Original Broadcast: August 8, 2025
Running Time: 01:19:35
You will have access to this recording for the foreseeable future.
Shimmering, captivating, and corrupting. Great jewels have dazzled people for millennia, their beauty and value producing respect, deception, love, and betrayal. Whether an enormous diamond, a jewel-encrusted heraldic pin, or an Order of the Garter Star, the language of jewels subtly, and sometimes ostentatiously, conveys a statement of power, position, and wealth. This lecture explores how the 18th and 19th century British ruling classes, modeling themselves on the ancient Roman Empire, used jewelry to reinforce their positions in society and awe their peers. The aristocratic families that owned these jewels, such as the Marquess of Londonderry, were at the pinnacle of British society. They hosted glittering soirées at their expansive country houses and grand London homes, where their jewels were shown off to great effect. British royals collected jewels for both state and private use; notable collectors included Queen Mary and Princess Margaret, who amassed collections of extraordinary tiaras, necklaces, and brooches. Curt DiCamillo discusses the tales behind these noble families, their houses, and their jewels, all weaving together to create a glittering web of power and position.
About the Speaker
Curt DiCamillo, who joined American Ancestors in February of 2016 as the organization’s first Curator of Special Collections, is an internationally recognized authority on British historic houses and the decorative arts (his award-winning website on British country houses can be found here: TheDiCamillo.com). Before coming to American Ancestors, Curt was the Executive Director of The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA, where he successfully raised more than $7 million and initiated many innovative programs. As Curator of Special Collections, he provides strategic direction for organizing and exhibiting our extensive collection of fine art and family history-related artifacts, leads the Society’s Heritage Tours, and provides educational outreach through American Ancestors' extensive webinar series. In recognition of his work, Curt has been presented to the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and The Prince of Wales. He is an alumnus of the Royal Collection Studies program, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a member of the Council of the American Museum in Britain. Curt’s book, Villa Astor: Paradise Restored on the Amalfi Coast, was published in 2017 by Flammarion. He is also the brother of the award-winning author Kate DiCamillo, something of which he’s extraordinarily proud.
Other Resources
Curt DiCamillo's Country House Database
Pronunciation Guide
Historic Houses Website