Journal

Thoughts from the bench

Why I made a fish hook in solid silver - Virginia Allan

Why I made a fish hook in solid silver

The Stade is the shingle beach at the east end of Hastings where the fishing boats come in. It is the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe. The boats go...

Why I made a fish hook in solid silver

The Stade is the shingle beach at the east end of Hastings where the fishing boats come in. It is the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe. The boats go...

What Does 925 Mean on Jewellery? - Virginia Allan

What Does 925 Mean on Jewellery?

That 925 stamp on silver isn't a serial number or a brand. It tells you the metal is sterling silver, and here's how to read it, plus the difference between...

What Does 925 Mean on Jewellery?

That 925 stamp on silver isn't a serial number or a brand. It tells you the metal is sterling silver, and here's how to read it, plus the difference between...

Is Vermeil Real Gold? - Virginia Allan

Is Vermeil Real Gold?

Vermeil is real gold, but only a thin layer of it over silver. Here's what vermeil, plated and solid gold actually are, how they wear over time, and how to...

Is Vermeil Real Gold?

Vermeil is real gold, but only a thin layer of it over silver. Here's what vermeil, plated and solid gold actually are, how they wear over time, and how to...

The history of Men's Jewellery - Virginia Allan

The history of Men's Jewellery

When I started pulling the men's pieces together into their own collection, the first thing I had to push back on was the idea that men's jewellery has to be...

The history of Men's Jewellery

When I started pulling the men's pieces together into their own collection, the first thing I had to push back on was the idea that men's jewellery has to be...

Moonstone. The June birthstone, and a stone that holds light differently to anything else. - Virginia Allan

Moonstone. The June birthstone, and a stone tha...

Moonstone holds light rather than reflects it. Why June's birthstone is one of the strangest gems in the world, and why it suits silver more than almost any other stone.

Moonstone. The June birthstone, and a stone tha...

Moonstone holds light rather than reflects it. Why June's birthstone is one of the strangest gems in the world, and why it suits silver more than almost any other stone.

Ruby. The July birthstone, and the colour of a thousand years of English jewels. - Virginia Allan

Ruby. The July birthstone, and the colour of a ...

The July birthstone has been worn in England since the medieval period. Why ruby holds light differently to any other red stone, and why it suits silver more than you...

Ruby. The July birthstone, and the colour of a ...

The July birthstone has been worn in England since the medieval period. Why ruby holds light differently to any other red stone, and why it suits silver more than you...