Our Story

Patrick Mavros creates a pair of rose-shaped earrings for Catja, his soon-to-be wife. She wears them to her hair salon, where the hairdresser admires them and asks for a pair of her own. Soon, other women follow. A private gesture of love becomes the first expression of the Mavros story.

The first Mavros studio takes shape among the trees of the Zimbabwean farm. For Alexander and Forbes, it is simply the most extraordinary treehouse imaginable. Here, their father’s creative world and their own childhood world become one - an intimate fusion of family, imagination and craftsmanship that will endure for decades.

Lance Corporal Hartley Chimsoro, an African Grey parrot, arrives at Mpata Farm and swiftly becomes part of the family. His vocabulary expands at an astonishing pace, despite everyone’s steadfast insistence that they taught him nothing improper. Before long, his colourful repertoire and irrepressible personality have earned him a firm place in the daily theatre of farm life.

In 1987, an orphaned baby elephant named ZoZo comes to live with the Mavros family at their Zimbabwean farm. When the little elephant becomes trapped in the mud at a drinking pan, Patrick comes to his rescue. ZoZo’s courage and resilience leave a lasting impression, inspiring a story that would remain close to Patrick’s heart.

Alexander and Forbes make their first capture and relocation of a python on the farm, where abundant water and prey make the property a natural haven for large snakes. Their childhood unfolds in close company with wildlife - not behind glass or fences, but as an intimate part of everyday family life.

Patrick’s Dachshund, Ant, becomes the unlikely hero of a bushveld engineering experiment. Concerned for his beloved dog’s safety around the farm’s pythons, Patrick fashions an anti-python helmet from an upturned soup ladle, six-inch nails and an elastic chin strap. At Mpata, family life is never short on imagination.

At Falcon College, Alexander discovers the discipline and elegance of calligraphy, learning to shape each letter with care. Inspired by his father’s creative hand ,he develops a distinctive style. In time, his handwriting becomes part of the Mavros identity.

After surviving a hawk attack, Hartley Chimsoro the parrot is promoted from Lance Corporal to Captain and receives plenty of affection from Catja. The episode captures the extraordinary intimacy between the Mavros family and the creatures that have shared their home over the years.

The family journeys into the Zambezi Valley, a place the Mavros', have long regarded as their spiritual home. Its great river, untamed wilderness and extraordinary wildlife become deeply woven into the family’s imagination, shaping the stories and distinctive visual language that would come to define the House.

On Boxing Day, a zebra from the farm follows the donkeys into the stable block - and promptly makes himself at home. Named Boxer, he develops a taste for the finer comforts of domestic life: a stable, horse food and an attentive grooming. The family, naturally, rather admires his style.

In Matabeleland, Benji discovers an abandoned baby zebra and brings her home. Named Abby, she becomes the latest extraordinary arrival in the Mavros family menagerie - continuing a lifelong tradition of living closely with the wild, and of finding beauty, affection and wonder in the creatures that cross their path.

Patrick’s grandson Maximos joins Uncle Pat on his first python capture and relocation mission. The moment marks a quiet passing of the torch: the same untamed landscape that shaped Alexander and his brothers is now being discovered, with equal wonder and curiosity, by a new generation of Mavros children.

During Patrick’s 2020 lockdown Storytime series, he recalls how the Mavros family rescued twin pookies, the Zimbabwean name for bush babies, after a spotted eagle owl attacked their thatched nest. The tiny survivors became beloved family members, living alongside them in Zimbabwe for 17 years.

On the Makgadikgadi Pans, Alexander and Alec experience an extraordinary encounter as curious meerkats climb onto their heads, using them as vantage points from which to survey the vast landscape. For Alexander, it is a magical expression of his enduring love for these remarkable creatures - vigilant, loyal and devoted to family.

Pumba the warthog joins the Mavros family at Mpata Farm, bringing his own particular brand of bushveld mischief. Before long, he is racing through the ducks, interrupting morning coffee and wandering into the studio as though he has always belonged there. Another wild character becomes part of daily life.

Alexander candidly shares the wonderfully irreverent story of the Gorby, a Zimbabwean sundowner named after Mikhail Gorbachev and born in the optimistic 1980s. Vodka, Coca-Cola and soda water bring Russia, America and Britain together in one gloriously uncomplicated glass. 

When orphaned baby elephant ZoZo came to live on the family farm, she inspired Patrick’s first silver elephant. Beginning with observation and a hand-worked model, he transformed her character through lost-wax casting, creating a sculpture that captured the spirit of Africa in enduring sterling silver.

