Tiffany Exhibition
Next stop was Temple Underground Station and a short walk to Somerset House where an exhibition of Tiffany Jewellery is currently being held. Entrance to this was a bargain in London terms, £5.00 for adults and free for full time students. Not only do you get to see some amazing pieces of jewellery, but all the other galleries of The Gilbert Collection too. The first gallery you walked through was an exhibition of pietre dure and for me the highlight of the visit. To see gemstones at any time is always exciting in my book, but here were examples of what were to all intents and purpose paintings using this technique, where the children's faces laughed and the pet dogs portrayed playful expressions as good as any from the brush of a painterly artist. At the Tiffany exhibition everyone was given a magnifying glass which did help to view the exquisite detail in designs and settings. Many of the items were breathtakingly beautiful, but at the same time would you ever dare wear any of them? The biggest disappointment was the Tiffany diamond. It was big and yellow with a million facets, but for some unknown reason had a daft bird set above it.