The Dawson Journal
Things worth knowing about things worth keeping.
Guides
How to Buy an Antique Engagement Ring
What to look at, what to ignore, and why the ring that suits you may already be a hundred years old.
6 min read
Jewellery Stories
Victorian Jewellery Explained
Sixty-four years, three distinct moods, and a great deal of meaning hidden in plain sight.
Guides
Understanding British Hallmarks
Four small marks that can tell you the metal, the town, the year and sometimes the maker.
Behind the Scenes
Inside the Dawson Workshop
The bench has moved since 1974. Very little else about the work has.
Guides
What Determines the Value of Gold?
Weight and purity are the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it.
Antiques
Collecting Antique Clocks
Where to start, what to avoid, and why a clock that runs is worth more than a clock that looks right.
Burghley
The Story Behind the Burghley Trophies
Silver, engraving and a Stamford tradition that arrives every September.
Guides
How to Care for Antique Jewellery
Wear it. Then take a few sensible precautions.