Current Lecture Programme
Tuesdays at 6:00pm. Members and Guests.
Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly W1J 0BE
All lectures from March - June 2020 were postponed due to the corona virus lockdown. From September 2020 - June 2021 lectures were resumed but were only available live online via zoom, and posted subsequently on the SJH website for members unable to view on the night.
Since September 2021 we have resumed live lectures at Burlington House, which can be viewed online simultaneously. We aim to add as many lectures as possible to the website, but some lectures will not be available after delivery because of copyright restrictions on images or because they contain fresh and evolving research which lecturers are sharing at an early stage. We will let you know here when this is the case. All members are sent an email with details of how to login in advance of each lecture. Please let the Membership Secretary know if you would like to be added to the list at membership@societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk.
If you missed a lecture, you can access past lectures here (members only).
Lectures are restricted to members and their guests. It is not normally necessary to inform the Society that you will be atttending, but if attendance is expected to be exceptionally high the Society will inform members well in advance if booking a seat is a requirement of attendance at a particular lecture.
If you are not a member, and would like to attend a lecture as a guest of the Society, click here to send your name, contact details, and the subject of the lecture you would like to attend. We will confirm your attendance by email. The Society welcomes new members. If you are interested in joining the Society further details can be given to you when you attend the lecture.
2026
22 September
Barbara Armbruster
Secrets of the Iron Age Celtic goldsmith
Goldwork was an important medium of social and symbolic expression as well as a means of cultural exchange during the Iron Age in Central and Western Europe, a period particularly rich in golden prestige items. Their style, shape and decoration, iconographic repertoire, artwork and sophisticated manufacturing techniques were studied within the scope of two international research projects: West Hallstatt Gold and Celtic Gold, whose outcomes will be presented by case studies. The study of the technological aspects of Iron Age goldwork requires an interdisciplinary approach crossing information from archaeology, art history, technology, archaeometry, experimental archaeology and Celtic art.
27 October
Dr. Annemarie Jordan Gschwend
La Peregrina: A royal pearl (worn by Philip II of Spain & other Spanish royals and Elizabeth Taylor)
The Peregrina pearl is one of history’s most celebrated natural jewels, yet its true story has long been obscured by myth, fictitious stories and fake news. This lecture traces the pearl’s extraordinary journey from its sixteenth-century discovery in the Gulf of Panama to its passage through royal courts, political upheavals, and twentieth-century celebrity culture. Drawing on years of original archival research across Europe and the United States, I reconstruct the Peregrina’s documented movements, ownership, and symbolic meanings. This definitive study separates legend from evidence, revealing how a single pearl became a global historical actor and an enduring emblem of power, beauty, and obsession
For more information about the pearl, click here.
24 November
John Moore
Adventures in Wearable Objects
Two-time winner of the Goldsmiths’ Company Award, jewellery artist John Moore is renowned for his bold, theatrical creations, distinctive aesthetic, and multidisciplinary approach. Drawing inspiration from both natural and manmade architecture, he works across a wide range of materials with a language of form that speaks, without words, of love and spiritual connection. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in several public collections. He is represented by Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery, London. In this talk, John will explore a selection of key projects, offering insight into his creative process, sources of inspiration, and willingness to take risks. He will reflect on the pivotal works and moments that have shaped his artistic evolution, and consider the deeper meaning behind his practice
2027
26 January
Mary Cahill
Looking at Early Bronze Age lunulae – lines, lozenges and zigzags
In this lecture, it is suggested that the crescentic gold collars of the Early Bronze Age found in Ireland, Britain and the near Continent, known as lunulae, represent the solar boat that guided the sun on its journey through the underworld to reach the safety of a new dawn, thereby ensuring the survival of the earth and the fertility of people, animals and plants. Throughout prehistory the sun represented both bounty and threat, life and death, and its benevolence had to be propitiated and its dangers averted. In this talk we explore possible interpretations of both the form and the decoration of these early emblematic gold ornaments.
23 February
Rachel King
Tudor Heart pendant
27 April
Anniversary conference at Goldsmiths Hall
25 May
22 June
This lecture will not be recorded for subsequent viewing
Céline Gaslain-Leduc
Hittite Jewellery (1650-1190 B.C.E.): Iconography, Typology and Techniques
This lecture will investigate Hittite jewellery dating from the latter half of the 2nd millennium BC, beginning with a review of representations on monumental bas-reliefs and decorative motifs engraved on precious metal vessels, most often recovered from archaeological contexts in ancient Anatolia. These images enable an understanding of the typology and use of adornments, including items such as necklaces, pendants, and bracelets. The discussion will encompass sophisticated techniques, such as granulation and filigree, and will tackle the complex question of centres of production, as well as reciprocal influences with nearby polities, thereby mapping out cultural and economic trade with Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Aegean cultural spheres.
28 September
This lecture will not be recorded for subsequent viewing
Stella Grace Lyons
The Secret Language of Jewellery in Art
26 October
October Michelle Romero Maksimenko
Great London Jewellers’ Hidden Supplier: The Godman & Rabey Design Books at the V&A Archive of Art & Design
23 November
Links to previous Lecture Programmes
2026 |
2025 |
2024 |
2023 |
2022
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
2009
2005-2008 |
2000-2004 |
1995-1999 |
1990-1994 |
1985-1989 |
1980-1984 |
1977-1980