The Guinea Fowl Trio is created as Patrick Mavros begins working on larger, more ambitious pieces. The three birds capture the character of this distinctive African game bird, while setting the tone for the sculptural style and richly detailed pieces that would follow.

The classic Elephant Candelabra Pair is created, heralding Patrick Mavros’ long love affair with candelabra and spectacular dining pieces. Bringing together wildlife sculpture and the theatre of candlelight, it marks a turning point as the dining table becomes a stage for the imagination.

The Gorilla Family and Palm Candelabra is conceived and created, becoming the largest and most impressive centrepiece Patrick Mavros has made to date. An exuberant gathering of silver sculpture and palms, it captures the theatre, imagination and unmistakable spirit of Africa at the dining table.

Alexander, the eldest Mavros son, creates the Elephant & Tortoise Cigar Ashtray as a wedding-anniversary gift for his parents. Rich in African symbolism and playful detail, Tapiwa the bull elephant supports tortoise shells, while an upturned hippo creates a wonderfully unexpected cigar rest.

The much-loved Elephant & Monkey Mustard Pot is born, with an elephant holding court over the table while his cheeky monkey companion becomes the spoon, perched across his back and giving him a playful tickle. A wonderfully irreverent piece of Mavros magic, where fine silver meets friendship, humour and theatre.

The new studio in Zimbabwe is completed, creating a fresh chapter for the Mavros family and their ever-evolving craft. Here, silver and gold continue to take shape as reflections of Africa, with Patrick’s imagination, family heritage and time-honoured craftsmanship at the heart of every creation.

The London Flagship Store opens in Chelsea, bringing the spirit of the Mavros family home in Zimbabwe to Fulham Road. Brought to life by Alexander, it becomes a little slice of Africa in London - filled with silver, stories, wildlife and the warmth of a family welcome.

Whilst enjoying cocktails on a Barbados beach, Patrick found inspiration in a particularly friendly green monkey. The encounter became the much-loved Monkey Swizzle Stick: a cheeky little character, swinging from its silver stem, with a coconut of rum punch in hand.

We launch the beloved ZoZo Collection, inspired by the brave little elephant who came to live on our farm. After finding herself stuck in the mud at a drinking pan, ZoZo’s rescue captured our hearts - her charm and resilience forever woven into silver.

Forbes opens the first Patrick Mavros jewellery boutique in Mauritius, bringing the family’s love of precious metal and intricate craftsmanship to the Indian Ocean. A new chapter begins, rooted in the Mavros tradition yet shaped by the island’s beauty and spirit.

We create the iconic Fari Tree and Candelabra, a magnificent tribute to the giraffe and acacia. Tiny silver leaves nestle amongst flickering candlelight, transforming the table into a shimmering savannah. There is, indeed, no greater theatre than the dining table.

Forbes reimagines the ancient African bangle, traditionally woven from resilient elephant tail hair, in sterling silver and 18-carat gold. Inspired by the strength and wisdom of the elephant, each strand is individually soldered and wovenn into an enduring Mavros treasure.

After years of adventures and cherished memories in Kenya, the Mavros family finally brings a long-held dream to life: a boutique in Nairobi. Surrounded by the vibrancy and warmth of East Africa, it becomes a natural home for silver, stories and the spirit of safari.

Forbes and Kate launch the Sea Urchin Collection, our first jewellery collection to embrace precious stones. Inspired by the intricate beauty of the Indian Ocean, delicate sea urchins are transformed in silver and gold, their forms brought to life with the colour and light of gemstones.

Patrick Jnr launches the Pangolin Collection, inspired by a creature close to the Mavros family’s heart. In collaboration with photographer Adrian Steirn, craftsmanship becomes conservation: exquisite silver and gold scales tell the pangolin’s story to the world, while 10% of sales support the Tikki Hywood Foundation.

Forbes and Kate unveil their extraordinary Mauritius Atelier, breathing new life into a 150-year-old Beau Plan foundry. With its doors opened to reveal the artistry within, it becomes a celebration of Mauritius itself - where lagoons, marine life and island treasures inspire silver, gold and gemstones.

Patrick Mavros Jnr launches the Zodiac Cufflinks with the quick-witted Rat, first in the ancient Chinese Zodiac. Handcrafted in the Harare studio, the limited-edition first release captures its clever spirit in minute silver detail, complete with a glinting kernel of corn - beginning a twelve-year Mavros story.

With the Atelier closed in lockdown, Forbes returned to the simplest language of the silversmith: fire, hammer and hand. Using volcanic basalt from Mauritius as his mould, he forged each bangle through repeated heating, hammering and annealing - allowing the island itself to leave its mark on every piece.

