Fine Jewellery Reviews, Guides and Stories from London
Ruby Buying Guide: The Most Misunderstood Stone in Fine Jewellery
What actually determines a ruby's value: colour, clarity, origin, and treatment. A buying guide with real price ranges and what to avoid.
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The Gem is an independent editorial magazine about fine jewellery — its history, culture, and buying advice — publishing since January 2026. Coverage is organised into three sections: Stories, on the histories of jewellery houses and the pieces that made them famous; Guides, research-led buying advice on diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals; and The Edit, curated seasonal selections. All writing is by Florence.
Also new this week
Is Pandora Worth It? A Collector's Honest Assessment
What Pandora charms and bracelets are actually made of, what they cost, and what they're worth if you ever sell. An honest guide, not a takedown.
The Georgian Poison Ring: History, Mystery, and Hidden Compartments
Did Georgians carry poison in rings? What compartment rings really held, the Borgia myth, and the Georgian poisoning that needed no ring at all.
For people who buy beautiful things,— The Gem, since 2026
and want to know the story behind them.
The Edit
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The Autumn Jewellery Edit: What Changes When the Season Does
Autumn changes what jewellery must survive: wool, scarves and a 4.50pm sunset. Six pieces ranked, with the hallmark and repair checks that matter.
How to Style Jewellery for the Office: A Practical Edit
What jewellery actually survives a working day and reads well on video calls, plus what quietly works against you in meetings.
The Jewellery of Grief: What We Wear When Someone Dies
What to wear to a funeral, when to wear a loved one's jewellery, and the real options for ashes, hair, and memorial pieces.
The Signet Ring Edit: From Engraved to Statement
The signet ring is not having a revival — it never left. A maker-by-maker guide to the best engraved, statement, and hardstone signet rings to buy in 2026.
How to Wear Fine Jewellery to a Festival: The Layering Guide
How to wear fine jewellery to a festival — what to layer, what to leave at home, and how to build a look that survives three days in a field without looking like it tried too hard.
How to Wear a Memento Mori
Six ways to wear skull and mourning jewellery without it reading as costume, from a £320 McQueen ring to a Stuart-era enamel skull ring dating to the 1600s.
Ring Stacking in 2026: The Rules, the Breaks, and What Actually Works
Ring stacking has been building for years and is now firmly established. A practical guide to what works — the rules, the breaks, and the sizing trick.
The Men's Jewellery Edit: What to Buy, What to Wear, and What to Ignore
Men's fine jewellery has been growing faster than women's for three years. A guide to what's worth buying, what works, and what to leave alone.
The Guides
More guides →
Sapphire Buying Guide: The Stone That Comes in Every Colour
What actually determines a sapphire's value: colour, clarity, origin, and treatment. A buying guide with real price ranges and what to ask before you pay.
Ruby Buying Guide: The Most Misunderstood Stone in Fine Jewellery
Is Pandora Worth It? A Collector's Honest Assessment
Catbird vs Jennie Kwon: Best Minimalist Fine Gold
The Best Engagement Rings Under £2,000
The Best Tennis Bracelets to Buy in the US: A US Open Edit
Diamond vs Moissanite: An Honest Guide for Modern Buyers
From the magazine
More stories →
The Georgian Poison Ring: History, Mystery, and Hidden Compartments
The World's Most Famous Sapphires: Provenance, Power, and Royalty
The Secret Language of Gems: Inside the World of Acrostic Rings
What the New US Jewellery Tariffs Mean for Buyers
Jackie Kennedy's Jewellery: An Education in Restraint
The Cheapside Hoard: London's Greatest Lost Treasure
Princess Catherine's Jewellery: The Choices That Defined a Style
How Catherine split her jewellery between Diana's inherited pieces and her own signature, led by British jeweller Kiki McDonough.
The Gem exists because most jewellery writing is either breathless PR or impenetrable gemology. Neither is much use when you’re trying to decide whether a Cartier Love bracelet is worth the mortgage payment, or whether lab-grown diamonds are genuinely identical to mined ones (they are, with caveats).
This is a magazine for people who take jewellery seriously without taking themselves too seriously. We publish buying guides built on research rather than press releases, histories of the houses that shaped the industry, and the occasional strong opinion about why signet rings are having a moment for entirely the right reasons.
Florence writes everything. She has been known to be wrong, but not about jewellery.
About The Gem
