Stories
The history of fine jewellery told through the objects themselves. House histories, famous stones, royal collections, and the archaeology of what people wore.
The Cullinan Diamond: How the World's Largest Stone Became Two Crowns
The Cullinan diamond was found in 1905, weighed 3,106 carats, and was sent to England by post. How it became two crowns and a private joke.
Wallis Simpson's Jewellery: The Collection That Rewrote Fine Jewellery
When Wallis Simpson's jewellery sold at Sotheby's in 1987, it raised £31 million. The full story of the collection and the woman who wore it.
Victorian Mourning Jewellery: When the Dead Were Worn by the Living
Victorian mourning jewellery — jet, hair, seed pearls, black enamel — was not morbid. It was a precise language for grief. A history of the pieces.
Bulgari: How a Greek Silversmith Built Rome's Greatest Jewellery Empire
Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884 by a Greek silversmith. The history of the house, from Via Condotti and Elizabeth Taylor to LVMH ownership.
The Black Prince's Ruby: The Gemstone That Isn't a Ruby
The Black Prince's Ruby is 170 carats, sits at the centre of the Imperial State Crown, and is not a ruby. It is a spinel. The history of a famous misnomer.
The Cartier Family History: How a Paris Workshop Became the World's Most Important Jeweller
The Cartier family history, from the 1847 Paris founding to the three brothers who divided the world, Jeanne Toussaint, the iconic pieces, and the modern era.
Chopard at Cannes: What It Means to Dress a Film Festival
Chopard has dressed Cannes since 1998 — including making the Palme d'Or itself. What the jewellery choices on the 2026 red carpet actually say.
Elizabeth Taylor's Jewellery: A Collection That Rewrote the Rules
Every major piece of Elizabeth Taylor's jewellery, from the Krupp Diamond worn to school runs to La Peregrina, and the 2011 Christie's record auction.
The Hope Diamond: A History of Loss, Death, and Doubt
The Hope Diamond, from a 17th-century Golconda mine to the Smithsonian. The history, the chain of unfortunate owners, and the truth about its alleged curse.
The Koh-i-Noor: A Diamond, an Empire, and a 700-Year Argument
The Koh-i-Noor diamond, from a Golconda mine to the Tower of London. The history, the recutting, the four countries that claim it, and where it sits today.
Marilyn Monroe's Jewellery: What She Owned, What She Borrowed, and What Came Up at Auction
Every major piece of Marilyn Monroe's jewellery, what she actually owned, what was loaned from studios, and what came up at the 1999 Christie's auction.
Moonstone: The Stone That Wouldn't Stay Out of Fashion
Moonstone, from Ceylon to Art Nouveau to Sophie Bille Brahe. The geology behind its blue flash, its mythological history, and how to buy and wear it today.
Paraiba Tourmaline: The Stone That Didn't Exist Until 1989
Paraiba tourmaline was found in 1989 in northeast Brazil. Why two houses chose this neon copper-bearing stone for Cannes 2026 — and what to know if you're buying.
Princess Diana's Jewellery: The Pieces, the Stories, and Where They Are Now
Every major piece of Princess Diana's jewellery, including the sapphire ring, the Cambridge tiara and the Swan Lake suite, and where each one is today.
Pyrite and the Gold Rush: A History of the World's Most Beautiful Mistake
Pyrite was mistaken for gold from Martin Frobisher's 1577 Baffin Island expedition to the 1849 Gold Rush. The history of fool's gold and its real beauty.
Renaissance Pigment Stones: When Blue Cost More Than Gold
Renaissance pigment stones, how lapis lazuli became ultramarine, why it cost more than gold, and the medieval economics behind the great paintings.
Tiffany & Co: A History of the First American Luxury House
Tiffany & Co history, from the 1837 Manhattan founding to the Tiffany Setting, Schlumberger and Peretti, the Tiffany Diamond, and the 2021 LVMH acquisition.
Tolkien's Gemstones: The Stones of Middle-earth, and What They Meant
J. R. R. Tolkien took gems seriously. A close reading of the Silmarils, the Three Elven Rings, the Arkenstone, the Phial, and why the One Ring has no stone.
Viking Burial Jewellery: What the Graves Tell Us
What Viking grave goods reveal about jewellery, identity, and the afterlife economy, from the Oseberg ship burial to the Galloway Hoard and the Birka warrior.