In a year that tested strength and resilience, we unveiled Vakadzi - Shona for women - as a tribute to the remarkable women who make up our Mavros family. From London to Zimbabwe, Kenya to Mauritius, they became our muses, sharing their stories and wearing their strength in silver and gold.

Patrick Mavros Jnr designs the Heart of Africa collection as a celebration of the continent he calls home. Its distinctive chevron motif speaks of Africa’s interwoven cultures, while the timeless heart becomes a symbol of love - hand-carved and sculpted in precious metal, carrying Africa close to the heart.

Four years after the original Pangolin Collection, the Pangolin Queen Cuff arrives as a bold new salute to this extraordinary creature. Inspired by the pangolin’s natural armour, its sculptural scales wrap the wrist in silver or gold - beautiful, protective and carrying forward our commitment to conservation.

Forbes completes his first table-centrepiece candelabra, bringing the magic of the Indian Ocean to the dining table. Hawksbill turtles glide through sculpted staghorn coral, their emerald-set eyes catching the candlelight, while gemset Sea Urchins add a final shimmer to this extraordinary underwater tableau.

Patrick Mavros Jnr transforms the endless water lilies of Botswana’s Okavango Delta into a collection of exquisite jewellery. Inspired by Xigera’s floating wilderness, each petal is captured in silver and gold - a love letter to Africa, conservation and the extraordinary beauty of a place where nature and artistry live as one.

Inspired by Craig, one of Africa’s last great Super Tuskers, the Tusk Collection celebrates his magnificent sweeping tusks and distinctive ear. Sculpted in precious metal, each piece carries his story forward, shining a light on these extraordinary giants while supporting their protection for generations to come.

We open our boutique in Windhoek, a heartfelt tribute to a country our family has long held with enormous love and respect. Namibia’s wild beauty, extraordinary landscapes and generous spirit have inspired the Mavros family for years. Now, we are delighted to call it home.

For World Rhino Day, Patrick Mavros Jnr introduces the Rhino Paperweight, bringing one of Africa’s most magnificent creatures to the desk in miniature. Handcrafted in sterling silver, with tiger’s-eye eyes that seem to hold a glint of mischief, this little rhino carries the magic of the wild wherever it goes.

Patrick Mavros Jnr turns his enduring love of trout fishing into a wonderfully unexpected cocktail companion. Handcrafted in sterling silver, the Trout Cocktail Stirrer brings a little river magic to the glass - a playful meeting of the great outdoors, family ritual and the Mavros art of making everyday moments extraordinary.

The Zim Chain Collection is born from a beautiful marriage of heritage and imagination. Each link begins as sterling silver, forged, drawn, cut and shaped by hand before being soldered together, one by one. A modern safari companion, made slowly, thoughtfully and entirely by hand.

Our Victoria Falls Boutique opens its doors, bringing a long-held family dream to life in one of Zimbabwe’s most magical places. Beneath the mighty roar of the Falls, silver wildlife and stories of Africa find a new home, welcoming travellers into the Mavros world.

Our Cape Town boutique opens its doors at the V&A Waterfront, with Table Mountain rising majestically beyond the harbour. This beautiful new home celebrates our love for Africa’s Mother City, where breathtaking landscapes provide the perfect backdrop for silver, stories and Mavros magic.

The Mavros family breathes new life into the iconic Elephant Hair Bangle, expanding its timeless woven language into earrings, rings, cuffs, link bracelets and cufflinks. Inspired by an ancient African talisman, each piece carries the strength and spirit of the elephant into a new generation of Mavros jewellery.

Alexander designs the Year of the Dragon collection, capturing the creature’s mythical strength and generous spirit in precious silver, with ruby eyes that seem to spark with life. The limited-edition collection introduces our first Zodiac brooch and lapel pin, alongside earrings, pendants and cufflinks.

Forged in purpose and worn with pride, the Kolisi Cuff is designed by Patrick Mavros Jnr in partnership Siya Kolisi - leader, World Champion, philanthropist and icon. Inspired by the Kolisi Foundation’s emblem and the South African flag, this sterling silver cuff embodies unity, resilience and giving back to South African communities.

We reimagine our favourite northern creatures as charming sterling silver place card holders, bringing foxes, stags, red squirrels and grizzly bears to the festive table. Each little character adds a touch of woodland magic, turning every place setting into an invitation to gather, celebrate and make memories.

Inspired by a charistmatic Huntsman, a well-timed apology and a new frienship, the Huntsman Bangle begins with a woven bracelet offered as a peace offering. Alexander later transforms its spirit into silver, capturing not only its intricate weave, but the camaraderie and story woven through it.