The Cheapside Hoard: London's lost jewels.

Last week I had a totally indulgent jewellery day out in London. Firstly I hopped off the tube at St Paul's and visited the Museum of London to see The Cheapside Hoard: London's lost Jewels. It took my breath away.

The Cheapside Hoard, was dug up in 1912 when a building was demolished in the City of London's Cheapside. The demolition brought to light ancient cellars and it was here that the biggest hoard of priceless jewels from the late 16th early 17th was found caked in mud. The treasures give us the most in depth knowledge of Elizabethan and Jacobean craftsmanship. 

Gold and garnet ring

You enter the darkened exhibition through a vault type turn style. There are burly security guards, and the jewels are so valuable you can't even take a jacket or a handbag in with you. Once inside you are invited to borrow a huge magnifying glass so you can study the amazing details of the precious items on display. They are numerous and stunning.

Long enameled and jeweled chains

I loved the chains, not only for their amazing detail, but also because they were incredibly long, and must have looked utterly stunning when worn.

As well as the amazing jewels themselves, the exhibition tells us about London in the time they were buried, the history of the London Goldsmiths, and it speculates on how the jewels could have come to be lost.

Tiny jeweled scent bottle

You can see a Goldsmith's workshop from the time the jewels were made, and it is amazing to think that the tools that I use today, are the same as those that were used to make the things on display.

If you rush, you can still catch this exhibition that is on until the 27th of April 2014. I would really recommend it to fans of all things sparkly!

(Note: I struggled with images as you are not allowed to photograph the exhibition. All photos used here are credited to the Museum of London website. Obviously it is very important to me not to infringe on copyright and I hope that using this images in this way does not do so. I suggest Googling images of the Cheapside Hoard as they are numerous and spectacular. You can also buy a book of the exhibition.)