Ritzy jewels | not just afternoon tea | Put a ring on it |

While waiting to be seated for jewel-like morsels of afternoon tea, there’s a very different menu to check out at the Ritz…

Jam, cream and macaroons: afternoon tea at the Ritz.

There are many things the Ritz Hotel London is renowned for: the world’s best-dressed afternoon tea (five sittings, these days), a tea sommelier, the creamy white Ritz rose bespoke-bred in the Netherlands; acres of gilt; cushions as stuffed as a goose; real door keys; John Williams’ newly Michelin-starred cuisine.

Less known, however, is Ritz Fine Jewellery, a signature collection of unique gems for connoisseurs, with the finesse of Cartier and the wow factor of Bulgari, made by an in-house team of jewellers in Paris workshops.

Piccadilly profile of the Ritz Hotel London. Ritz Fine Jewellery first on the left

Housed in a boutique of maple wood, Ritz-blue granite and faceted mirrors (enter via the hotel arches that front Piccadilly or from the hotel foyer itself), the display cases are a glittering temptation of tanzanites, green tourmalines, pink sapphires, flawless diamonds, rubellite, pink topaz and black Tahitian pearls, embellishing cocktail rings, shimmering cuffs, chandelier earrings, arty neckpieces, and perfume bottles.

The River Ring, starring a punchy pink cabochon

A flash-dance diamond engagement ring – perhaps a happy ending to a stay in the hotel’s new Green Park Suite – can be had for between $17,000 and $20,000 (£10,000 to £12,000). A 5-carat memento will set you back $557,832 (£325,000). Buy one and, it goes without saying, you’ll be treated to dinner in the Ritz Restaurant.

‘Lace’, diamond and ruby cuff at Ritz Fine Jewellery

Try on for size the ‘Lace’ diamond cuff with rubies set onto white gold, $274,676 (£160,000); the ‘River Ring’, a 24.65 carat cabochon pink tourmaline with diamonds, rubellite and sapphires, $85,843 (£50,000); or one of the very cute, carved ‘Uni’ ring collection (Japanese for sea urchin) which start at $7,725 (£4,500). There’s a lapis lazuli version that exemplifies the rich, saturated colours of the collection.

There are cufflinks and watches, too, the portfolio of the latter by the late watch designer M. Gerald Genta.

But any purchase deserves a celebratory drink at the nearby Rivoli Bar. Recommended is the Ritz 110 (created for the 110th anniversary of what is the Leading Hotels of the World’s most popular London establishment) – a cocktail of gold leaf-infused vodka, Grand Marnier, Champagne and peach liqueur. At $37 (£22) a pop, to be sipped slowly, while contemplating a new sparkler.

The Ritz 110, a gold-leaf infused vodka and Champagne cocktail

Ritz Fine Jewellery, The Ritz Hotel, 150 Piccadilly, London; +44 (0) 20 7409 1312; www.ritzfinejewellery.com