John Ayton

John Ayton MBE

Chairman, Annoushka Jewellery and Bremont Watch Company

John is a luxury entrepreneur and a stalwart of the British jewellery industry. Together with his wife, Annoushka Ducas, he founded the fine jewellery brand, Annoushka in 2009 which showcases her designs as well as those of a small number of carefully curated guest designers at the Annoushka boutiques in Cadogan Gardens and South Molton Street as well as concessions in Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Liberty and Brown Thomas.

Previously John was best known for having co-founded Links of London, one of the great success stories of the 90s and the new millennium, a pioneering venture that spearheaded the democratisation of luxury and design in jewellery and silver, and a business they grew into a global luxury brand with sales of over £50m, before selling it to Follie Follie in 2006. He and his wife left the company the following year.

John is committed to nurturing talent and is the founder and chairman of Walpole Brands of Tomorrow, mentoring and supporting the best of emerging British talent in the luxury sector over the last five years.

In the 2012 New Year’s Honours list John was awarded an MBE for services to the United Kingdom jewellery industry.