Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time
Helen’s career has spanned the global gem and jewellery industry. For ten years she was a jewellery specialist for Sotheby’s and Christie’s in London and Geneva, where she handled sales of global importance, including the private jewellery collection of HRH The Princess Margaret in 2006.
Precious is a sweeping history of humanity’s love affair with jewels. As the V&A’s Senior Jewellery Curator, Helen takes you behind the curtain of what you see in a museum, illuminating the deeply human stories that lie behind them. Journey back through the generations of women who wore pearls as a signifier of femininity and marvel at the role these glistening objects have played in changing depictions of feminism – from Marie Antoinette to Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor to Coco Chanel.
