Our Story

Founders: John and Margaret Appleby

In 1950s Dublin, Margaret Appleby began making jewellery by hand in the family home, creating bespoke pieces for a small circle of discerning clients.  She shaped gold, set diamonds, and crafted each piece with patience and care. Her work was defined by precision, integrity, and an instinctive understanding that jewellery carries meaning far beyond its materials. That care became her signature. As her reputation grew, Margaret was joined by her husband John, and in 1960 they opened a small shop together at Johnson’s Court. It was never about being the biggest; it was about doing things properly. The shop became a place people returned to—generation after generation—because trust, once earned, was never broken.

Today, Appleby remains family-owned and managed, still guided by the values Margaret set in place. Our name is above the door, as it always has been. It stands for care, integrity, and jewellery made to mark life’s most important moments. Our name is above the door, and we honour it in everything we do.

Every Appleby diamond is chosen personally, by hand and by eye, in international diamond markets. Only one in every hundred diamonds is chosen to become an Appleby diamond.

Each piece is then crafted in our Dublin workshop, where traditional goldsmithing skills are practised alongside modern technology. Nothing is rushed. Every setting is finished by hand, every detail considered.

An Appleby piece is not made for a season or a trend. It is made to be worn, loved, and passed on, carrying its story forward, just as Margaret intended.