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Some of the most influential women in the world of Haute joaillerie (fine jewellery) were the famous courtesans of Paris, the mistresses of the powerful in the early 20th century. It would be a misconception to perceive these women as just mistresses of the rich and famous of the time. In truth, many of them went on to influence fashion, jewellery, art and culture. They lived flamboyant and extravagant lifestyles for the time, but, most importantly, they empowered women on an unprecedented level. Two of these courtesans had a famous rivalry. Liane de Pougy and La Belle Otero were from very different backgrounds, but they both shared a desire to escape their origins. La Belle Otero became such an icon of the Belle Époque. Born in Spain in 1868 as…

The Hope Diamond is one of the most fascinating jewels in the world, with ownership records dating back almost four centuries, this piece of jewellery has an abundance of stories to tell. The diamond’s much sought-after rare blue colour is due to trace amounts of boron atoms, weighing at 45.52 carats, its remarkable size has led to new findings about the formation of gemstones. The diamond has been compared in size and shape to a pigeon egg or a walnut. With the colour being described as “fancy dark greyish-blue” as well as being “dark blue in color”] or having a “steely-blue” color. Despite this people often speak of the red glow the diamond emits. The jewel is believed to have originated in India, where the original stone was purchased in…

A pioneering figurehead of the 1960’s modernist movement, Charles de Temples is revered as one of the most influential designers in bringing in bold and abstract jewellery to the forefront of fashion. Charles de Temples was born in Mexico in 1929 and was brought up as part of a famous Ringling Brothers Circus, touring across America. He was the illegitimate son of American film actor and director Tom Mix. De Temple’s jewels were well known for being large, extravagant and sculptural statement pieces. This style led to high demand for his work in London during the ‘swinging’ sixties. This resulted in several notable high-profile commissions during the sixties. These included two one-off commissions for James Bond films: he made the Goldfinger that Honour Blackman wore at the 1962 Premiere of…