JEWELLERS

The origins of jewellery as an industry can be traced to about 1660. Charles II brought back fancy necklaces, buttons and shoe buckles on his return from exile in France, and these began to be copied by British craftsmen. With the rise of an affluent middle class, demand for jewellery continued to grow throughout the 18th century. The Victorian period brought a huge proliferation in styles, products and techniques.

While ‘proper’ jewellers worked with precious stones, jewellery production involved many different trades and skills. Workers would specialise, for example as diamond cutters, stone setters, engravers or polishers; others worked as goldsmiths and silversmiths. One craftsman would seldom work on a piece from