Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum, Athens

I’d spotted a sign for the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum on my way from the Acropolis down to the Acropolis Museum and decided it was just the kind of place I’d like to visit that afternoon to keep out of the sun. I knew absolutely nothing about the museum and had never heard of Ilias Lalaounis but I found the museum to be excellent with many beautiful items on display.

The collection houses more than 4,500 pieces of jewellery and other items that were created by Ilias Lalaounis between 1957 and 2002. Lalaounis, who died in 2013, was a renowned goldsmith most known for his collections of jewellery inspired by Greek history and I found them all to be incredibly well presented.

Lalaounis started working in his uncle’s jewellery business before starting his own firm in 1969 and opening stores around the world including in Paris, New York and Tokyo. He founded the museum himself in 1994 with a permanent exhibition of jewellery as well as rotating exhibitions. It also has a small studio in the entranceway where you can watch jewellery makers at work. It’s the only jewellery and decorative arts museum in Greece.

My absolute favourite piece is this necklace inspired by the Leo constellation

But other favourites included the below selection.

Lalaounis was also commissioned to design the Olympic Torch in 1992. Three torches were made – one kept here, one at the official Olympic Museum in Switzerland and the original is kept at the Ancient Olympia site where it has been used in each Olympic flame lighting ceremony ever since.

The building itself dates from 1927 and was the Lalaounis family home. It was a lovely museum full of beautiful items. The entrance fee is €10.