DION SMITH — BRITISH HISTORICAL JEWELLER & PRESS COVERAGE
Dion Smith is a Leeds jeweller, workshop owner and the founder of British Historical Jewellery. This page brings together independent press coverage, broadcast appearances and professional profiles documenting Dion's work, community involvement and experience of running a jewellery business at Leeds Corn Exchange.
The archive includes coverage from BBC News, BBC Radio Leeds, Metro, Yahoo News UK, Leeds Live, the Yorkshire Evening Post and established regional organisations. It provides customers, journalists, researchers and collectors with a clear record of the person and working jeweller behind British Historical Jewellery.
Latest BBC News: Dion Smith on life as an independent Leeds jeweller
16 September 2026 · By Dion Smith
On 16 September 2026, BBC News featured me and my jewellery workshop at Leeds Corn Exchange in a report on shoplifting and the pressures facing independent businesses.
I spoke about a theft from our shop and how support from people who saw our social media appeal helped lead to arrests and the recovery of our jewellery. The report also includes West Yorkshire Police's response and its call for retailers to report incidents.
For a small family business, a shop represents years of work, skills and relationships with customers. I have run Dion Smith Jewellers at the Corn Exchange since 2010, working alongside my wife and our small team.
That same workshop is home to British Historical Jewellery. Here we create faithful reproductions of original British finds, individually hand cast using traditional sand casting and finished at the bench. Preserving the character of those historic pieces remains at the heart of our work.
Read the BBC News article: Shoplifting 'out of control', say shopkeepers.
Discover my story and the Leeds workshop, or see how we make British Historical Jewellery.
National BBC coverage — 16 September 2026
My experience at the Leeds Corn Exchange workshop also features in the BBC's national investigation into shoplifting across England. The report describes the theft of gold jewellery from our shop and how information shared after our social media appeal helped police identify the thieves, recover the jewellery and make arrests. It places our story alongside the experiences of other retailers and examines the wider response to repeat shoplifting.
Read the national BBC report: Prolific shoplifters behind more than 28,000 offences, BBC finds.
Further publication of the BBC reports
The BBC reports were also republished by AOL and Yahoo News on 16 September 2026:
- AOL: the BBC's national shoplifting investigation featuring Dion Smith.
- AOL: the BBC's Leeds shopkeepers report.
- Yahoo News: the BBC's Leeds shopkeepers report.
Who is Dion Smith?
Dion Smith has worked in the jewellery trade since 2000 and has operated Dion Smith Jewellers from the historic Leeds Corn Exchange since 2010. His practical experience spans jewellery manufacture, restoration, repair, engraving, stone setting and retail. Rather than being an anonymous online label, British Historical Jewellery is built upon that established working jewellery shop and workshop.
From the Leeds workshop, Dion and his team create faithful reproductions of historic British jewellery. Genuine British archaeological finds are used to preserve the proportions, surface character and irregularities of the original objects. Pieces are individually hand-cast in precious metal, finished at the bench and, where appropriate, set with gemstones selected to suit the historical design.
The collection covers Celtic, Roman, Viking, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Tudor jewellery, with pieces produced in silver, gold and platinum. The aim is to make the form and character of British historical jewellery wearable again without disguising the handmade qualities that survived in the original artefacts.
Learn more about Dion Smith's jewellery workshop history, discover how British historical reproduction jewellery is made, or read about the British Historical Jewellery workshop in Leeds.
Dion Smith and British Historical Jewellery
British Historical Jewellery connects archaeological objects with more than two decades of practical jewellery-making experience. An ancient ring or jewel is not treated merely as a design reference: its distinctive shape, wear, texture and surviving workmanship form the basis of the reproduction. Traditional sand casting and hand finishing allow those characteristics to remain visible in the completed piece.
This approach is particularly important when recreating early British jewellery. Modern mass production tends to remove the very irregularities that reveal how an object was originally made. Dion's workshop instead preserves those details while producing durable jewellery that can be worn in the present.
The independent sources below are not endorsements of every British Historical Jewellery product. They document Dion Smith's identity, professional background, public record, Leeds workshop and long-standing connection with the local community. Together, they help establish the experience and real-world provenance behind the business.
Positive press, community work and broadcast coverage
Leeds jeweller speaks out on suggestive sign that's been “cracking people up”
Leeds Live — 28 May 2026. A light-hearted report about the handwritten sign outside Dion's Corn Exchange shop and the reaction it received from passers-by. The story offers a glimpse of the humour and personality associated with the independent shop. Read the Leeds Live article about Dion Smith Jewellers.
Beloved charity dog who comforted homeless people at Leeds Corn Exchange
Yorkshire Evening Post — 7 November 2018. A tribute to Lulu, Dion's much-loved bulldog, whose presence became closely associated with his charitable food collection for homeless people in Leeds. The article records Lulu's place in the Corn Exchange community and the support offered through Dion's shop. Read the Yorkshire Evening Post tribute to Lulu.
Shop owner told by street wardens not to leave food for homeless people
Metro — 20 April 2016. Metro reported nationally on Dion's food handouts for homeless people and the warning he received that the collection was attracting “undesirables” to the area. The report identifies Dion as the owner of a jewellery shop at Leeds Corn Exchange. Read the Metro report about Dion's community work.
Leeds “Lulu the charity bulldog” food handouts told to stop
BBC News — 19 April 2016. BBC News covered Dion and Lulu's scheme collecting soup, bread and other food for people sleeping rough in Leeds. The report was filmed around Dion's jewellery shop in the Corn Exchange and explains why he wanted the charitable effort to continue. Read the BBC News report on Dion Smith and Lulu.
