SJH News
In addition to our regular lecture programme we also run occasional special events.
For details of previous SJH events, click
here.
Private view - Peter Chang at Lyon and Turnbull
Lyon and Turnbull have generously invited SJH members to a special viewing and curator talk of the exhibition 'More is More: The Magical World of Peter Chang', a major exhibition exploring the work of Peter Chang, a visual artist and colourist whose distinctive practice defied conventional boundaries. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Estate of Peter Chang and Glasgow Life Museums. There will be a short talk to introduce the exhibition by Sarah Duncan, Head of Jewellery at Lyon & Turnbull, and Philip Smith, Head of Design at Lyon & Turnbull, who has curated the exhibition.
The private view will take place on Tuesday 15 September 2026, 5:30pm to 7:30pm, at 22 Connaught Street, London, W2 2AF. To apply for tickets, please email 'chang@societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk'
Museum of London and Cheapside Hoard
The Museum of London will re-open its doors in a new venue at Smithfield’s General Market on 28 November. This marks the museum’s 50th anniversary and a new chapter for the world’s largest city museum. The new free galleries will showcase iconic objects and never-before-seen items. The building itself, the Victorian General Market, had been out of public use for over 30 years. Now restored, it will be more than a museum, creating a social hub for the city – one that connects the museum’s rich collection with London’s vibrant communities.
The re-design includes the creation of a new Goldsmiths’ Gallery at the heart of one of the most significant new cultural venues in a generation. The Goldsmiths’ Gallery will house the Cheapside Hoard, alongside some historic treasures from the Goldsmiths' Company's collection, following a generous donation to the re-launch of the museum. A highlight of the museum’s collection, the Cheapside Hoard is one of the most extraordinary collections of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewellery ever discovered. The gallery will offer hundreds of thousands of new visitors each year a direct encounter with the craft and creativity that the Goldsmiths’ Company has championed since 1327.
A discussion with Claudette Joannis
This online discussion, proposed by The Association d'Histoire de la Bijouterie-Joaillerie, and kindly made available to SJH members, was scheduled to take place on Monday 29 June 2026 at 17:00 UK time. It has unfortunately now been cancelled
We will continue to let you know of AsHBJ activities.
SJH lectures online
The latest SJH lectures, Jewellery created by two modern sculptors, Alfred Gruber (1931-1972) and Jacqueline Stieger (b.1936), by Gerardine Mulcahy-Parker, and Heirlooms, antiques and relics: dress accessories in the Galloway Hoard by Mary Davis are now available online on the SJH website.
It is the intention of SJH to continue to make all SJH lectures available online in the future. Most lectures will continue to take place live at Burlington House, with simultaneous online access for members who cannot attend, but we hope also to provide some online-only lectures from speakers who cannot come to London.
For full details of the current and past lecture programmes, click here.
Richard Edgcumbe, FSA
For the third time this Spring, The Society of Jewellery Historians has to report with deep regret the death of a major figure among jewellery historians, Richard Edgcumbe, on 26 May 2026. Richard was a lifelong supporter and past President of SJH, and the senior jewellery curator at the V&A for many years. An obituary will be published in JHT.
The funeral service took place at Christ Church, 159 Highbury Grove, London, N5 1SA, at 2:30pm on Tuesday 23 June. The cremation took place the following day, with only family present. If anyone is wondering about sending flowers, the family would like to suggest that instead you might consider making a donation to Arts Emergency – an organisation that helps young people get a fair start in the arts and humanities.
Nigel Israel, FSA, FGA, DGA
The Society of Jewellery Historians records with great sadness the death of Nigel Israel on 10 May 2026. Nigel was a Gemmologist, Jeweller and Book Dealer, and former Chairman of SJH for a record number of years. An obituary will be published in JHT.
Pearls, paste and appearances: French imitation jewellery 1686-1791 - Laurence Gros
The Association d'Histoire de la Bijouterie-Joaillerie have kindly invited SJH members to livestream their forthcoming lecture on Friday 29 May 2026 at 17:00 UK time. In an area that is still little known, Laurence Gros' research sheds new light on the rise of imitation jewellery in 17th and 18th century France, in relation to the development of fashion, luxury goods, and the culture of display. The speaker will set out the areas covered, the major stages in her research and the methods used. The talk will be followed by discussion and questions. The evening will end at 6.45pm.
