Those fortunate enough to be born in the month of July have ruby as their birthstone. The red form of corundum, ruby’s name comes from the Latin ruber meaning red. The ancient Indians called ruby ratnaraja, ‘king of the gemstones’, for its rarity,...
Opal is the October birthstone and is the focus of the next article in our series looking at birthstones for each month. Opals have a long history and at various times have been considered to bring both good and bad luck. From making a person invisible to having...
Sapphire is September’s birthstone and is the first focus of our new series of blogs looking at the birthstones for each month of the year. Despite its most common incarnation as a blue stone, sapphire can actually be found in a variety of colours – except for...
It is fitting that peridot is the birthstone for August, the sunniest month of the year, as the ancient Egyptians called peridots “the gems of the sun” and believed that they fell from the sky, but that is not the only reason that peridot is out of this world. Ancient...
The 18th Century As the century turned neoclassicism was at its height. Napoleon became an emperor, while the Prince of Wales married but continued to philander and run up huge debts. Both sides of the channel were a riot of pomp and splendour with glittering...
The Rise of Neoclassicism By the mid 17th century, the flamboyant rococo style was at its peak, with ladies towering hair and huge skirts were festooned in glittering gem encrusted flowers, scrolls, and feathers. However, the frivolities were soon to come to an end....
