It’s been a busy few weeks of talking about one of my favourite subjects: diamonds.
I’ve recently had the pleasure of speaking at two very different events; first at DMH Stallard’s London offices, and more recently at Keystone Law, alongside crypto disputes specialist Louise Abbott.
And while the conversations were different, they highlighted the same thing: the world of diamonds, gold and jewellery has far more relevance to the legal, insurance and financial sectors than you might initially imagine.
when jewellery is More than jewellery
At DMH Stallard, I shared some of what more than 30 years in the jewellery industry has taught me about diamonds — from their history and craftsmanship to provenance, changing markets and valuation.
Because a diamond ring isn’t only something beautiful – it can also be a significant asset, appearing in wills and inheritance, divorce, insurance claims, wealth management and disputes.
Understanding exactly what a piece is, what it’s worth and the difference between purchase price, insurance valuation and realistic resale value can be incredibly important.
From diamonds to cryptocurrency
At Keystone Law, the conversation took a different direction.
Alongside Louise Abbott, I explored the links between crypto, gold, and diamonds in relation to wealth, fraud, and verification.
Gold and diamonds have been used to store wealth for centuries. They’re tangible, internationally recognised, relatively easy to transport and can hold significant value in a very small space, and some of those characteristics have interesting parallels with crypto… as do some of the risks.
Investment scams didn’t begin with Bitcoin. The diamond and precious-metals industries have their own history of inflated valuations, misleading investment opportunities and promises of returns that sound too good to be true, but message of our discussion was simple: that true value requires verification.
Jewellery expertise beyond Hatton Garden
For professionals working in law, insurance, financial services and wealth management, there are many situations where specialist jewellery knowledge can be useful – whether you’re dealing with an inherited collection, an insurance valuation, an investment, a dispute or an asset whose true value needs to be established.
I thoroughly enjoyed sharing a little of my world at both events, and a huge thank you to the teams at DMH Stallard and Keystone Law, and to Louise for sharing her expertise and insight.
After more than 30 years in the jewellery industry, I’ve got plenty of stories to tell.
And diamonds are still my favourite thing to talk about. 💎
