Four staged investments fuelled the success of Links of London, which finally sold for £46m in 2006. Links was a pioneering venture that became a global luxury jewellery brand and spearheaded the democratisation of luxury and design in gold and silver jewellery.
Founded by John Ayton and Annoushka Ducas, Links became one of the great success stories of the 1990s and the new millennium – a jewellery brand known for its iconic design.
The investment by the Clark Group happened in four tranches and funded the successful growth of Links from a turnover of £7.5 million in 1999 to sales of over £28 million in 2006. The seven-year interest was symptomatic of the culture of the Clark Group: supportive and ready to help when required, while still allowing the management team sufficient autonomy to develop the business on a day-to-day basis and drive growth. Peter Dyoss, then Clark Group Financial Director, was its tireless champion and attended every one of its board meetings.
Links was a pioneering venture that became a global luxury jewellery brand and spearheaded the democratisation of luxury and design in gold and silver jewellery.
In 2006, Links of London sold for £46 million to Folli Follie, the Greek jewellery, watches and fashion accessories brand that was strong in the Far East. It was considered to be a satisfactory fit – a family business with a similar structure and culture to Links that also brought with it the much-desired strong distribution channels throughout China, Japan and the Far East.