The history of marcasite jewellery

Many attribute its sales growth the two main points: ITV's Downton Abbey has featured characters wearing marcasite jewellery as part of their signature look, and some key names in the celebrity world, including the Duchess of Cambridge, being seen in public sporting pieces made with this unique stone Luke Stockley's dedicated 'Marcasite by Luke Stockley' range makes up some 50% of the business, and Bird says marcasite "Is where we came from 25 years ago and is still a very large part of who we are today" "I think marcasite has a diverse range of customer from very fashion conscious teens who tend to buy the small and dainty rings and stud earrings to the more mature lady who perhaps would choose a pendant and earring set accented with freshwater pearls, which are very popular" Marcasite accounts for about 20% of Perkins' business, so again, there is no doubting the popularity of this stone alongside the other lines.

Perkins adds: "I think is due to growing interest in the vintage look in fashion trends, and marcasite fits perfectly in this Also the creation of more modern pieces using marcasite which dispel the idea of it being 'old-fashioned'." SEASONAL VARIATION Goldmajor says about 25% of its sales are from the marcasite lines, though the last quarter of the year and the party seasons see a huge increase, when sales can "Push up to 70%".

On its uniquity, Goldmajor said: "This sparkly stone can make a standalone statement and simply be used to make a beautiful piece of jewellery or be part of of a unique marriage with other stones, adding something very special to a distinctive look." Being a relatively low cost gem at the time, when crafted properly, marcasite allowed for all manner of beautiful jewellery items to be produced, even those which could rival diamonds Marcasite jewellery nowadays is coveted not only for its dazzling shimmer but for its relationship with history and vintage style. . Source