We present to you,in no particular order,the 10 jewellery based facts that we found most intriguing…
1) The word diamond comes from the Greek work ‘adamant’ – which means steadfast or invincible.
2)The tradition of borrowing expensive jewels from high end brands to wear to The Oscars began back in 1944 when actress Jennifer Jones borrowed pieces from Harry Winston’s.
3) Pure gold is always ‘yellow’. White, pink and other colour golds are created by adding different coloured metals to the blend.
4) The tradition of giving an engagement ring was first introduced in 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a gold ring set with a diamond as a token of his deep love.
5)In ancient times people believed that the third finger on the left hand had a special vein called Vena Amoris – or the vein of love – that ran straight to the heart. Hence the reason why in many countries today engagement and wedding rings are worn on this finger.
6)Most diamonds are between one and three million years old.
7) A necklace which measures between 28 and 36” is called ‘Opera Length’.
8)We all know that a pearl comes from an oyster but did you know that it is formed when a tiny bit of sand gets trapped inside the shell? As a defence, the oyster produces a “nacre” to coat the sand – layer after layer, and the longer a pearl stays inside an oyster the denser that nacre becomes.
9)Talking of pearls, only 1 in every 10,000 oysters produces one.
10)In ancient times opals were believed to be pieces of heaven that had fallen from the skies during heavy thunderstorms.