The talk and further discussion will be available on YouTube here (SJH members only).
Jewellery History Today
The current issue, JHT 56, was published in May 2026, with an all-new editorial team. It is now available on the website, together with earlier issues of JHT, and all articles published in Jewellery Studies here (members only). If you don't receive your copy by the end of May, please contact the Membership Secretary at membership@societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk.
If you would like to write an article for a future issue, please contact the editor at managingeditor@societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk.
Jewellery Studies
The latest JSO article, The Betrothal Gifts of Mary of Teck - Lea Felicitas Döding is now available without charge here.
All articles in previous issues of Jewellery Studies have been loaded onto the website, and are available free of charge to all members here. To access earlier articles online you will need your current member's password. If you do not have a password, or have forgotten it, please contact us at membership@societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk.
Pdfs of all articles, whether published originally in print or online, can be bought for £5 each by non-members here.
TREASURES: Crowns and Tiaras
The second International Colloquium in this series will take place at the Royal Treasure Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, on 13-14 November 2026.
SJH members have been offered a special discount of 15% on the full programme price, including two full days of presentations and discusion groups by leading experts, and Gala Dinner in the Royal Palace.
For full details of the Colloquium, associated events, and how to apply for tickets, click here.
Jewellery Studies Online Reviews
The latest JSO review, of 'Charles of Luxembourg and his Gemstones' - Ingrid Ciulisová by Julie Rohou is now available, together with all earlier reviews, without charge here.
BADA Friends talks 2026
BADA (British Antique Dealers’ Association) Friends charity will be holding two talks in 2026 of interest to SJH members, and have kindly offered to allow SJH members to attend for the BADA Friends price.
Author Victoria Shepherd gave a talk on 'Stony Jack & The Cheapside Hoard' at The Army & Navy Club, 36 Pall Mall, London SW1, on Wednesday 18 March 2026 at 2pm. For full details, click here.
Geoffrey Munn, OBE, MVO, FSA and SJH member will be in conversation with Mudlarker Dr Alessio Checonni, FSA about 'The Secrets of the Thames' at The Maas Gallery, 6 Duke Street, St James’s, London SW1 by kind permission of Rupert Maas, on Wednesday 24 June 2026 at 7pm (welcome drinks at 6.45pm). For full details, click here.
Call for papers - Jewellery, an art form with the body as subject (20th-21st Century)
This international, multidisciplinary study day aims to contribute to the creation of a global field of research in jewellery through the lens of its physical properties and the body, a field still under-researched in France.
It will take place on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at the Institut national de l'histoire de l'art (INHA), Galerie Colbert, 6 rue des Petits Champs, 75002 Paris, as part of the 5th 'Parcours bijoux' (Jewellery Trail) which will take place from 1-31 October 2026.
Organised by the Association d'un Bijou à l'Autre, the Parcours celebrates contemporary jewellery through exhibitions, lectures and publications.
Proposals - 300 words, with brief biography – to be sent by 19 December 2025 to
zo.kinerwolff@gmail.com
AND
sartoria.contact@gmail.com
Attributes of Medieval Saints
Dr Rob Webley, Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Archaeology at the Ritual Landscape project (MeRit) in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Reading, has completed a detailed iconography of medieval saints based on the 56 beads of the Langdale Rosary in the V&A (M.30-1934). With the design help of PAS volunteer, Rod Trevaskus, he has summarised this in an admirably clear and concise chart The Langdale Rosary which he is delighted to share freely.
Rob’s picture line-up is highly recommended to anyone who has ever struggled with the attributes and identification of Christian saints. For more information about the MeRit project, click here.
The Tudor Heart appeal
The British Museum has launched an appeal to acquire the spectacular enamelled gold jewel found by a metal detectorist in Warwickshire in December 2019 associated with Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. The Museum needed to raise £3.5m by April 2026 to secure this treasure for the nation, but the sum was achieved in February.
