One of the greatest opera houses in the world is in Palermo: The Teatro Massimo. Inside I found on the balcony level, a series of wooden pillars decorated with a motif that seemed to tell of musical staves. I took this motif and engraved it in gold to be part of a bracelet design and then later, cufflinks.

Taken from the Greek word "amethystos", meaning sober; amethyst quartz has illustrious calming properties, protecting wearers with a sense of tranquillity and soberness. Famed for its regal deep purple colour, February's birthstone is said to enhance your focus and open your mind to critical thinking and clarity, and to also protect from inebriation. It is often worn by bishops set in a ring. Most are sourced from alluvial deposits in Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia and Uruguay, and Cassandra likes to juxtapose their splendour with rubies and aquamarine, or even green African garnets.