Tuesday, 10th August 2004 (3923 views)

The Victoria and Albert Museum has been given a £1.6 million donation to help revamp its well-known jewellery collection.

Funding has come from William and Judith Bollinger and is part of £2.5 million the museum is hoping to raise to rebuild its three jewellery galleries.

Dr Richard Edgcumbe, the curator of the jewellery gallery told the Telegraph: "The existing lighting produces no fire or sparkle in the jewels. When we reopen we shall make the diamonds sparkle and the vivid colours of the enamels come alive."

The collection covers 4,000 years and includes pieces such as gold hippopotamus ornaments from ancient Egypt.

With the new changes items will be displayed under bright lights, images will be magnified on screens and interactive technology will be used to explain jeweller and goldsmith techniques.

Mark Jones, the museum's director claimed: "The new gallery will reinforce London's pre-eminent position as a world centre for the study of jewellery."

The jewellery rooms were last improved 30 years ago and have now closed for a four-year modernisation programme.

 

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