Jewellery, Empire and the Art of Reinterpretation
Fri, Oct 23
|Richmond Library Annexe, online & replay
From medieval Europe to the nineteenth-century imperial world, discover how gemstones were traded, transformed and reimagined across cultures—and what their changing forms reveal about beauty, power and possession.
Time & Location
Oct 23, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Richmond Library Annexe, online & replay, Quadrant Rd, Richmond TW9 1DH, UK
About the Event
(Image shown: crop of the Cross of Lothair at Aachen, with the ancient Roman cameo of Augustus which will be discussed in this talk)
What happens to a gemstone when it crosses cultures?
An ancient engraving might become part of a medieval Christian treasure; a stone prized in one court might be reshaped for another.
Moving from medieval Europe through the exchange of precious materials between the Americas, Europe and Asia to the imperial collections of the nineteenth century, this lecture explores the second lives of jewels.
Some retain traces of earlier owners and makers; others are transformed so completely that their past must be pieced together from records and images. Their changing forms reveal how people have understood beauty, authority and possession across time.
delivered by Private Jeweller and Fine Art Consultant Sonja Polimac
Tickets
RSVP
£16.00
+£0.40 ticket service fee
Creditor
This ticket is for people who have credit with Art Historical London because they have paid in advance via bank transfer or gift voucher.
£0.00
Total
£0.00