches of Switzerland.

It later sold off non-core businesses to become the modern Asprey & Garrard.

Earlier this year, the state-owned Brunei Investment Agency took control of the jewellers - which supplied Sophie Rhys-Jones's engagement ring ahead of her marriage to Prince Edward.