Craft, conscience, and change: Garrard’s journey into modern luxury

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For over two-and-a-half centuries, Garrard has occupied a singular place in the world of jewellery, where craftsmanship meets ceremony and stories are told in gold, silver, and gemstone. Its legacy is threaded through royal coronations, historic commissions, and moments of personal significance, each piece echoing a timeless elegance that transcends fashion or trend. Yet, even the most venerable of houses must navigate the currents of the modern world – where heritage and innovation must coexist, and where authenticity and sustainability are more than mere aspirations.

Today, Garrard moves with a quiet confidence, balancing its storied past with the demands of today’s luxury consumer. The brand’s ateliers continue to produce treasures of exceptional quality, while digital platforms allow its creations to find new admirers across the globe. This is a jeweller rooted in tradition, yet ever conscious of the contemporary moment.

At the heart of this renewal is Joanne Milner.

Joanne joined Garrard as Chief Executive in February 2016, ushering in a period of regeneration and renewal for the British jeweller. Drawing inspiration from Garrard’s centuries of history, she has focused on building a brand that resonates with and is valued by today’s luxury consumers. Her previous success at Debrett’s, combined with fifteen years in private equity, equips her to drive global growth while enhancing Garrard’s reputation as one of Britain’s greatest jewellers. Under her leadership, Garrard has expanded internationally, deepened its sustainability commitments, and strengthened its digital presence, reaffirming its place as both a custodian of history and a forward-looking luxury brand.

Even as the company looks ahead, Joanne is acutely aware of the responsibilities that come with its heritage. The Royal Warrant, she notes, is more than an emblem of prestige – it is a call to lead by example in areas such as sustainability. “We are a brand that’s celebrating 290 years, and we’ve made some of the most famous jewellery. We’ve had a close synergy with the British royal family. Interestingly, we hold the Royal Warrant – the King’s Royal Warrant – and one of the really big, significant criteria for holding a warrant is your sustainability. It’s something that His Royal Highness has held close to his heart for longer than anybody else was talking about sustainability. And so, I think it’s a responsibility if you’re going to be in that position to lead by example. One of the advantages of being an independent jeweller is that you can create your own rules. You don’t have to go through layer after layer, procure it a certain way, or do it another way. We could get to the right answer, even if it weren’t through the more conventional route.”

Honouring responsibility

For Garrard, the challenge has been how to honour this responsibility in every aspect of the business, even down to something as seemingly mundane as packaging. Joanne explains that bespoke volumes and one-off commissions made the traditional packaging market difficult to navigate: “We knew we wanted to do something different with our packaging. We wanted to make it more sustainable, and we are one of the few independent jewellers left in existence, really, and so we don’t buy in huge volumes. A lot of our pieces are bespoke, so you’re often looking for one-offs. We found it really challenging to go down the traditional packaging route to find something that protected the jewellery, would allow it to be shipped to a client if they’re buying remotely, and would also be something they would keep. So, first of all, we took away all the layers that we felt somebody would dispose of, other than the bag. It obviously needed a bag, but we made it fully recyclable and used FSC-certified paper. And then, regarding the other packaging, we spent a lot of time with several packaging companies, but we couldn’t achieve what we wanted at the price we needed. And so we actually spoke with a company that produces jewellery boxes and trays, and they sell them -they’re a retailer. And we spoke to them and asked if they would look at making something for us, and they did. There’s more to be done, but it’s a huge step forward in where we work.”

The solution required creativity and compromise, as Joanne acknowledges. Sustainability is rarely straightforward, and some elements – like the zip – still fall short of perfection. Yet, she sees value in taking measured steps forward.

“It’s not fully recyclable and it’s not from fully recycled materials yet,” she told London Packaging Week. “It’s as sustainable as we could make it, a significant amount of it is recycled material, and we focused on that because the packaging is part of the product, so we thought it was more important that it came from recycled material than was recyclable because that’s probably not where it was going to end up. But definitely, we would like to keep looking at what’s out there to improve that. The zip isn’t the most sustainable part of the packaging, but it kept everything secure and was better than the magnets, which would have been the other option we had to go down. So, there are compromises. But in time, zips, I’m sure there will be a solution for it. So, it’s constantly looking for new innovations.”

