The Curator's Journal

An Overview of Belle Epoch Jewellery

            The Belle Epoch (Original French: “La Belle Époque”; English: “The Beautiful Era” or “The Beautiful Age”) was a historical period that stretched from the end of the Franco-Prussian war ...

An Overview of the Lost Wax Casting Process

Lost wax casting is a popular technique for producing intricate pieces of metal-based artwork. This method of metalworking has been around for thousands of years, with the oldest known items produc...

Origins of Ametrine, Part 2: The Legend of Bolivianite

There are a number of locations where ametrine has been known to occur naturally, but the stone is somewhat rare and there is only one place where a significant quantity of gem-grade ametrine can b...

Female Jewellery Designers who Pavéd the Way: Marianne Ostier (1902-1976)

Marianne Ostier. Image: Macklowe Gallery Already an accomplished painter and sculptor who attended the Vienna Academy of Arts and Crafts (now the University of Applied Arts Vienna), Marianne Ostier...

Female Jewellery Designers who Pavéd the Way: Charlotte Isabella Newman (1836-1920)

At a time when women were virtually unheard of in the jewellery design business, talented goldsmith Charlotte Newman was bravely stamping her trademark “Mrs. N” into her coveted designs that ranged...

Black History Month Spotlight: Ancient African Jewellery

As jewellery continues to evolve across cultures and generations, one thing remains a constant truth: it will always be an important part of society. In honour of Black History Month, we are excite...

Black History Month Spotlight: Mansa Musa

In celebration of Black History Month, Skyjems would like to introduce you to Mansa Musa, the richest man in the world! Even though he ruled the Mali Empire in the 14th century, Musa Keita I was  “...

Which Sapphire is Right for Me?

A Comprehensive Guide By Ella Masciulli     Blue Sapphire Blue is the most well-known and widely recognized variation of sapphire. After all, these gems are named after the Greek word sappheiros...

The Colours of Garnet, Part 5: Hybrid Garnets

By Yaĝé Enigmus   Due to the high degree of similarity between the chemical structures of various garnet minerals, there exist garnet gemstones which owe their beauty to a mixing of different garn...

The Colours of Garnet, Part 4: Andradite Garnet

By Yaĝé Enigmus   The final member of the ugrandite garnet series is the mineral andradite garnet. One of  the most valuable gem garnet species, andradite garnet is prized among mineral collectors ...