London July 2012 - Mayfair and shopping in London's arcades (the art of NOT buying)

We found plenty of nifty arcades in London yesterday; all elegantly decorated and attracting those with wealth (and those like us just looking).

We initially saw the Arcade on Albermarle Street.

We then browsed the Burlington Arcade near the Royal Academy.

Finding Matthew Foster's there was the most wonderful - and awful - treat.  Wonderful because his art deco wares were just divine.

Awful because to have these things would break the bank (though aren't the banks already broken?  mmmm).  We've decided that if the number come up on the lottery that good, I'm just phoning Foster and buying the stock.  Everything.

There was a diamond and sapphire square ring priced at £11,500.  Well, THAT'S a sum of money everyone had down the back of their sofa...!*  The image below is of a similar ring that auctioned for around £1000 (a snip), but the Foster item has an unbroken square surround of sapphire with a square diamond in the centre.  Swoon...

*Note: if you have this sum down the back of your sofa, please send it on to me and I'll be buying a shiny ring with it. :)