Lockets are jewels of romance and memory. Wearing the image of your lover is a way to keep them close to you. But in some 19th century cases, the wrong picture in a locket revealed adultery and lead to divorce.
In 1901, the young Duke of Manchester bought three imitation pearl necklaces for his new bride, the dollar princess Helena Zimmerman. Why didn’t he pay for them and what does this say about their marriage?
In 1868, Reverend Chauncey Hare Townshend left his collection of gemstones to the V&A. They connected two of his great passions- collecting and mesmerism.
Love makes the jewellery world go round. Here is a short list of books on sentimental and love jewellery.
Van Cleef and Arpels are renowned for their stunning gem-set jewellery. This review looks at the Art of Movement, their new exhibition at the Design Museum, London.
What are the best places to see fabulous historic jewellery? These five museums are a great place to start.
The summer of 2022 has been full of treats for jewellery lovers. Exhibitions at Sotheby’s, Tiffany’s at the Saatchi Gallery and the queen’s jewels at the Buckingham Palace Jubilee exhibition have brought exceptional jewels to the public.
The Prince Imperial’s unlucky locket A jewel is often a gift of love – sometimes romantic, but sometimes given by a mother to her much
Relationships with friends can be as important and intense as those with lovers. A group of nineteenth century men marked these links by giving each other rings, signs of affection and leaving gifts.
Gifts for bridesmaids were one of the smaller items on the happy couple’s to-do list. However, choosing an appropriate brooch, locket or bracelet was an opportunity for a pretty, thoughtful gift.
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