Why alternative engagement rings? An alternative engagement ring is any ring that steps away from the classic white diamond solitaire. That might mean a teal sapphire instead of a diamond, a pair of stones set side by side, a raw crystal, an antique cut, or simply a design that looks like nobody else’s. The white Read more…
Engraving is one of the oldest ways humans have marked precious metal, and for much of the twentieth century it looked like it might become one of the first to disappear. Machines took over lettering, mass production flattened ornament, and the handful of engravers left in the trade were often older craftspeople with few people Read more…
Valuing jewellery for probate: what HMRC actually asks for If you are dealing with someone’s estate, the jewellery is often the part that stalls you. Property has an agent. Bank accounts have statements. A drawer of rings and brooches has no obvious number attached to it — and the one document you can find, an Read more…
Oris vs. Longines vs. TAG Heuer: Which Mid-Tier Swiss Watch Brand Is Right for You? For watch enthusiasts stepping into the mid-tier luxury Swiss landscape, three names dominate the conversation: Oris, Longines, and TAG Heuer. Occupying the highly competitive price bracket between roughly £1,500 and £6,000+, these three manufacture timepieces that bridge the gap between Read more…
The Complete Guide to Lab-Grown Diamonds: History, Science, Value, and Grading Laboratory-grown diamonds have fundamentally transformed the luxury jewellery industry. Once restricted to industrial abrasives and niche physics laboratories, lab-grown diamonds now represent a major portion of centrerstones in modern engagement rings and fine jewellery collections. Chemically, physically, and optically identical to mined diamonds, lab-grown Read more…
There is a moment every jewellery owner dreads. The engagement ring that suddenly spins loose on a cold finger. The pearl necklace that snaps mid-clasp, scattering across the floor. The watch that was running perfectly on Friday and stone dead by Monday. Jewellery and watches are built to be worn, and wear takes its toll Read more…
Ring Resizing: The Complete Guide to Getting the Perfect Fit A ring that doesn’t fit properly is more than a minor annoyance. Too loose, and you risk losing a piece of jewellery that may carry enormous sentimental or financial value. Too tight, and it becomes uncomfortable to wear, difficult to remove, and in some cases Read more…
Jewellery Manufacturing in Switzerland: The Country’s Finest Jewellers, Ateliers and Makers Say “Swiss luxury” and most people think of watches. But look past the dials and complications, and you’ll find that Switzerland is also one of Europe’s great jewellery-making nations — a country of family-run goldsmith houses, world-leading gemmological science, discreet high jewellery maisons, and Read more…
The History of Fairtrade Gold: From a Colombian Rainforest to the World’s Jewellery Benches Gold has always carried stories. For most of history, the stories behind the metal itself — who dug it from the ground, under what conditions, and for what reward — went untold. Fairtrade gold was the first serious attempt to change Read more…
London has been a centre of the goldsmith’s craft for the better part of a thousand years. From the medieval workshops clustered around Cheapside to the glittering windows of New Bond Street, the city has always drawn the world’s finest gem dealers, designers and makers. Today, London’s jewellery scene is arguably richer and more varied Read more…