Members in New York City were invited to The Met retrospective Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co, guided by exhibition curator Medill Higgins Harvey. Spanning designs hailing from Greek, Roman, Japanese and Islamic periods and origins, this extraordinary collection reveals untold insight into Moore’s genius, as a silversmith in his own right and as the creative eye of one of the most respected jewelry and design houses. We were wowed by the intricate work of the Bryant Vase, Swan Centerpiece, Goelet Cup – Schooner Prize and the magnificent The Magnolia Vase. We spent the morning with Miriam Ellner, learning about rare and precious crafts of Verre Eglomisé. It is the unique process of gliding precious metals on the reverse side of glass, etching in a design before setting it off with color – an art form with origins dating back to the 15th century. Miriam has been specializing in this practice since the 1990’s, drawing inspiration from her background in dance and whatever piques her curiosity. We toured her beautiful studio, full of towering works and tiny details
In London, we had a double feature of storytelling and jewels. Helen Molesworth, renowned jewelry historian, gemologist, and Senior Jewellery Curator at @vamuseum, opened our private reading from her debut book, Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time. It set the stage for a dazzling evening of gemstone lore and storytelling here in London. Sarah Duncan GG, Head of Jewelry at Lyon & Turnbull London, led a thoughtful interview with Helen and let us try on the exquisite pieces from their Jewelry Sale. During another outing, one of our members perfectly put it, “We learned an important life lesson.” On a beautiful afternoon in London, we gathered for a pearl stringing workshop with the talented Anja Moehler of String My Pearls. Known as one of the most skilled pearl stringers in the city and a truly wonderful teacher, Anja guided us through the art of pearl threading. We each left with a lovely pearl necklace, a new life skill to use on the pearls that cross our paths, and a true gem of a day.
Gem X Book Club: The Stone Witch of Florence
We had an amazing turnout for both of our sessions of the latest book club, The Stone Witch of Florence by Anna Rasche.
“The year is 1348, set against the backdrop of the Black Plague ravaging Italy, Anna Rasche tells the tale of Ginevra di Gasparo, a healer with the unique gift of harnessing the hidden powers of gemstones to cure the sick, for which she was condemned as a witch and banished to exile. Ginevra however is now begged to return by the same men who cast her out – she obliges, assuming the city’s leaders will now accept her unorthodox cures as sickness tears through the land. But upon arrival, she is tasked with using her collection of jewels to track down a ruthless thief who is ransacking Florence’s churches for priceless relics; the city’s only hope for protection. Ginevra soon realises she is a mere pawn in a much larger, more dangerous scheme, revealing a tale of magic, mystery, high stakes and the true price of precious jewels.”
Thank to everyone who joined us and we look forward to seeing you for the next book club!
Order the book here
We are thrilled to welcome our new members this month.
Dina P. NYC, New York | Whitney B. NYC, New York
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The King of Diamonds, a name that echoes through the halls of jewelling history with unrivaled gravity, integrity and poise is only that of Harry Winston. Widely considered one of the most esteemed names in jewelry – and a true success story of the 20th Century American Dream. We had a fascinating insight into the house of Winston is luxury consultant Angela Hedges and Gem X founder Lin Jamison. Angela joined Harry Winston in 2006, where over the next sixteen years, she pioneered digitizing the House’s historical archives and curated their estate jewelry museum collection.
HARRY WINSTON: IN PURSUIT OF THE PERFECT JEWEL
In 1961, the landmark ‘International Exhibition of Modern Jewelry 1890-1961’ at Goldsmiths’ Hall initiated the modern jewelry collection at the Hall and at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The exhibition was a revelation of the potential of the craft and through it, a new respect was gained for jewelry making as a form of art. In this throwback, we sat down for this special conversation in which Joanna Hardy F.G.A., D.G.A., F.R.S.A, jewelry historian, author and regular jewelry specialist on the BBC Antiques Roadshow, spoke with Dr. Dora Thornton, curator of the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Collection, about the landmark exhibition of 1890-1961
GEMFLIX X GOLDSMITHS’ FAIR: THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF MODERN JEWELRY, 1890-1961
NYC | Sunday 10th November
SINGULAR CREATIONS – TW MCCLELLAND AT TAMSEN Z GALLERY Singular creations that explore the beauty of artistic jewelry is Tim McClelland’s specialism; an artistic direction that balance the discipline and poise of goldsmithing and metal with the elegance and grace of considered aesthetics. Join NYC Core and fellow members for an exclusive viewing of this solo exhibition, which includes a span of Tim’s collections and work, focusing on his ancient and traditional metalworking techniques, underscored with beautiful stones and deeply romantic aesthetic. RSVP HERE
London | Tuesday 12th November
THE CRAFT COUNCIL’S JEWELRY COLLECTION Craft regarded as personal expression is a sentiment that underpins all jewel creations – a celebration of skill, imagination and creativity – and something we hold dear here at Gem X. Join London Core and fellow members for an evening social and exclusive tour of craft-driven jewels handpicked from the Primary Collection. We’ll also have the rare opportunity to try on works from the Council’s newly launched Collections Store. RSVP HERE
Gemflix | Wednesday 13th November
NO STONE UNTURNED: THE HUNT FOR AFRICAN GEMS Gemologist and journalist Richa Goyal Sikri’s debut book No Stone Unturned: The Hunt for African Gems is a thrilling read of travel and gem discovery. Spanning the last 60 years, these tales recounted by captivating personalities from the gem trade capture the fast-paced and dramatic nature of the business, as well as historical moments related to notable gem deposits in Africa. We are delighted to host Richa for a second time on Gemflix, for a conversation on the journey in writing her book and hearing first-hand, the adventures pursued along the way. RSVP HERE
NYC | Saturday 16th November
BEYOND SIGHT – JOY BC AT LES ENLUMINURES New York-based gallery Les Enluminures is host to a fascinating new exhibition, Beyond Sight, that explores the nuances of touch and the haptic interpretation of classical art within medieval and renaissance culture, in partnership with jeweler Joy Bonfield-Colombara. Join Joy along with NYC Core member Levi Higgs and Les Enluminures director Tomas Borchert and Dr Hindman for a talk about this exceptional exhibition. RSVP HERE
London | Tuesday 19th November
TRADITIONAL EUROPEAN JEWELRY AT THE V&A Join us for an intimate tour led by museum Curator Jane Perry, who has meticulously catalogued and studied this extraordinary collection, with pieces representing countries that span from Iceland to Cyprus. This rich and diverse collection features truly spectacular jewels, such as gilded Norwegian wedding crowns, extravagant golden crosses from Normandy, ornate earrings from Spain and Italy, and striking filigree clasps from the Balkans. RSVP HERE