Not simply the materials, or the facts of the design, or influences. Do you know who made it and where they trained? Do you know their name? Perhaps where the individual parts came from, or even why you selected the piece in the first place? What drove you to select the style, shape and material?

Jewellery is the thread that connects civilisations, from their beginnings through to their downfalls, and passed on to the next beginning.

In war, it is the first item seized; it is the last item sold when the finances are thin.

Crafted from the most valuable materials possessed by mankind, we use it to adorn our bodies, celebrate our lives and mourn our dead.

We wear it against our skin and pass it to our children, give it to those we love and take it from those we hate.

Jewellery can be addictive; the lure of value, the greed of possession and the beauty of ‘gem fever’.

Jewellery adorns our lives and death, and yet how often do we think about its influence?

Here, we will journey through the loupe to explore and understand the deep impacts and importance jewellery has on all of our lives.