Secret Knowledge: Hidden Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard

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BBC Four HD

BBC Four

Secret Knowledge: The Hidden Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard

Shaun Leane

Bill MacLeod

Richard Bright

Documentaries

The Hidden Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard

15/10/2013

Secret Knowledge

BBC Four - Secret Knowledge, The Hidden Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard

The story behind a trove of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewels discovered in London in 1912.

Jewellery designer Shaun Leane uncovers some of the secrets of the hoard of nearly 500 Elizabethan and Jacobean jewels discovered by workmen in London's Cheapside district in 1912.

In 1912, workmen demolishing a building in London's Cheapside district made an extraordinary discovery - a dazzling hoard of nearly 500 Elizabethan and Jacobean jewels. For the first time since its discovery, all the pieces from this priceless treasure trove were on display at the Museum of London in an exhibition in October 2013.

With exclusive close-up access to the fabulous collection, award-winning jewellery designer Shaun Leane goes behind the scenes during the run-up to the exhibition to uncover some of the secrets of the hoard. Who did the jewels belong to? Why were they buried? And why were they never retrieved?
 
As Shaun uncovers a world of astonishing skill and glittering beauty, he also reveals a darker story of forgery, intrigue and even murder.

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