Meet Helen Molesworth

Jewels and gemstones are among the most coveted treasures on the planet. In her new book, Precious, gemologist Helen Molesworth reveals the remarkable stories of ten precious stones from their origins to the sale room, providing a sparkling new way of exploring the history of humanity.

Helen studied Classics at Oxford before working as a jewellery specialist at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s in London and Geneva. With expertise spanning the science of gems as well as the history of jewellery, you’re liable to find her down a mine, in a lab or among the displays of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where she serves as senior jewellery curator.

It’s really interesting. It’s one of those things where – at this point in time – I’m so glad I’ve done it, it’s strange to look back on it! I think I’ve always wanted to write a book, but was too scared to admit it. How it started was lockdown. I accidentally got stuck at my parents’ in Somerset. It turned out to be the best thing ever. I basically had nothing but a pair of knickers and a computer! I had the best three months I could remember. It was summer, there was a big garden, I cycled around the seaside and countryside on an old, knackered bicycle and I got time with my parents. 

Most of our lives stopped. I’d been running Gübelin Academy and teaching coloured gemstones, and that got shut down with Covid. I remember thinking at this point I didn’t know what I was going to do next. I said to my father, “Honestly, I think I’m going to write a book.” I’d never dared articulate it. And he doesn’t talk very much, so I started looking at my phone. And on my email was a random message from a literary agent saying, “I’ve seen you online and I think you ought to write a book.”

No one had really done the history of gemstones before. You’re either a jewellery historian – so an art historian – or you’re a gemologist – so a scientist that analyses the gemstones. Nobody that I know of is really the two. But I’ve always loved the mixture of the stories and the science, and to be honest I’d spent my whole life chasing gemstones – I’ve been to the mines, I’ve read the ancient texts and I’ve handled the jewels. So the content was quite easy in that sense. It’s very important to have a physical understanding of the materials, which is why I quite like being a scientist. But from an art history perspective, you also need to understand the context of these objects. Because I’ve handled so many of them, it’s given me a real insight into that big picture. I did quite a lot of research to build those stories out, but there was a lot already there. And the bit I found easiest was writing the personal stories.

Initially we had nine stones, and I said, “You know what, we’ve got to add in jade.” I worked in Hong Kong and China on and off for eight years, and it’s a stone that really rounds out the book, because otherwise it was very Westernised, so it was very important for me to have that extra stone.

Well, it was ten when we discussed the structure of the book and deadlines were very tight – and then they got brought forward! But I think it was a pity in a way I didn’t have room for opals. They might have been quite fun. There’s a lot of scientific discoveries, different types of opals and lots of superstitions. But it was easy in the sense that these were all the highest value gemstones – I just picked the expensive ones!

Spinel’s quite unusual for most, but the value’s there. Spinels were royal jewels for 500 years in the Middle East.

If I’m absolutely honest, I’m scientific by nature. I’m quite a rational person, I think very logically and I like proof of what exists in the world. So I will look at a stone and say, “Well, it’s made of these materials with these optical properties and physical properties that we can prove.” 

Years ago I might have said it was rubbish – but I wouldn’t now, because I have a huge respect for how people use them to give power and strength to themselves. Whether a stone has a physical magical power or not, it can still apply power to a person if they choose to believe it. So that’s actually quite valuable! And having said that, I’ve had several personal experiences where I’ve had been hugely physically affected by a jewel or a stone. Like the Wittelsbach – the blue coloured diamond – where I genuinely felt the stone took a little bit of weight from me, like it had ripped a bit of my soul out!

Or I bought an opal ring once at auction and put it on and said, “Oh I don’t feel right.” My mum said, “Give it to me, I’ll wear it and give it some good juju for you. I’ll make you feel good about it!” She wore it for an hour, gave it back to me and I wear it all the time now. That’s clearly not because I think she took away something – it’s because I now have a happy memory of my mother wearing it. So you see, because of that belief something bigger has come out of it. And that’s why I think these things have all got space in the world of gems.

I obviously love jewellery and I do collect it. But the reality is I’m on the go all the time, so I have a diamond ring that I bought myself that I love, my Cartier infinity ring, my signet ring that my parents gave to me, a little pendant and a couple of bracelets.   

The bracelet I do wear now that’s interesting is a tsavorite garnet bracelet – that’s the green garnet that comes out of East Africa that was discovered in the 1960s. I found a couple of these at a gem fair in Alsace a few years ago. My mother and I were both born in Kenya, and she loves Kenyan things. So I bought two garnet bracelets and we both wear them.

Now my big go-to is I will not go anywhere without my pair of diamond earrings. They’re my favourite ones in the world. I bought them myself at a show, they’re big and blingy, and I love them. Every woman should have a pair of diamond earrings.

It’s been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks I must admit. It’s been fantastic. We had the launch week before last, which was amazing. I think it’s the first party I ever organised where I had fun. You know, when you organise parties you always think of everyone else. I always want to make sure everyone else is having a good time. At this point, I think I just put my shoulders back and went, “Well, it’s done now. I’m going to have fun at the V&A.” Then I did a lecture at the museum last week for 300 patrons and members, and it was sold out. So the three events I’ve done so far, the books have sold out every single time. I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve tried not to have too high hopes, because you just don’t know. But it’s just been fun!

No! I must see if I can do that. That’s a really good idea!