The Verane Journal

Notes from the Vault

On provenance, the market, and the lives of legendary jewels.

19 Jun 2026 · Cursed Diamond

The Cursed Diamond: A Survey of History's Most Feared Gems

From the Hope Diamond's blood-soaked journey out of Golconda to the Delhi Purple Sapphire's warning note sealed in seven locked boxes, Eleanor...

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16 Jun 2026 · Famous Pieces

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond: The Mountain of Light Four Nations Still Claim

The 300-year story of the Koh-i-Noor diamond — a stone looted, swapped, recut, and still claimed by four nations.

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15 Jun 2026 · Hatton Garden Heist

The Hatton Garden Heist: How a Gang of Aging Thieves Pulled Off Britain's Biggest Burglary

Over one Easter weekend in 2015, a band of aging career criminals drilled through half a meter of concrete and emptied a...

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14 Jun 2026 · Heist & Scandal

The Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels: The Scandal Dublin Castle Kept Secret for a Century

In July 1907, 394 precious stones vanished from Dublin Castle four days before King Edward VII arrived — and the truth about...

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13 Jun 2026 · Affair of the Diamond Necklace

The Affair of the Diamond Necklace: The Con That Helped Topple a Throne

A forged signature, a hired look-alike queen, and 2,800 diamonds — the 1785 swindle that disgraced Marie Antoinette and helped light the...

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12 Jun 2026 · Gem Lore

Kashmir Sapphire: The Stone the Himalayas Gave Only Once

In the summer of 1882, a landslide in a remote Himalayan valley exposed a seam of blue crystal unlike any the world...

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10 Jun 2026 · Antwerp Diamond Heist

The Antwerp Diamond Heist: How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Undone by a Sandwich

How a polite con man, a crew called the School of Turin, and a near-perfect plan emptied a vault beneath Antwerp's diamond...

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08 Jun 2026 · Era & Style

Victorian Hair Jewelry: Love, Loss, and the Art of Hairwork

Brooches, bracelets, and lockets woven from a loved one's hair — the most intimate and strange expression of Victorian devotion, and one...

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06 Jun 2026 · Buyer Guide

What Is Estate Jewelry? A Collector's Guide

Estate jewelry simply means previously owned jewelry of any age; here is how antique, vintage and estate differ, and how to buy...

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