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.
