Inside the Kremlin is a jewel house full of intoxicating treasures. I remember the darkness on entering and the almost firework like display of the jewels that Count Orlov gave to his lover Catherine the Great. Diamonds that held secrets in the sparkles. There were necklaces, brooches and earrings set with colourful foil backings that glowed pink and green for Catherine's exotic costume balls. Inspired on a detail of crescents and trefoils I created the Catherine and Orlov design weaving quartets and quintets of pave set diamonds around a central oval stone from which rivers of pearls ran into triple rows of chokers. I set fiery red opals in the centre of a pair of earrings and made a bespoke aquamarine and diamond brooch that even the Empress would have enjoyed wearing

Opals with their play on colour are endlessly intriguing, especially the Australian opals from Coober Pedy in Australia. But opal also occurs in Peru in a soft almost turquoise blue and in Mexico in fiery oranges. Softer than other gemstones, they should be worn with care and kept in a moist atmosphere- it is a good idea to keep a glass of water in your safe if you have opals. Opals are the birthstone for October.