Jewelry Design

Drawn from the Museum’s collection of more than 100,000 minerals and gems, specimens in this hall are organized by mineral group, including diamond, sapphire and ruby, emerald and other beryls, opal, garnet, and many others. Rare and unusual gems, synthetic gemstones, and precious metals such as gold, platinum, and silver are also on display. Several exhibit cases feature decorative objects and jewelry spanning three millennia and various cultures.

The collection of almost two hundred pieces purchased by Calouste Gulbenkian directly from René Lalique, between 1899 and 1927, reveals the artist’s prodigious imagination and the collector’s tastes and personality. It provides an overview of Lalique’s work, with a particular focus on the Art Nouveau period when Gulbenkian acquired several of the brilliant creator’s most famous jewels.

The Diamond Museum Amsterdam was established in 2007 by Mr. Ben Meier (a diamond polisher) in an effort to educate the world about the fascinating and mystical world of diamonds.

Established in 1931, GIA is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls. A public benefit, nonprofit institute, GIA is the leading source of knowledge, standards, and education in gems and jewelry.

Gold, rock crystal and diamonds can be seen in the treasury of August the Strong which was built between 1723 and 1730. The Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault) on the ground floor of the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) allows visitors to explore the authentically restored rooms of the treasury, and the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault) shows selected exhibits.

Kings and queens of England have stored crowns, robes, and other items of their ceremonial regalia at the Tower of London for over 600 years. Since the 1600s, the coronation regalia itself, commonly known as the 'Crown Jewels' have been protected at the Tower.

The Metal Museum is the only institution in the United States devoted exclusively to the advancement of the art and craft of fine metalwork. This is achieved through exhibitions, collections, conservation, restoration and consulting services, classes, internship opportunities, artist residencies and apprenticeships, research and onsite fabrication of artwork and architectural elements.

This museum is the first in Italy and one of the few worldwide to be dedicated exclusively to jewellery and is located just inside the Palladian Basilica in Vicenza.

Some 2000 exhibits reveal the vast diversity of jewellery over five thousand years. The collection on permanent display focuses on treasures from Greco-Roman antiquity, the Renaissance and Jugendstil/Art Nouveau as well as contemporary art jewellery.

Dali Jewels presents the collection of thirty-nine jewels in gold and precious stones as well as twenty-seven drawings and paintings on paper that Salvador Dalí made for the jewels designs between 1941 and 1970.

The V&A has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of jewellery in the world. Over 3,000 jewels tell the story of jewellery in Europe from ancient times to the present day.

The World Jewellery Museum in Seoul, Korea was founded in 2004. It is one of the world’s few museums entirely devoted to jewellery and houses an internationally renowned collection of ancient, ethnic and contemporary pieces, spanning fifteen centuries.