February brings a glimmer a colour, with purple crocuses scattered across the lawn and the tiny violets hidden amongst the moss. So I am going to start this year by looking at the kaleidoscope of colours available to jewellers and with that said what better way to celebrate this month by looking at the...
There is one gemstone that produces the most wonderful optical effects and is without doubt a miracle of nature. Prized for its play of iridescent colours which change like a kaleidoscope when the stone moves it is Opal, the birthstone for October The ancient Latin name for opal was ‘Opalus’ derived from the...
As I write this month’s article it seems fitting that I have a beautiful panoramic sky above which is reminiscent of the all the sparkling colours of sapphire, the birthstone for September. In the past sapphires were known as the gems of the soul as they represented purity and mirrored the blue of heaven....
The birthstone for July is the glorious red gemstone, ruby. With its rich red colour ruby has always been associated with, passion, warmth, red hearts and valentines. As well as being July’s birthstone we also use ruby to celebrate both the 40th and 15th wedding anniversaries. With its hardness and bright lustre...
A few years ago I visited an exhibition called the Cheapside Hoard. One particular exhibit, a 350 year old watch, stood out amongst all the others. Set into a carved Colombian emerald and cut from an emerald prism it had been discovered along with other treasure hidden under some floorboards by workmen centuries later! ...
I can remember as a little girl I was fascinated by an Amethyst however it was not a piece of jewellery but as an amethyst crystal that captured my attention. In those days my father was still running our original shop in Market Street where he used a variety of crystals as displays and...