Most children understand the magic of the jewellery box. In fanciful games of pirates and treasure hunters, the imaginary booty is often composed of a parent’s necklaces and rings. They may be oversized on little necks and fingers, but children are quickly enthralled by the mystery and beauty of these sparkly precious objects.
While this is all a game of make-believe to most children, to gemologist Helen Molesworth, those games marked the start of an extraordinary journey and a lifelong career of seeking out treasure. As she recounts in her new book, Precious: The History and Mystery of Gems Across Time , one of Molesworth’s childhood encounters with the spellbinding power of gems saw her undertake a perilous climb up a garden wall to reach an amethyst, placed beyond her reach by a concerned adult. She never reached her precious treasure, as the wall tumbled on top of her, resulting in her first broken bone.
But Molesworth was not deterred and, as Precious goes on to recount, this was only the first of many hazardous and exhilarating encounters with gems. Most of us encounter precious gems in the most glamorous of settings. Rubies, emeralds and diamonds sit behind the polished glass windows of magnificent but intimidating jewellery stores.
When there is a royal wedding or great state occasion, royal watchers’ eyes widen as they eagerly identify which of the crown jewels or famous tiaras have made an appearance. But Molesworth’s relationship with these gems is far more.