Mary Waterfall, Jewellery Specialist

According to Aboriginal legend a giant rainbow snake formed the main rivers throughout Australia when he slithered across the land in search of water. The water in Australia is said to be blessed by the Rainbow Serpent, as water is one of the necessities of life. Without the Great Artisian Basin, a body of water under the Australian Earth, opal would not have been formed. There are therefore great connections between the Rainbow Serpent and the opals of Australia.

Opals are truly mesmerizing treasures of the earth, the way their vibrant colours dance with the light. Australia has been the main producer of opals since the 19th century. Opal is a hardened silica gel composed of tiny silica spheres and the stunning iridescence seen in opal is caused by the way these little spheres interact and diffract light. The larger the spheres the greater the range of colours.
Many people believe opals to be unlucky because it is quite common for opal stones to fall out of their setting and be lost. However, this is not because of some great curse, it is due to the fact that opals are composed of 5-10% water and over time they can dry out and shrink and therefore become loose and fall out of jewellery settings.
The major mines in Australia can be found in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. When valuing and grading an opal it needs to be assessed under the correct light source. It needs to be examined holistically – face up but also underneath, if the setting allows, so that any defects, holes, and fractures can be taken into consideration. The following
factors determine the value: the opal type – i.e. solid black, grey, white, crystal type, The origin, body tone, play of colour, colour depth percentage, colour pattern, shape, cut, polish, weight, dimensions, visual inclusions,
condition, and provenance.
One of the most famous Australian opals is The Aurora Australis. It was discovered in 1938 in Lighting Ridge (NSW) in an old seabed. Its body colour is black which highlights the dramatic play of colour of intense blues, greens, and reds. It got its name because it resembled the brightness of the Southern Lights. It weighs 180cts and has been cut and polished into an oval shape. It is said to be worth an estimated $1,000,000 AUD.

Opal can also be found in other countries such as Ethiopia, USA and Mexico, however Australian opal is considered the finest.
As with most gemstones there are many synthetic opals and opals that have been artificially enhanced on the market. Slocum stone is a man-made glass that imitates the play of colour in opal. Gilson imitation opal has a very defined mosaic pattern which can be detected under magnification that is said to resemble chicken wire.
Black opal is the most highly prized and valuable, however before purchasing the consumer should be aware of treatments such as ‘smoking’. The opal is wrapped in paper and the paper is heated to a temperature that makes it smoulder. The smouldering paper then releases fine black particles of soot that enter the pores of the opal and darken its body colour.
The darker body colour contrasts with the opal’s play-of-colour, making it appear stronger and more obvious. Many Ethiopian opals are smoked and consequently are less valuable. The question is can you tell the difference?
“In precious opals there might be a dash of red here, a seductive swirl of blue there, and in the center, perhaps, a flirtatious glance of green. But each stone flickers with a unique fire and a good opal is one with an opinion of
its own.” Victoria Finlay

Mary Waterfall, Jewellery Specialist

David Morris is affectionately known as ‘The London Jeweller’. The prestigious shop in Bond Street continues to attract royalty and high end clientele with the spectacular creations that are intricately created there. Each piece is handcrafted to the highest standard in the workshop above the store. Although it is one of the last remaining jewellery workshops in Bond Street, it’s reputation continues to shine, putting British jewellery design firmly on the map of world class jewellers.
David Morris started his career as an apprentice in Hatton Garden at the age of 15. His love and natural creative flare for jewellery design led to the opening of his first shop in Hatton Garden in 1962. After winning The De Beers Diamond Awards two years in a row he started attracting real international acclaim. As the reputation and success of the David Morris brand grew, the company relocated to Mayfair in 1969 and then to it’s current home in Bond Street in 1996.
In amongst the glamour and the grandeur, the David Morris brand prides itself on being very much a family jewellers. In 2003 Jeremy Morris took over the helm of the company from his father as managing director and principal designer.
The company proudly states on their website: “A marriage of beauty and technology, in its approach to design and craftsmanship David Morris is as wonderfully unique as its collection of rare gemstones. Whether it is a piece from our beautiful fine jewellery collections or a bespoke creation, David Morris jewellery transcends generations, each design expressing ingenuity, creativity and unparalleled quality.”
Some of the unique creations include The Miss World Crown. It was originally commissioned by Eric Morely,  the founder of the Miss World Competition in 1969. He was inspired by the breath-taking sapphire and diamond tiara Morris had created in 1967 for the Countess Marie Kinsky of Austria on her wedding day, in her marriage to Crown Prince Hans Adam of Lichenstein. The stunning turquoise and diamond crown is still used in the competition today.

