The Three Brethren Jewel was a cloak clasp, set with gemstones, known to have existed in the 15th and 16th centuries. Made during the first decade of the 15th century, the Three Brethren jewel is an extremely mysterious and intriguing piece, whose value today, if it was still intact, would be incalculable. It was comprised […]
This is a lovely article from a customer of my grandfather’s in 1949, who came back to visit us! Memory Lane There once was a fine young couple who wanted to pledge their love to each other by joining in marriage. Post war ravaged Belfast in 1949 was rebuilding but had little in the way […]
The firm of Raymond C. Yard of New York was one of the leading names in the 1920s and 1930s, catering to the elite of American high society, including the Rockefellers, Fleischmanns, Flaglers, and Woolworths. Yard’s career began in 1898 when, at the age of 13, he began working for the well-known New York firm […]
The journey from a dull piece of rough to the sparkling stone we know is a long process, with several stages, each carried out by a master. This blog will take you through the main steps, and hopefully illustrate the skill and talent of the diamond cutter. Planning The initial stage is simply to plan […]
One summer afternoon in 1891, Alexander Jacob, a gem dealer from Baghdad, entered the palace of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Prince Ali Pasha. He carried with him a 182 carat cushion-cut diamond, at that time called the Victoria Diamond. How it got into Jacob’s possession is not too clear a story. The Nizam was one […]
A new selection of diamond eternity rings have been uploaded to our website today (15th August). Most are in platinum, but many can also be made in yellow gold if desired. Though the idea of a diamond band was around for a long time, it was in the 20th century that they really came to […]
A very interesting gemstone that is not commonly seen is spinel, a red gemstone often confused with ruby. Indeed, until fairly recently all red gemstones were called rubies; however ruby is denser and slightly harder than spinel, (spinel is 8 on the Mohs scale) and the two can be easily differentiated by comparing refractive indices. […]
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