When Charles Greig left home in 1894, he waved farewell to Aberdeen, the handsome Scottish city with its sparkling granite skyline.

In stark constants, Johannesburg was s shantytown gripped by the promise of future prosperity. With no architecture yet to speak of it, it was the world's richest goldfield-attracting prospectors from near and far. When the 25-year-old Greig disembarked to Cape Town (aptly, from the RSM Scot), he too headed north to the diggings to make his fortune.

But he was no ordinary prospector. 'My great-grandfather had been tipped off on the boat: there was apparently, a shortage of mining clocks,' says Christopher Greig, who sports the same pearl tie pin that Charles wears in the portrait hanging in the Hyde Park corner shop. 'So he started dealing in clocks and watches and, within a few years, opened his own business premises on dusty Market Street in 1899.' Within weeks of sitting up however, Charles was forced to barricade his doors while, out of loyalty to the empire, he took up arms in the bloodiest of Boer War battles of Spioenkop. When it was all over, he was relieved to find his shop untouched- and ready for business. With life returning to normal, the British High Commissioner, Sir Alfred Milner, set about modernising the city of Johannesburg.

A few years later, Charles's young wife, Jean Mitchell, bore him a son and heir. The couple had already lost five children to the bubonic plague and - fearful of other tragedy - Jean had returned briefly to Aberdeen for the birth of Charles Hector Greig in 1901.

It would be a number of years, though, before he in turn would take his place as custodian of the company. Firstly, the jewellery shop that now found itself in the fashionable surrounds of the original Carlton Hotel Would experience the Roaring Twenties, the Crash of '29 and the discovery of the largest gem diamond crystal ever found. It was this diamond, the Cullinan, that would ignite world interest in the diamond fields of South Africa and cause the normally restrained Argus to declare in 1905, 'No such Brobdingnagian find as this 3032- carat stone has ever been recorded in the history of man!' The Cullinan was presented to King Adward VII on his birthday in 1907. It was later cut into nine large stones and 96 smaller ones, of which the largest - a pear-shaped pendoloque brilliant known as 'The Great star of Africa', which weighs 530.2 carats- still retains the distinction of being the world's largest cut diamond. Forming part of the crown jewels of Britain, it adorns the head of Royal Sceptre. The Importance of this magnificent diamond, quite apart from its size and unsurpassed superiority, is that it served as a forerunner to the many fine diamonds that would originate from South Africa.

I was 20 when my grandfather Charles Hector died and I knew him well. He taught me a huge amount, and I love his gentle ways,' recalls Christopher. 'Charles Hector was quintessential old-fashioned gentleman, with lovely manners. Everyone remembers him as a wonderful dancer at the Country Club where the colonial set partied on Saturday nights - and all the women adored him for the twinkle in his eyes.'

Charles Hector married the artist and designer Elsa Grey, who had a keen interest in antique jewellery and silverware. They honeymooned on the Barmoral Castle, the ship originally commissioned to bring the Duke and Duchess of Connaught to Cape Town for the opening of the first Parliament of the Union of South Africa. After World War II, Elsa frequently travelled abroad on business trips by flying boat - landing on lakes throughout Africa - in search of fine antique jewellery from the narrow streets of London's Hatton Hotel.

Meanwhile, Johannesburg celebrated its Jubilee anniversary in 1936, and South Africa's Tercentennial in 1952. And when visitors such as the Prince of Wales, Nelson Rockefeller and King George VI came to the city, they all stayed across the road from Charles Greig Jewellers at the Hilton Hotel.

Of Charles and Els's three children, David, Judy and Elsa, it was David who went to Switzerland to study watch making, and gemmology, before returning to join the family firm. With his head finely tuned to the world market - and innovation in design that would prevail in the 50s - he helped bring some of the glamour and style to the southern tip of the African continenet.

My father inherited Charles Hector's great sense of humour,' Christopher remembers. He married beautiful Italia Burton and, with the birth of four sons, ensured the continuity of the family business, which had now moved to prestigious new premises in Commissioner Street. Situated between the famous His Majesty's and Colosseum theatres - by then the fashionable centre of the downtown area - the shop was also strategically close to the Rand Club and the mining house.

In 1967, the first Krugerrand were minted, and with great fanfare the one-ounce gold coins sold at Charles Greig Jewellers for a mere rand each!

Despite having ranked among the most beautiful Edwardian cities in the world, Johannesburg, with its late Victorian and Edwardian architecture, and its boundaries. And so began a proliferation of satellite business areas in the suburbs away from the city centre. These have now completely usurped the old central business district, but, in 1982, when it was still considered a rather daring move, Charles Greig jewellers opened its second branch in Sandton City. Three years later, another, another store opened at Hyde Park Corner.

Today there are five stores in all, and the business is still in the hands of three-grand sons of the founder. 'We are proud of our family history, especially as we have been around for almost as long as Johannesburg itself,' says Christopher. 'We are traditional but not old-fashioned. In every way we reflect what is happening in the jeweller industry worldwide while, at the same time, we continue to express our uniqueness as South African company with a distinguished heritage.'

Charles Greig	Charles Hector Greig	David Greig
Christopher Greig	Donald Greig	Richard Greig