Philosophy

Rodney Banks Lyon started in the jewellery trade as a employee of H. Samuels in Morecambe, where he was encouraged to undertake numerous training courses. The National Association of Goldsmiths Diploma was gained and soon followed by the coveted Gemmological Association of Great Britain Diploma, which he passed with Distinction, an achievement that only 2 or 3 candidates a year manage from some 500.

During his 5 years at H. Samuels he attained various promotions, including Assistant Manager of the main Birkenhead store.  Rodney decided he would like to aim towards his own business at the higher end of the jewellery trade and his Father promised to help but was insistent that he should prove his commitment first. In order to achieve this he left his Managerial role at H. Samuels in order to join Mappin & Webb in Liverpool as a shop floor junior.

Over the next 3 years he studied his F.G.A. and was soon appointed Assistant Manager. Keen to expand his knowledge further Rodney joined the Goldsmiths Group in Bristol as Manager, where he stayed for a further three years.

Rodney was then head-hunted by a privately owned family jewellers who were opening a prestigious Jewellery store in Bristol. By this time, he had well formulated plans to open his own business, but the temptation to have a dry run was too great and so he opened their shop first before returning to his home town of Lancaster in 1985.

Banks Lyon Jewellers opened it’s doors in October 1985 and the success story began. Over the next twenty one years Rodney quadrupled the physical size of the business and attracted world renowned brands such as ROLEX and CARTIER.

In 1995, just ten years after starting from cold, Rodney purchased the old Lancaster Guardian offices of 36-38 Church Street and moved the business into these new premises, temporarily closing the original shop. Then in 1996, in-order to catch the booming market for Silver Jewellery at this time, he opened OSPREYS in the original 40 Church Street site. Ospreys traded for some three years before Rodney realised he needed these premises for the rapidly growing fine jewellery business. Consequently Ospreys was closed and the shop as you see it today came into being.

Anybody who has lived and worked in Lancaster will be familiar with Banks Lyon Jewellers and their reputation for stocking the finest names in Jewellery and Watches. This Family business has placed great emphasis on the quality and friendliness of their service.

Banks Lyon’s Jewellers have an enviable collection of some of the World’s most renowned Jewellery and Watch brands including Mont Blanc, Faberge, Cartier, Rolex, Gucci, Omega, Hearts on Fire Diamonds, Tag Heuer, Breitling, Longines, Armani, Phoenix cut Diamonds, Links of London, Georg Jensen, Charles Garnier, Royal Copenhagen Porcelain, Halcyon Days enamels and Tissot watches.

In 2003 Rodney was joined by Bob Breden F.G.A. & D.G.A..  Bob had been the Manager of a Preston based Jewellers for some twenty years before agreeing to link up with Rodney.  They bring together in excess of sixty years experience in the Jewellery trade.

Never looking back, always forward.