Primitive man who wore the tooth of a slain beast around his neck and his woman who adorned her being with shells and coloured stones were simply adding to the protective mantle necessary for survival in their raw lifestyles. From the early beginnings of civilisation, jewellery in its most basic form had a direct relationship… Read More »
A plain iron hoop was the fore runner of today’s engagement ring. The Romans gave a ring as a symbol of the cycle of life and eternity as a public pledge that the marriage contract would be honoured. Gold was introduced in the second century A.D. and when the Christians adopted the custom, the ring… Read More »
Rare, treasured, inaccessible and the result of the most protracted efforts, the diamond is at the heart of a most precarious industry which has been stabilised worldwide by the Central Selling Organisation (CSO). It was created in 1930 by the late Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, chairman of the DeBeers Consolidated Mines which today remains the leader… Read More »
The name comes with it a cachet that is hard to define after its early start selling stationery, umbrellas, Chinese bric-a-brac and pottery. ln 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany borrowed $1000 and with his friend John P. Young opened a general store in New York City. Within 12 years, Tiffany’s inventory grew to include watches, clocks,… Read More »