Taylor, Burton & Cullinan is not the name of a prestigious law firm

God I miss my jewelry!

I left everything behind in a five foot tall highly secure former JP Morgan combination safe in a building guarded 24 hours a day by armed security guards. Seriously. But still saying au revoir was hard because ...

I love, love, love jewelry and had amassed quite a collection of fine and costume jewelry over the years, the majority of which were either vintage, antique or one of a kind. The only piece I brought with me to Joburg is my wedding band, an (insured) Cartier tricolor rolling ring. I would cry of course if my sentimental 33 year old wedding band was stolen here in Africa, but it could technically be replaced and re-inscribed.

Biblical widow's mite coins!

Not true for most of my other jewelry. I collected antique jewelry from the Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods with emeralds, diamonds, rubies, sapphires or garnets, vintage jewelry from the rest of the twentieth century, and one of a kind contemporary pieces like a strand of black diamonds with a pink sapphire clasp (sigh.)

I have even older pieces like my biblical era earrings made from the two bronze widow's mite coins which I brought back from Israel and a souvenir pair of earrings made from two silver coins stamped during the Moorish occupation of Macedonia. And ones with ancient Greek and Roman coins too!

cleavage and antique diamonds at a wedding!

I have a large collection of Victorian Scottish agate jewelry and more collections of antique jewelry made from either ivory, amber, tortoise shell, jet, jade, or coral. Black pearls, pink pearls, champagne pearls and pearly white pearls.

Several charm bracelets, one chock-a-block full of charms picked up from my travels; one with summertime charms of sailboats, Nantucket baskets, tennis rackets, signal flags and whales; and one with gardening charms such as a watering can and a little lawnmower with movable wheels. Another charm bracelet has miniature carnelian fobs from Scotland, Ireland and England that I like to wear with one of my fob necklaces.  Another is a Tiffany birthday charm bracelet with engraved disks to commemorate milestone birthdays. I have a charm bracelet with a winter wonderland theme charms such as skis and skates and snowflakes. And one with a collection of vintage charms which move or open. My favorite vintage charm is a prohibition-era gold martini shaker which opens to reveal a red devil who pops out like a jack-in-the-box!  Most of my vintage charms were Mother's Day presents hand-chosen by my two sons and I would be heart-broken indeed if they were stolen. 

Scottish agate & fob collections

I collected intricately carved Tyrolean alpine jewelry made from old horn and antler, Italian intaglios and cameos and all manner of nautical-inspired jewelry, some carved from old whalebone and walrus tusk, mother of pearl and shell, and reverse painted glass. I collected lockets made of gold, ivory and jet. In them I have locks of hair and photographs of my husband, my mother and my children. Irreplaceable!

Jewelry with dogs especially doxies, spaniels and scotties as well as horse and hunt-inspired broaches and pins. And I loved to collect French paste and cut steel jewelry and Czech rhinestone jewelry too. All collected over a lifetime and all irreplaceable. Even if the insurance company would cough up the money to replace them, I could never replicate the sentiment nor duplicate the craftsmanship with modern jewelry.

So the thought of my jewelry being stolen in South Africa and melted down or broken up for parts was enough to deter me from bringing anything with me. But it doesn't mean I can't miss it. Every day.

some of my tribal jewelry on my baobab jewelry tree

I didn't just collect jewelry; I wore it too! To the market and on special occasions. Well-worn and well-loved! I feel naked without my jewelry. Even heaped high with tribal bead necklaces and elephant hair bracelets.

The only jewelry I am wearing these days are the pieces I am buying in South Africa. This way if something gets stolen then at least it started here so it might as well end here. :( I will try not to get too sentimental or attached to anything but it'll be hard. Jewelry and I have had a long and very satisfying love affair!

at Christie's to see Liz's jewels

Being a lover of jewelry I am also an admirer of the artistry behind the jewelry. I have always gone to museums - wherever and whenever - exhibiting collections made by famous jewelers such as Van Cleef and Arpel, Cartier, Faberge or the Parisian Jar. And ogled the crown and state jewels in the Tower of London, the Kremlin and the other Treasuries of Europe. And I especially loved to go to the auction houses in NY and London showcasing the collections of the great jewelry Grandes Dames such as Princess Grace, Jackie O, the Duchess of Windsor and of course, the grandest and damdest Dame of them all, Dame Liz! You can really see their personalities shine through the jewelry they bought and wore.

now that's cleavage and diamonds!

So I felt like I was visiting an old friend when we toured the Cullinan Diamond Mine where Liz's famed Taylor-Burton diamond and many of the crown jewels of Europe were mined. Diamond mining in South Africa began in 1866 when the first diamond was found in Cullinan. Still fully operational, majority ownership in the Cullinan Diamond Mine was sold by De Beers in 2008 to Petra Diamonds who have since doubled its ownership percentage.

Along with the Taylor-Burton Diamond, Cullinan was also famous for being the producer of the largest rough cut diamond in the world, the 3106 karat Cullinan Diamond found in 1905. That record remains to this day!

replica of the Cullinan Diamond and divided cuts

The Cullinan Diamond was divided into two large diamonds and several "smaller" ones, including the 530 karat Greater Star of Africa and the 317 karat Lesser Star of Africa. Both these diamonds were given to King Edward VII and are now found in the scepter and crown of the British Crown Jewels and housed in the Tower of London.

overlooking the Big Hole @ Cullinan

In 2009, Cullinan Diamond Mine was the site of another great discovery, a 26 karat flawless blue diamond. Sold to an American collector for $9.7 million, the buyer also purchased the right to name the diamond. He named it the Star of Josephine after his wife.


There was a second blue diamond, 25.5 karats, found recently at Cullinan which is estimated to sell for more than $10 million when it is auctioned off this year. I had been thinking I wanted an understated and inconspicuous black diamond ring for my anniversary present in September, but now I have changed my mind. The Star of Darlene has a nice ring to it. Pun intended.