McGowans Jewellers has a history of over 123 years, and over the decades since we were established in 1895, we have come to appreciate the fine art of jewellery design. Although trends and styles have changed throughout the years, one thing has always remained – quality and our approach to excellence.
This weekend in our home country of Scotland, we celebrate the opening of the Victoria & Albert museum in Dundee. The V&A currently has one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of jewellery in the world. Over 3000 jewels tell the story of jewellery throughout Europe, from ancient times to the present day – a fantastic collection which far out shadows our history and most modern-day jewellers!
From the very first stages of jewellery in prehistoric times, when in early dates it was worn as protection or a symbol of status, to contemporary jewellery that has adorned royal families all over the world, the V&A jewellery collection truly takes you on a captivating journey through the ages.
The V&A in London is currently host to iconic jewels including a gold Celtic breastplate, jewelled pendants given by Elizabeth I to her courtiers, diamonds worn by Catherine the Great of Russia, jewellery by the art-nouveau designer Réné Lalique, diamond tiaras by Cartier, emeralds gifted by Napoleon to his adopted daughter, and contemporary works by Wendy Ramshaw, Peter Chang and Marjorie Schick. We are sure you will agree it is a very impressive collection and we look forward to discovering the equally exquisite jewels featured in the new V&A Dundee Museum.
Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said: “V&A Dundee brings something new to Scotland. It is the country’s first museum dedicated to design, which visitors will be able to experience and get involved with in very many ways. Particularly important is that the new museum enables major V&A exhibitions to be seen more widely by more people across the UK.”
Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “The opening of V&A Dundee this year will be a remarkable moment for Dundee, the V&A and the UK. The V&A was founded to champion British design, showcase the greatest works of creative ingenuity and enrich everyone’s imagination.”
If the V&A has you interested in some jewellery with a bit of history behind it, McGowans have the perfect pieces for you! We sell not only a beautiful collection of new jewellery, but also offer a range of antique and vintage pieces for those of you who like a bit of character behind your jewels. We carefully select unique Victorian, Edwardian, and Georgian pieces that you won’t see anywhere else, meaning you can stand out from the crowd with an extra-special sparkle! Visit us in store to view our full range of antique and vintage pieces, or get a taste for what we can offer with our online selection.
We look forward to visiting the new museum and discovering all the fascinating jewellery history it has to offer! Find out more about V&A Jewellery here.