Scottish Jewellery

Scottish jewellery was in large part popularized by Queen Victoria, who purchased the Balmoral estate, located in the Scottish highlands, as a royal retreat in 1848. It was often designed in the Celtic manner, sometimes directly inspired by ancient examples. The thistle, the national emblem of Scotland, was also a common motif in Scottish jewellery. Furthermore, examples are typically set with stones mined in Scotland, particularly quartzes of the smoky, brown variety, then known as ‘cairngorns’ and granite.