In 2012 the silver dragon on the bonnet of the vintage Aston Martin the Duke of Cambridge drove down the Mall on his wedding day was made by David Morris. Originally commissioned by the Queen for Prince Charles’s 21st birthday.

I recently had the privilege of valuing some David Morris pieces. Including these beautiful hoops from the Rose Collection. These exquisite rose cut diamond hoops are composed of four graduated rose cut diamonds, each within a brilliant cut diamond surround, with further scintillating micro set diamond detail to the inside of the hoop and clip. The total carat weight is approximately 3.40cts. These were originally purchased in 2008 for £12,500. The current retail price for these earrings is now £38,700. This example not only illustrates the strength and popularity of David Morris designs, it also highlights the importance of getting an updated jewellery valuation because prices and values can change dramatically over time. Doerr Valuations are delighted to be hosting a Wednesday Club event at David Morris on the 15th December. It will be a unique opportunity to see some of the stunning pieces in the current range and to find out more about the diamonds, gems and fascinating creative process from their experienced sales team. I for one cannot wait.

Mary Waterfall, Jewellery Specialist

He was known as ‘The King Of Diamonds’ and ‘The Jeweller to the Stars’. He inspired a legendary brand based on the philosophy that jewellery design should be dictated by the gemstones themselves and not their settings. He used to carry around in his pocket some of the rarest diamonds in the world, worth millions of dollars, just for the pleasure of having them close by.

He is famed for saying “I love the diamond business. It’s a Cinderella world. It has everything! People! Drama! Romance! Precious stones! Speculation! Excitement! What more could you want?”. Perhaps his most well know statement: “People will stare, make it worth their while”

Harry Winston worked at his fathers jewellery shop and developed a keen eye for jewellery and gems from an early age. There’s a story that when he was 12, he spotted a green stone at the local pawn brokers which was supposedly glass and cost him 25 cents. It turned out to be a 2ct emerald which Winston sold a couple of days later for $800!

In 1920 he launched his first business in New York, The Premier Diamond Company, and in 1932 he opened Harry Winston Inc. His insistence on excellence, attention to detail, passion, discretion and knowledge attracted a high profile clientele including royalty, movie stars and business moguls.

Winston was one of the first big brand jewellers to truly understand the power of celebrity marketing. In 1943 the actress Jennifer Jones was adorned with Harry Winston diamonds at the Academy Awards. Ann Bancroft seduced Dustin Hoffman in the movie The Graduate wearing Winston diamonds, and not much else. In the movie Gentlemen prefer Blonds Marilyn Monroe sings those famous lyrics “ Talk to me Harry Winston…” in the song Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend.

In 1968 he used publicity to his advantage once again when the 601ct Lesotho diamond was cleaved on live TV! It went on to be cut into eighteen magnificent diamonds including the 40.42ct marquise cut Lesotho III which Aristotle Onassis gave to Jacqueline Kennedy as an engagement ring.

Throughout his career it is estimated that Harry Winston owned more than a third of the worlds most famous diamonds. Perhaps the most well known being The Hope Diamond. This beautiful blue diamond weighing 45.52cts is seeped in history and believed to be cursed. It is said to have attributed to many misfortunes in the lives of its owners such as King Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette. Winston purchased it in 1949 as part of the Mclean Jewellery Estate. He held on to it for ten years and exhibited it around the US as part of his ‘Court of Jewels’. He went on to donate it to the Smithsonian museum where it resides today.

Many recognised his jewels but few recognised the man himself. He was very rarely photographed and many did not know his face until it was published next to his obituary in 1978. Discretion was paramount to this man and it is said he had a concealed private elevator in his office so he and his VIP clients could come and go without being noticed.

Harry’s legacy lives on in The House Of Winston as they continue to deal with legendary stones. In March 2021 to celebrate what would have been Harry’s 125th birthday,they unveiled the Winston Pink Legacy Diamond ring, a vivid pink diamond weighing 18.96cts. Nayla Hayek bought the diamond from Christies in 2018 for a record breaking $50 million. It now forms part of the Incredibles Collection.

Harry Winston continues to thrive as a leading brand in the world of luxury jewellers, with stores all over the world including New York, London, Tokyo and Paris.

The breath-taking gems and designs continue to attract the rich and famous.

These stunning Winston Cluster earrings, composed of high quality diamonds with the largest pear-shape weighing 0.75ct, currently retail for £53,000.

When was the last time you had your jewellery valued? Please ensure your documentation is up to date to avoid a shortfall in compensation in the event of loss.