Whitley Neill is giving away £25,000 worth of diamonds in a bid to reignite the age-old tradition of handing down heirlooms, after its research revealed that the practice is at risk of dying out.
According to the gin brand’s research, almost half (43%) of UK adults believe that they don’t own anything of true sentimental or monetary value that they could pass on. Reasons for this include the view that items are more ‘disposable’ now (21%), and that modern day everyday items don’t have as much sentimental value (18%).
However, nearly half the nation (41%) would love to be able to pass something down to future generations or friends, with over a third (35%) citing keeping their family’s heritage alive as their main motivation for wanting to do this.
To celebrate eight generations of its own distilling heritage, Whitley Neill is giving away £25,000 worth of diamonds within bottles of its award-winning Distiller’s Cut London Dry Gin, to provide people with an heirloom to pass down within their own family or network of friends.
Of the one in three (36%) UK adults that currently possess something of sentimental or monetary value, jewellery is the most received item, accounting for almost two-thirds (61%) of the nation’s heirlooms. It was also cited as the item that most people believe is worth passing on, followed by books and household items including glassware, dinner service and cutlery.
Those who find one of the 15 hidden diamond engravings in the corks of the bottles of Distiller’s Cut Gin will win an ethical diamond with a minimum carat of 0.4. With jewellery cited as the top item individuals would like to pass on to others, Whitley Neill will also be offering a complimentary jewellery service to the winners.
Those lucky enough to win one of the diamonds will be given the option to embed the stone into an existing piece of jewellery, watch, or precious item of the winners choosing, to create a new bespoke heirloom to pass on – much like how the distilling knowledge of Whitley Neill has been passed down through generations.
“As a family brand, whose distilling knowledge has been passed down through eight generations, we value the importance of heritage and legacy. This is reflected in the creation of our Distiller’s Cut London Dry Gin, which boasts a quintessential, classic London Dry recipe that has truly stood the test of time. With this in mind, we want to help the nation keep their own traditions alive and give them the opportunity to have something to pass down to others. Jewellery is the item that most people would like to pass on to loved ones, and great quality gin and diamonds are both renowned for their quality and cut, so when thinking of how we could do this, diamonds seemed like a fitting choice.”
Johnny Neill, founder of Whitley Neill
While as a nation we would prefer to receive something of sentimental value (28%) rather than monetary value (22%), this stance does vary between genders. A third (33%) of women claimed they would prefer an item of sentimental value, while just 20% would prefer something of monetary value. By contrast, men were divided, with 24% claiming to prefer an item of sentimental importance, and the same amount (24%) opting for monetary.
Sentimental items are also valued amongst younger generations, with over a third (38%) of 18- to 24-year-olds stating that they would prefer an item of sentimental value. However, some older generations would say otherwise, with nearly a quarter (24%) of 55- to 64-year-olds stating they would prefer an item of monetary value.
The research also revealed that in an ideal world where everyone had something to leave behind, more than one in ten (13%) would leave an item to a friend rather than family.
Also up for grabs when buying a bottle of Distiller’s Cut, is an opportunity to enjoy a ‘Distiller’s Cut Diamond Experience’. This includes an exclusive tour of the City of London Distillery, home of Whitley Neill Gin, and the only gin distillery in the heart of city of London for over 200 years. Guests will be able to enjoy a host of delicious diamond-inspired gin cocktails from Whitley Neill’s mixologists.
Whitley Neill Distiller’s Cut Gin is a true classic London Dry, with the timeless quality and clarity of a premium diamond. The cut, at 43%, is crucial in letting the rich juniper and bitter-sweet citrus notes of candied orange shine through.
The Distiller’s Cut Diamond prizes will be available to win from now until the end of August, with bottles of Whitley Neill Distiller’s Cut available to buy from major retailers.
