Conscious Leadership | Art Field Note] 💎 Grace, Heritage, and the Art of Adornment: Reflections from Lyon & Turnbull

Hi All,

Last week, I stepped into another world — one where history still shimmers through light and glass. We were invited to attend a private jewelry viewing hosted by Lyon & Turnbull, the historic auction house founded in 1826 in Edinburgh and now one of the oldest fine art and antiques houses in the United Kingdom. Inside their London salon, time seemed to slow; conversations softened to murmurs as pieces of extraordinary craftsmanship glowed under velvet lights.

Among them, one object drew me in completely — the tiara of the Countess of Airlie. A life of grace, service, and style seemed distilled into this single piece. The Countess, the first American-born Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II, served with devotion from 1973 until the Queen’s passing in 2022. To stand before her tiara — knowing it once accompanied moments of profound intimacy and duty at the heart of British history — felt like brushing against living legacy.

We had the pleasure of being accompanied by Sara Duncan, Head of Jewellery with an archaeologist’s background. She kindly walked us through the entire collection and shared the story behind each key piece, including the tiara—its personal and historical significance. There was a reverence in the room. Each jewel held a story, not of wealth alone but of design — the human hand shaping light into meaning.

The Auction as Ritual

The pre-bidding process at Lyon & Turnbull feels almost ceremonial. There’s a ritual precision: private viewings where experts guide you through provenance, the tactile assessment of each piece’s history, and the silent bids that bridge centuries of collectors and creators. It’s not just commerce; it’s continuity. The auction becomes an act of preservation — of artistry, narrative, and lineage.

I’ve always been drawn to the backstory. Whatever the art form — jewelry, architecture, music, or film — I find myself asking: what is the story behind it? That story determines the piece’s true significance. Sometimes it translates into commercial value; other times, it carries a sentimental weight that transcends price altogether. It’s from this lens — the narrative behind creation — that I approach art and design. The creative process of great designers, painters, fashion houses, and architects fascinates me precisely because each piece is a dialogue between history, intention, and soul.

What fascinates me most isn’t just the diamonds or the glamour, but the design intelligence behind them. I often find myself diving down YouTube rabbit holes (Fashion Nurosis, The Hollywood Reporter Roundtables, Actors on Actors)— exploring the creative processes of jewelry houses like Bulgari, Hermès, and Dior. Behind the luxury lies discipline, imagination, and emotional engineering — an attempt to turn fleeting inspiration into enduring form.

Art as a Healing Force

One of my closest friends is a jewelry designer. Others are architects, art curators, painters, and multidisciplinary artists — people who live inside the creative process. I’ve always been fascinated by art as a healing tool: not just for those who create, but for those who witness.

A well-known late monk (Beob-jeong) in South Korea once said that true art is complete only when the creator’s intention is met and understood by the audience. That is the moment when a painting, a tiara, or even a humble vase transcends its material form — when it becomes a living bridge between souls.

Standing before the Countess’s tiara, I felt that bridge — a resonance that moved beyond admiration into recognition. Art heals because it remembers what’s beautiful about being human.

Beyond Ornament

Jewelry, in this sense, becomes more than an adornment. It’s a mirror of human longing — to be remembered, to transform pain into pattern, to capture light and hold it close. Whether through a tiara once worn beside a Queen or a sculptural bracelet conceived in a Paris atelier, every piece carries a vibration of its maker’s vision and its wearer’s story.

The Countess’s tiara reminded me that beauty, when crafted with intention, becomes a form of service. It refines, uplifts, and connects generations across time — from the artisan’s bench to the modern collector’s hand.

In Closing...

Walking out of Lyon & Turnbull that evening, I felt both grounded and elevated — reminded that true legacy isn’t built in haste. It’s forged in devotion: to craft, to care, and to the pursuit of grace.

Questions for the Obsidian Odyssey community: Do you ever experience those moments when beauty moves you — when a song, a painting, or a piece of jewelry sparks something deep in your body or heart? What did it feel like? Was it awe, peace, nostalgia, joy — or something beyond words? I’d love to hear how art, in its many forms, has touched or healed you.