At times reserved only for the aristocracy and the clergy as a sacred gemstone, the emerald - the Jewel of Kings - is as green as they...

'Guy Fawkes Night', also called 'Bonfire Night' or 'Fireworks Night', which commemorates the night the Gunpowder Plot was averted, is...

If you have ever seen a piece of antique jewelry with black patterning or detailing that looks a bit like enamel but metallic and shiny...

For the Victorians, death was a huge part of their daily lives. In London, the average lifespan for middle-to-upper-class men was 44...

In the Victorian era, death by war, illness, or childbirth was common, and around a third of Victorian children died before the age of...

In last week's blog, we looked at the impressive range of Georgian mourning rings. This week, we tackle non-rings - including mourning...

Death was often on the minds of those living in the 18th and 19th centuries. With difficult childbirths, high infant mortality rates, and...

A 19th-century woman - having just discovered her daughter's involvement in a scandalous event - reclines in her seat and reaches for her...

In last week's blog, Cameos - Part I: 18th Century, we looked at the history of cameos, what they are, and the rise of cameos in...

Cameos were highly prized in Georgian and Victorian-era Europe. Having been a valuable and fashionable part of ancient Roman society, the...

A few weeks ago, we mentioned fobs in our Gentlemen's Jewelry blog. In this week's blog, we take a more in-depth look at the delights and...

Since ancient times, tiaras have been symbols of power, grandeur, and wealth. The word 'tiara' comes from the Persian word for the...

While jewelry is generally thought of today as being much more a part of women's fashion than men's, that is certainly not the case...

The concept of a 'Rebus' comes from the Latin phrase, 'non verbis sed rebus', meaning 'not by words but by things'. From this, you might...

Portugal is a country with a historically huge trade route, and in the 17th and 18th centuries they had access to much of the world's...

From the ancient Persians who called the art of enameling 'meenakari' ('to place paradise onto an object') to ancient Cyprus, Egypt,...

Where the 18th century is known as the age of sentiment and sensibility, the Victorian era is seen as the peak of this - the pinnacle of...

The Victorian era was a time of great change: colonization, exploration, inventions, and new scientific discoveries were changing what...

Garnet: the birthstone of January, the pomegranate jewel, has been a gem worn and gifted as a symbol of love and protection since as long...

On the 18th June 1912, a group of laborers demolishing a building in Cheapside in London discovered something quite incredible beneath...