Aurum was founded in 2011 by Despoina Pateraki, a third-generation goldsmith whose grandfather opened a workshop on Voukourestiou Street in 1953, and Aris Lykiardopoulos, a graduate gemmologist (FGA, GIA-trained) who'd spent eight years at a London auction house's jewellery department before returning to Athens. They opened the atelier above a quiet end of Skoufa Street in Kolonaki, with a workshop in the back room (where Despoina works), a stone library on the second floor (where Aris works), and a small boutique in the front (six pieces on display, by appointment). We work in 18ct gold (yellow, white, rose) and 950 platinum, exclusively. We do not work in silver, and we do not work in 9ct or 14ct gold. Our stone library holds about 800 stones at any given time — diamonds, sapp



