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: Tiffany & Company »
Picture the imperious vision of a film star, a femme fatale with mesmerising kohl-rimmed eyes in a richly-sensuous velvet cloak sweeping down the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House. Other lesser-known opera buffs and assorted stargazers are trans-fixed not so much by the haughty mien of the lady but by the magnificent clasp of… Read More: Lalique – The Belle Epoque »
Not usually mentioned in the same breadth as the other kind, episcopal jewellery over the centuries has not had much press coverage. They have been regarded as holy symbols, magic talismans and even as evidence of “effeminate” propensities. In a mid-19th century article on ecclesiastical rings, the anonymous author cautioned its reader to “look on… Read More: Sacred Ornaments – The Episcopal Jewellery »
Reams of copies and books have been written about these bijou royale, especially after the deaths of this exiled couple who personified style and regal cachet, far from the British crown that the Duke wore briefly before abdicating in the name of love. Even the copyists had a field day after the collection became public… Read More: Famous Jewels – The Duchess of Windsor’s Collection »
With so many new synthetics and treatments in the gem market, ordinary jewellers or even traditional jewellers cannot depend on their own experience to differentiate between the new synthetic or new treatment. A new breed of educated jewellers or qualified gemologists is required to help jewellers carry out their trade more effectively. A gemologist is… Read More: What is a gemologist? »
Mention your “colic stone” necklace in your jewellery collection and you are unlikely to bring on a grimace among friends. They are both one and the same. Blame it on the Spanish consquitadors who, when observing South American natives using the stone for talismanic and healing rituals, called the lustrous green stone “piedra de tjada”… Read More: Spiritual Gems – Jade »