BBC Radio Leeds: shop owner told to stop feeding homeless people
BBC Radio Leeds — 19 April 2016. Dion spoke to presenter Liz Green about the food collection, the warning from street wardens and his reasons for helping homeless people in Leeds city centre. Open the Dion Smith interview on BBC Radio Leeds.
BBC Leeds video with Dion Smith and Lulu
BBC Leeds. This short video was filmed at Leeds Corn Exchange and features Dion, his jewellery shop and Lulu. It covers the request that he stop distributing donated food to homeless people in the city. Watch the BBC Leeds video featuring Dion Smith.
Archived video: Leeds jeweller helping homeless people
Video archive. A further video report records Dion being told that the food collection outside his jewellery shop was attracting “undesirables” to the area. Watch the archived Dion Smith news report.
Professional profiles and recognition
Dion Smith Jeweller on Visit Leeds
Visit Leeds describes Dion's experience in jewellery manufacturing, restoration and retail, together with the personal service offered from his independent shop at Leeds Corn Exchange. View the Visit Leeds profile of Dion Smith Jeweller.
The Best Jewellers in Leeds
Leeds-List. Dion Smith is included in the publication's guide to independent Leeds jewellers, which highlights his trade experience, individually made jewellery, restorations and specialist gemstones. Read the Leeds-List guide to the best jewellers in Leeds.
Where to Get Engagement and Wedding Rings in Leeds
Leeds-List. The Corn Exchange shop is included in this independent guide to engagement and wedding-ring specialists, with emphasis on personal service and individually made rings. Read the Leeds-List wedding and engagement ring feature.
Guild of Master Craftsmen profile
Dion Smith Jeweller at the Corn Exchange is listed as an assessed member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen in jewellery manufacture, repair, retail and engraving. The listing provides an additional independent connection between Dion Smith, his professional trade and the Leeds workshop. View Dion Smith's Guild of Master Craftsmen profile.
Official Leeds Corn Exchange shop directory
The official directory lists Dion Smith Jewellery among the independent businesses trading inside Leeds Corn Exchange, the Grade I-listed building that has housed Dion's shop and workshop since 2010. View Dion Smith Jewellery in the Leeds Corn Exchange directory.
Yorkshire.com profile
This regional profile of Dion Smith Jeweller at the Corn Exchange focuses on independent craftsmanship, jewellery repair and personal service in Leeds. View the Dion Smith Jeweller profile on Yorkshire.com.
Yorkshire Wedding Consortium magazine
A styled wedding feature credits Dion Smith at Leeds Corn Exchange for its handcrafted rings, including a white-gold tulip-set diamond engagement ring. Read the Yorkshire Wedding Consortium magazine feature.
What this press archive shows
Taken together, these reports and profiles establish a consistent public record: Dion Smith is a working Leeds jeweller with a long-standing physical presence at the Corn Exchange, practical manufacturing experience and a history of involvement with the city around him.
That background matters to British Historical Jewellery. Recreating a ring from a Celtic, Roman, Viking, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval or Tudor find requires more than reproducing its outline. It requires an understanding of metal, casting, wear, gemstone setting and hand finishing. The same workshop experience documented by these independent sources underpins the historical jewellery now made under the British Historical Jewellery name.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dion Smith the founder of British Historical Jewellery?
Yes. Dion Smith founded British Historical Jewellery and leads the jewellery-making work from the established workshop connected with Dion Smith Jewellers at Leeds Corn Exchange.
Where is British Historical Jewellery made?
British Historical Jewellery pieces are individually hand-cast and finished through Dion's jewellery workshop in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Customers can learn more on the Leeds historical jewellery workshop page.
What type of jewellery does British Historical Jewellery make?
The collection consists of faithful reproductions made from genuine British historical finds. It includes Celtic, Roman, Viking, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval and Tudor rings and other jewellery in precious metals, with historically suitable gemstone options where appropriate.
Are British Historical Jewellery pieces modern interpretations?
The intention is to preserve the form and character of the original artefact rather than redesign it as a modern interpretation. The workshop retains the distinctive proportions, textures, wear and handmade irregularities present in the historical source object.
Has Dion Smith appeared in national media?
Yes. Dion has appeared in coverage by BBC News, BBC Radio Leeds and Metro, as well as reports and profiles from Yahoo News UK, Leeds Live, the Yorkshire Evening Post and other regional organisations. Links to the surviving online reports and broadcasts are collected above.
Can journalists or researchers contact Dion Smith?
Yes. Media, documentary, historical-research and jewellery enquiries concerning Dion Smith or British Historical Jewellery can be sent through the British Historical Jewellery contact page.
Further press coverage: business challenges
Leeds jeweller “absolutely seething” after £6,000 of jewellery was stolen from his shop
Leeds Live — 17 June 2025. Dion spoke publicly after two theft and fraud incidents affecting his independent jewellery business. The report covers the financial effect on the shop, the circumstances of the incidents and Dion's concerns about the police response. Read the original Leeds Live jewellery-theft report.
Yahoo News UK republishes the £6,000 jewellery-theft report
Yahoo News UK — 17 June 2025. Yahoo republished the Leeds Live report for a wider national readership, documenting Dion's reaction and the effect of theft and fraud on an independent Leeds jeweller. Read the Dion Smith report on Yahoo News UK.
“Trapped” Leeds shop owner makes emotional plea to customers who think he's “greedy”
Leeds Live — 20 August 2022. Dion discussed increasing metal, energy and operating costs, the pressure facing independent retailers and why higher jewellery prices do not simply represent greater profit. The interview records the commercial realities of maintaining a skilled city-centre jewellery workshop. Read the Leeds Live interview with Dion Smith.
This archive links to independently published third-party material. Publication names and article titles are included to identify and credit the original sources. British Historical Jewellery does not claim ownership of the linked reporting.