NICHOLAS WAINWRIGHT Gemmologist, joint managing director of Boodles
Describe what you're wearing:This suit is Yorkshire worsted wool and is the most expensive I have ever bought. I wanted to look like Michael Heseltine so I went to Kilgour in Savile Row. It cost £3,000 and it's top of the range. The pink tie is Hermès – once you start wearing Hermès, it's hard to buy anything else. The shirt is Turnbull Asser and I'm wearing pink socks and underwear.
Even your watch strap is pink:I love pink. The watch is a rose gold Patek Philippe Calendario, which I wear all the time. Fifteen years ago, we had 18 watch brands, now we have only one. Patek Philippe is generally regarded as the Rolls Royce of watches. One of our customers has hundreds of them. He would buy 10 a year and keeps them in a wrapper for long-term investment.
Any other accessories?I always wear the same pair of eight-shaped cufflinks. They belonged to my grandfather who got them for his christening in 1888. Dad gave them to me.
And the shoes?They were bought from a shop called Edward in Manchester. They're classic Oxfords.
Are you a shopper?I'm a piece of cake to get sold to. If I was a Boodles customer, I would be a very good one. A lot of people muck around buying diamonds, but we know what we want and we don't mess around. I love buying Baby Dior for my two-year-old daughter Daisy and my favourite shops are Hermès, Chanel, Baby Dior and Harrods. My wife, who is very stylish and has a good eye, is very good at buying ties and shirts.
How do you describe your style?I am quite traditional but I am quite individual. I don't want to look like a pop star. You do your own thing when you're 60. When you are running a luxury business it is important to look the part. We try and project that as best we can.
You're quite formal in some sense:I like wearing a tie and I even wear one playing golf. Some men take off their ties in the evening but I will be wearing a tie at 10.30pm. I am a member of a few golf clubs and I do wildfowl shooting, so I have about 40 ties.
How important in your appearance?It is important to look smart and to look right. Young jewellery designers shouldn't look scruffy. You have to have a package going out to see customers.
What about grooming?I have my hair cut every six to seven weeks by Andrew Collins in Harrods in Liverpool. It is the smartest, cutting-edge hairdressing salon. I'm a fast dresser and can be ready for dinner in five minutes. I am a multi-tasker and I have eight things happening on my desk all the time.
Can you recognise a diamond dealer?When we go to Antwerp to the diamond quarter 98 per cent are Jews or Indians, so we stand out because we look different, but we like that and we have a lot of fun dealing. We are specialists in diamonds, sapphires and rubies.
What is the most expensive item you ever bought?It was a 26 carat marquise D-colour diamond – a wonderful stone that cost £1.5 million [€1.6 million] in New York two years ago. We had it cut from a crystal and it was the size of a plum. Now we're getting interested in unusual and attractive stones such as tourmalines, like a 48 carat from Mozambique. We're lucky that we're not dealing with ball bearings because the actual products that we handle are exciting.
So you drive a hard bargain?We are respected in the trade and we can go anywhere in the world in what is a relatively small industry. My father used to say that hat and coat time is when they realise you want to deal. I was well taught by my father and was 21 when he sent me to Bangkok to buy sapphires with the equivalent of €20,000 for five days. By 10.10 the first morning I had spent it all. I've learned that you never go back on your word – it makes you a better buyer.
