A jewellery shop started in a Buckinghamshire park over 40 years ago has returned to its town of origin after a three-year hiatus just in time for Christmas.

Francis Bluhme, 74, founded the independent retailer Rococo Jewellery as a stall in Higginson Park, Marlow, back in 1980, selling a curated selection of wares inspired by the ornamental architectural style Rococo, popular in Europe during the 18th century.

She went on to expand the enterprise to a shop in Cookham, followed by others in Marlow and Wokingham, all flogging an eclectic mix of products from blinged-up lizard broaches and Charles Rennie Mackintosh photo frames to gemstones and trinkets.

After Francis retired, her daughter Juliette, 49, took the reins and it was she who made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Marlow branch of Rococo three years ago after a redevelopment of the Liston Court area was not to the business’s liking.

Buoyed by the continued success of the Wokingham branch and a newly developed online presence shipping jewellery and ornaments across the globe, Juliette decided this year that the time had come to re-open the Marlow shop, in recognition of the town where she had grown up and where her mother had dreamed up Rococo all those years before.

The new store, located in the bigger venue of 7 Liston Court, opened its doors to customers yesterday (December 13) and has so far been met with an outpouring of support from the local community.

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In the years since the Marlow shop was last in operation, Juliette has been committed to maintaining the reputation Francis built for the brand as a far-ranging and diverse wellspring of interesting products, and said she places special value on working alongside customers to cater to even the quirkiest of inquiries.

“We’ve supported a lot of local designers in the Wokingham area, but our jewellery also comes from all over the world including Bali and Indonesia. Alongside that, my mum’s products always spanned a huge price range, so we’ve got high-end pieces and also sterling silver jewellery for around £12.

“Having opened just before Christmas, we’re hoping that people will find unique gifts here that they wouldn’t get in a department store – there’s more of a personal touch.”

Since re-opening the shop on Wednesday, Juliette said she has had an ‘amazing’ welcome from residents in the town, many of whom have let her know how glad they are to see Rococo's return. 

“It’s lovely to be back, especially in such a beautiful venue with much more space than our previous spot. The response has been just amazing. It feels like we have properly been missed.”