Annoushka Ducas and John Ayton awarded MBEs
The husband and wife team that founded jewellery brand Annoushka have both been awarded MBEs for their contribution to the British jewellery industry. The accolade was announced in the 2012 New Year’s Honours list.
The honours lists are published twice a year, at New Year and in mid-June on the date of the Queen’s official birthday. Those who receive an award have been deemed to have reached the required standard of merit or service, and honours lists contain a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. Anyone can nominate someone for an award.
Jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas and her husband luxury entrepreneur John Ayton, both founded the fine jewellery company Annoushka, in 2009, and both appear on the recently published list.
Ducas is the creative director of the company and previously, she and husband Ayton co-founded Links of London, and grew the business into a global luxury brand with sales of over £50m, before selling it to Follie Follie in 2006.They left the company the following year.
After leaving Links of London, Ayton invested in Bremont Watch Company alongside Nick and Giles English and later became chairman of the company.
Ayton is also director of Walpole, the organisation aimed at serving and promoting British luxury brands, and founder of Walpole Brands of Tomorrow, mentoring and supporting the best of emerging British talent in the luxury sector over the last five years. Ayton and Ducas were also seed investors in Boticca.com, which offers a marketplace to young and upcoming jewellery and accessories designers.
Both have embarked on various ventures that find and nurture creative talent.
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