Ateliers

Luxury is made by hands, at benches, with tools that have changed little in generations. Our atelier pages go inside the goldsmith’s workshop, teach you to read the tiny hallmarks stamped on precious metal and explain what really happens when a watch goes in for a service.

Ateliers

Inside the goldsmith’s workshop

From sketch and wax model to casting, setting and polish: how a piece of fine jewellery is made, and what the numbers stamped on gold really mean.

5 min read

Ateliers

Hallmarks: how to read the tiny stamps on precious metal

The tiny stamps on silver and gold record who stood behind a piece, how pure it is, where it was tested and often when. Here is how to read them.

5 min read

Ateliers

At the watchmaker’s bench: what a service really involves

A mechanical watch needs a full service every few years. Here is what the watchmaker actually does, how a movement works and how to protect it in between.

5 min read

• JewelleryTiaras, pearls and signet rings: the pieces that carry a family’s history.
• WatchesComplications, etiquette and the long road from pocket to wrist.
• CoutureHaute couture, royal wedding dresses and the craft of bespoke tailoring.
• CollectiblesWatches, royal memorabilia and the paper trail that makes objects valuable.
• Luxury BrandsHeritage houses, royal warrants and the codes of quiet luxury.
• Royal FamiliesDynasties, coronations and the jewels that pass between generations.
• AuctionsHow sales work, record results and a calm checklist for bidders.
• ArtRoyal collections, attribution and how to start collecting.
• GemstonesThe 4Cs, the great coloured stones and the largest diamond ever found.