It was while I was living in Madrid that I designed the Madrid cross. I loved to go to a small pastelería and eat chocolate palmeras and one day there was a green and white flag hanging out over the street by the pastelería with a cruciform pattern on it. When I came back home later that day I added to my sketch book and then rather forgot about it, only coming back to it some weeks later. With fresh eyes and a clear mind, the little sketch became the pendant that has been given by godparents and grandparents, worn by girl friends and sisters, and even by brides on their wedding day. Simply adorned with pearls or set with four birthstones in the centre, it is always the most lovely of gifts - to give, and to receive.

Peridot was first found in 300BC on St. John's Island in the Red Sea, and crusaders brought it back to their cathedrals in the Middle Ages. When beautifully cut it has the colour of a freshly unfurled beech leaf in Spring, a gemstone greatly admired for its rich 'oily' green shades from the mineral olivine. Large stones are rare and when she finds them, Cassandra loves to use them for brooches and earrings. As the birthstone for August, a precious peridot can bring you prosperity and happiness, welcoming new beginnings and paving the way for courage, wealth and wisdom.