For full details, click here.
Accommodation in Paris: An Offer from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs has accomodation available free of charge for researchers working on projects relevant to the museum's collections.
For full details, click here
Ancient Egyptian gold: Maria Guerra
SJH members will remember Dr. Guerra's fascinating talk on 'Fresh scientific insights in ancient Egyptian gold technology' last September. We are very pleased to announce that the book has now been published by the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge, and is also available as a free download.
For full details of the book and the download link, please click here.
The Bead Study Trust
The Bead Study Trust was established in 1980 to continue the work of Horace C. Beck, pioneering researcher on ancient beads and ornaments. It was wound up in 2021 and its assets were donated to The Society of Jewellery Historians.
From 1983-2009, it published The Bead Study Trust Newsletter [ISSN 1463-9602], an international survey of research, events, exhibitions and recently published work about beads.
Digital copies of the Bead Study Trust Newsletters are now available on the SJH website to download without charge. To access these pdfs, click
here.
Inside the Jewel Vault with Dr Beatriz Chadour-Sampson
In the latest podcast on Jessica Cadzow Collins (SJH member)'s website, Beatriz Chadour (SJH Council member) talks about herself, her family and jewellery.
This is the latest in a series in which the great and the good of the jewellery world put six pieces from their lives and careers in jewellery into a fantasy Jewel Vault.
It is available to view here.
History Gems
In this podcast, author and Tudor historian Dr Nicola Tallis considers aspects of jewellery with other authors and braodcasters. Discussing intriguing stories such as a daring attempt to steal the Crown Jewels, the secrets behind a supposedly cursed diamond, and exploring the creation of the world’s most famous Easter eggs, this is a fascinating podcast for both history and jewellery lovers alike.
It is available to view here.
The Staffordshire Hoard. An Anglo-Saxon Treasure.
The Society of Antiquaries have made made the full 688-page technical report on the Staffordshire Hoard, published in 2019, available for open access.
To download the pdf, click here.
Diana Scarisbrick: 50 years of Jewelry Expertise
Les Enluminures, founded in Paris in 1991 by Dr. Sandra Hindman, is a centre for research and retail of exceptional rings and early manuscripts. They have kindly made available to SJH members their podcast Podcast - Episode 10: Diana Scarisbrick: 50 years of Jewelry Expertise, which is a fascinating conversation with jewellery historian Diana Scarisbrick in which she discusses the origins of her interest in jewellery.
Young Members
SJH are delighted to announce that we have introduced a new membership subscription rate for Young Members. Anyone aged 25 or under will be entitled to a reduced membership fee of only £20, which will include all the benefits of existing membership. Young Members must provide evidence of age status, such as a scan of a passport or driving licence, to the Membership Secretary when completing their application form. Unfortunately we cannot back-date reduced fees for any existing members who qualify, but they will be able to claim the reduced rate at their next renewal date.
To join now, as a Young Member, go to Join us.
Password for accessing members-only pages
Membership of SJH is calculated on a rolling basis. Whenever you join, you will receive a full 12 months of value. We change the passwords, which allow members to access all the pages on the site which are restricted to members, each year on 1 October, but your current password will remain valid until you are sent a new one. You can only reset your passwword yourself if you have a current one - if it is out of date we have to reset it manually here at SJH. There is no automatic re-setting facility by email. If you have any problems at all, or any questions about this, please contact us here, and we will sort it out as soon as possible.
You can download an application/renewal form at Membership application, or renew online at Join us.
EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
As many members will be aware, GDPR came into force on 25 May 2018. We emailed members to ask for their specific permission to continue to contact them in future, as we cannot do this, under the GDPR rules, without it. We will continue to send membership reminders and JHT to members who have not yet replied, but will not be able to send any other communications, such as invitations to special events. If you have not yet replied and wish to remain in contact please tell us NOW at membership@societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk.
Full details of what records we carry, and how we use them, are available here.
The SJH Library
The Society of Jewellery Historians has a small library of books on jewellery which is available to members at the Society of Antiquaries, in Burlington House. For full details, contact us here.