Hartfield Jewellers has been the go-to boutique for rich-listers looking for precious gems for more than 40 years, but this week it begins a new era.

A rich-lister herself, Jodie Dick has now
taken over the reins of the Parnell shop, one of the country’s top luxury bespoke houses and known to be the favoured jeweller of Auckland’s ultra-rich.

Nestled in Parnell’s historic village at the top of the Rise, Dick and her children take over from the Foley family.

Margaret Foley has been a stalwart for the brand, working there for 43 years and owning the store for 39, operating alongside her husband Brian and daughter Rebecca.

“I have the utmost respect and admiration for the wonderful family business Margaret has created over the years,” Dick tells Spy. “She has been able to offer some of the most exquisite jewels, from luxury brands to the most discerning of clients, both here in New Zealand and around the globe.”

Neither Foley nor Dick will talk about the boutique’s high-end clientele, mainly for security reasons. However, Spy knows a fair few of their customers, which range from corporate highflyers to rich-listers. When complimented on their pieces, they always proudly say, “It’s from Hartfield”, before naming the brand. All are known to have top-notch security and state-of-the-art safes.

The two sought-after brands at Hartfield are Italian house Pasquale Bruni and French house Chaumet, the latter of which was built on the love story of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais.

Famous fans of Pasquale Bruni’s creations include Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga.

During Margaret’s time at Hartfield, boutique prices started around $2000, but her biggest sale was a Pasquale Bruni “Parure”, a set with a choker, cuff and ring, which sold for half a million dollars.

In 2012, Hartfield held a special exhibition at its Parnell store with $2 million worth of Chaumet jewellery – including a $303,000 necklace encrusted with 336 diamonds – flown in from France for the occasion.

Dick, 48, known for her big heart and kindness around town, has been a customer of Hartfield for eight years. Her first purchase was some Chaumet “Bee My Love” stacking rings to wear as her wedding band.

Dick is married to telecommunications tycoon Malcolm, and she says their story is one of real love.

“Malcolm gave up a night in a corporate box watching a big rugby game to meet me on his first blind date,” she says. “We have been together ever since – 17 years of fun, love and adventure, and coming up [on] nine years of marriage.”

She says not a day goes by that she doesn’t feel like the luckiest woman in the world to be sharing every day with her best friend.

“We have a big, beautiful family – eight children between us, five grandchildren, two dogs, a cat and three horses.

“Our family is our everything, and we are very proud of all our children.”

The two often holiday together at exotic locations around the globe, with skiing and snow sports being favourite pastimes. They are happiest on their Coatesville lifestyle block with their animals.

Hartfields will remain a family operation – Dick is partnering with her son Luke, 25, in the business. His twin sister Gia will be helping too, as will their extended family.

“As much as possible, we want to keep it a family business,” Dick says. “We will bring a renewed energy to the boutique with some exciting pieces that have never been seen in store before, while also continuing to offer a wide range of classic pieces.”

Dick and Luke first looked at doing a business together in the snow industry years ago when he was action skiing for NZ.

The pair are very close, with a shared love for fashion and a passion for luxury products.

When they got a heads-up from Margaret that she was selling, Dick says “it felt like we both had been presented with the business opportunity we had been waiting for”.

Ahead of taking over the boutique, Jodie and Luke recently travelled to Milan and Hong Kong to meet with their brand partners and have been looking at the Pasquale Bruni and Chaumet ranges.

Dick hints they saw some untapped opportunities in the market and have a few surprises in store.

“We have already placed our orders for new pieces for the store, and we’re focusing on bringing our clients a collection that starts with more affordable entry-level pieces through to some truly special high-end jewels,” she says.

“We understand that jewellery is an investment, that it often is gifted for a special occasion or bought to elevate or complement a special outfit or a legacy piece.”

When it comes to Dick’s own style, she loves to channel 60s/70s Brigitte Bardot – with big hair and winged eyeliner. She says over the last few years, she has got more adventurous with what she wears.

She now mixes timeless, quiet luxury with Dior pieces while also embracing some louder, more playful pieces from Gucci and Maggie Marilyn – always, she says, with some beautiful jewels to complement and elevate the look.

Dick and her son have big plans, and a glamorous 50th birthday will be on the cards for Hartfield in the next few years.