The earliest forms of silver artefacts in the form of jewellery date back to the third millenium B.C. Domestic objects are not known in any quantity before those made by Mycenean craftsmen during the second millenium B.C. and later. It was not until the 16th century, with the discovery of vast quantities of silver in… Read More »
Apart from jewellery, domestic silverware is a handsome addition to any home and necessarily hideously expensive. A pair of candelabra, however simple or inexpensive, will enhance any table setting. A set of flatware, a centrepiece, wine coolers, all add cachet to your reputation as a host. There is nothing like the gleam of silver juxtaposed… Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »