June 1912. A pair of workmen deposit a heavy ball of clay in the antiques shop of George Fabian Lawrence - or 'Stony Jack', as he's better known. As Lawrence picks through the mud, a speck of gold catches his eye. A pearl earring tumbles into his hand, then another. A Burmese ruby follows; then Colombian emeralds, lapis lazuli from Afghanistan and turquoise from Iran; tankards; watches; topaz; amazonite.

Stony Jack has discovered the greatest single cache of Elizabethan treasure.

Diving into London's bustling, sometimes lawless, antiques trade at the turn of the century, Victoria Shepherd provides a compelling portrait of the city at the height of empire. A thrilling history of mudlarkers, charlatans, experts and chancers, Stony Jack and the Lost Jewels of Cheapside oversees the transformation of London into a modern metropolis.