In 1966
the Association made an application to the Earl Marshal and Hereditary
Marshal of England of a grant of Armorial bearings, based upon a
design prepared by H.Ellis Tomlonson, M.A. The application was accepted
and given below are details of the interpretation of the heraldic
form of the design. The right to a coat of arms conferred by a grant
of arms, made by the Kings of Arms uder the Royal Authority, is
a limited right, defined by the limitations in the patent, and not
a right which the granter can pass onto a third party.
The
cross is quartered red and blue like the associational Arms of the
Worship Company of Goldsmiths and the National Association of Goldsmiths.
In the middle is a gold jewelled book which represents the study
of gemmology and the examination work of the Association. Above
it is a top plan of a rose cut diamond inside a ring, suggesting
scrutiny of gems by magnification under the lens. The lozenges represent
an uncut octahedral, and the gemmed ring indicates the use of gems
in ornamentation. The colours of the shield are mainly the national
red, white and blue, whish also cover the main range of gems.
The lynx is renowned for his keenness of sight and perception, and in ancient times was credited with the faculty of seeing though opaque substances. He represents the lapidary and the student scrutinizing every aspect of gemmology. In his paws is one of the oldest heraldic emblems, an escarbuncle. This is said to represent a very brilliant jewel, usually a ruby the radiating arms suggesting the light it defuses. The seventeenth century heraldic encyclopaedist, Guillim, writes: “Stones precious are of that sort that we call in Latin ‘Gemmae’; which are the estimation either for that they are rarely to be gotten or for some vertue fancied to be in them or that they are such as mans eye is wonderfully delighted withal by reason of their pureness, and transparent substance,. Of which kind are the diamond, topaz, escarbuncle, emerald, ruby and such like… But all these several kinds, the escarbuncle is of most use in the Arms… This is called in Latin ‘Carnunculus’, which signifieth a little coal, because it sparkleth like fire casteth forth, as it were, fiery rays.”
He continues in an amusing postscript: “There is another kind if, but fiery carbuncle, which Chyrurgeons can best handle; one of those of the lapidaries is more to be desired then ten of the other.”
The escarbuncle is, as it were, heraldry’s special emblem of gemmology. It is often shown with the fleur-de-lis at the tips and the pommels round they rays in a different colour from the rays and the central jewel. Here, the tips and pommels are shown as jewels representing the respective colours of the spectrum, completed by pearl for the white light representing the fusion of the spectrum of colours. This a unique treatment of the escarbuncle, which with the lynx holding it carefully, represents the aims and activities of the Association.
The motto is taken from the first book of Chronicles, 29,2 ( I prepared all manner of precious stones).
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