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From Cleopatra to Elizabeth Taylor, women have found jewels irresistible

Helen Molesworth has produced a magnificent history of gemstones – their symbolism, provenance, and the legends surrounding the best ones

25 May 2024

9:00 AM

25 May 2024

9:00 AM

Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time Helen Molesworth

Doubleday, pp.336, 30

When workmen demolished an ancient building in Cheapside in 1912 they saw something glinting out of a broken wooden box. They had stumbled on what became known as the Cheapside Hoard – a collection of jewels dating from around 1600, its star, the Cheapside Emerald, a wonderful stone holding a miniature watch.

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