28 November 2008

Midlands Branch, Eighteenth Century Jewellery: Buttons, Bows and Bones by John Benjamin

Earth Sciences Building, University of Birmingham - United Kingdom

John is an independent jewellery valuer, historian and author of ‘Starting to Collect Jewellery’ and co-author of ‘The Life and Work of H G Murphy’. In his talk, John will trace jewellery design from the grim iconography of  1700’s momento mori to neo-classicism and the era of sentimental jewellery in the 1800’s. Topics will include how diamonds and gems were cut and set, pastes, cut steel, Berlin ironwork, romanticism and much more.

Monthly meetings take place on Fridays in the Earth Sciences Building at the University of Birmingham, Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT. Tea and biscuits from 6:30pm and the meeting commences at 7:00pm. Admission fees are £4 per Gem-A member or guest and £3 for fully paid-up Gem-A students.