Action over perfection

Her philosophy emphasises action over perfection, a mindset that drives both innovation and authenticity. Joanne recognises that waiting for an ideal solution can stifle progress, especially in areas where the rules are not yet written, such as sustainable luxury packaging. For her, the willingness to experiment, make compromises, and iterate is just as important as the result. This approach allows Garrard to innovate within its heritage, balancing practicality with aspiration, and demonstrating that leadership is as much about bold decision-making as flawless execution. In her own words: “It’s important. And I think one of the biggest risks of not doing something is that people cannot make it perfect the first time. And you should not delay, even if you only get partway. It’s a big step forward from where you were, and I think there’s a pressure that you shouldn’t say anything unless you’re perfect, which I don’t agree with, because nothing and nobody is perfect. Therefore, being honest about, ‘okay, we found that bit hard, so we’ve made a compromise’, ‘this is where we are, but this is what we’re aiming for’, ‘this is our target, this is what we’ll keep working for’ – I think it inspires other people to think, okay, I can start the journey, even though I know I’m not going to get it perfect initially, at least make that start because every bit helps.”

This honesty has resonated with Garrard’s clients, who now embrace the new sustainable packaging without longing for the old.

“We’ve taken it up on ourselves,” Joanne continued. “Once explained to the consumer why we are doing it, there is a big positivity from the consumers. Nobody has said, Can I have the old packaging? Nobody. So, for sure, the consumers appreciate it and expect it from a brand like ours. They do. And we expect it of ourselves.”

Running a luxury business, Joanne emphasises, requires balancing sustainability with operational realities. There is no perfect solution – but conscious choices made thoughtfully accumulate into meaningful progress.

“There is no perfect solution out there at the moment, and obviously, you have a business to run,” she continued. “I want the business to be as sustainable as it can be because I want it to be here in the next 25 years, and that’s the only way it can be. Equally, it needs to operate well as a business. So, it’s always that balance. But that’s not just about sustainability, that’s about running a business. There’s always a balance in everything you’re doing to make sure you are making the right choices. And as long as you know that you’ve made the best choice you can in the circumstances, that’s really all you can do. “I know people use journey a lot, but I think it is a journey. We’re all on a journey. Everybody is on a sustainability journey. I think there could be better education on it. I think the messaging could be simplified so that every consumer really does understand. I mean, off topic, but the fact that whichever, wherever you go in the UK has got a different recycling regime, you know?”

Small choices. Big Impact

Even the smallest operational choices are opportunities to reduce waste without compromising the customer experience. Garrard redesigned packaging inserts to be more versatile, minimising the number of box sizes required while maintaining elegance.

“I’m really proud of the aesthetic that we got for something that ticked the boxes that we wanted to tick from a sustainability perspective,” said Joanne. “I’m proud that we got there because, my goodness, it would have been easy to give up halfway through. It was really, really hard. And something we spent a long time looking at was how we can maximise a particular use of a given packaging size. One of the boxes has lots of different inserts, so you’re making fewer different sizes, which means we could order more of the different units. Actually, things can be adapted. You don’t need a specific box for every specific product that you have, and we have done a lot on that side as well.”

Joanne also considers the broader industry context, emphasising that sustainability should unite rather than divide. For her, the challenges facing luxury and jewellery brands are shared difficulties – whether it’s sourcing responsibly, reducing waste, or innovating in packaging design. She believes that when competitors share insights and breakthroughs, the entire industry benefits, creating momentum that no single company could achieve on its own. Collaboration, in her view, accelerates progress, inspires innovation, and ensures that solutions are practical, scalable, and truly impactful.

“London Packaging Week is incredible, and I do hope that at somewhere like this, there’s a chance to focus on something really important – sustainability,” said Joanne. “Yes, all the companies here compete; they all want business. But sustainability shouldn’t be a competition because it’s bigger than business. That’s what I think is really great – London Packaging Week brings all these people together to share their best ideas. Packaging comes from those ideas, and then each company can do their own spin, but the core breakthroughs in technology that can really drive change – that should be shared.”

Finally, she stresses the importance of clear communication, both to consumers and within the wider industry, to ensure that sustainability efforts are understood and appreciated:

“I think there are still things that need to be addressed to be able to make things easier for the consumer to really understand,” she added. “When I’m looking at a business, it’s about being able to show your whole business and what you’re doing in every aspect because packaging is one part of it. It’s about making sure consumers understand what’s turning the dial the most. And sometimes the media machines make it seem like something is turning a dial, when it’s not. So, it’s trying to make sure there’s that message.”

Through Joanne’s leadership, Garrard demonstrates that a house can honour its heritage while embracing responsibility and innovation. Every decision, from packaging to global strategy, is informed by craft, conscience, and care, ensuring that Garrard remains both a custodian of history and a forward-thinking force in luxury.

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