opale Archives | gioiellis.com

The gems of Pamela Huizenga

Published on March 8, 2024

The dance of the stones drives Pamela Huizenga fantasy: unique pieces with gems at the center of her creativity ♦

At 16, in Florida, Pamela Huizenga had already shown her passion for stones. The minerals were collected, as long as were a bit shining, and brought home. She did not suspect, though, that after a few years would become a well-known and appreciated designer. Actually there is a pause in her history: after studying the cutting of stones and the secrets of an accomplished artisan goldsmith in North Carolina, she was married and had three children.

Collana con diamanti grezzi — Necklace with rough diamonds

But the passion for the stones has prevailed. The start of the conversion to jewelry designer was a bit casual, with the purchase of an Ethiopian opal on eBay. It was 2009. From this stone began the path that has turned into a jewelry professional, that only creates unique pieces. His creations are made between Florida, New York and Bali, where work an artisan woman specialized in the processing of silver pieces. Needless to say the center of its jewels include especially stones, especially those who have something special: turquoise, jade, opals of different types (Ethiopian or Mexican), but also fossils and petrified wood are the basic elements upon which you exercise the fantasy of Pamela. The prices of her jewels start at about $ 4,000.

Bracciale con turchesi — Bracelet with turquoises

Collana in oro e aquaprase — Necklace in gold and aquaprase pearls

Collana in oro bianco e malachite — Necklace in white gold and malachite

Collana con cluster di diamanti grezzi — Rough diamond cluster necklace

Orecchini con acquamarina — Aquamarine earrings

Orecchini con spessartite — Spessartite earrings

All about opal

Published on October 13, 2023

Anello con opale nero di 70,84 carati, diamanti e zaffiri

Opal is a stone used in jewelery that is back in great fashion. Find out what are the characteristics of the opal and why it is a must among your jewels. Opal is also the stone of October ♦︎

It’s back: they have recently used the opal some big names such as Cartier, Chaumet, Chopard… It pays to know something more about this stone that is unique among the gems used in jewelery, and which has a ancient history: in fact, the word opal comes from the Sanskrit upala, which has become opallios in greek language and opalus in latin (with meaning of gemstone).

Anello con opale di Chopard — Chopard opal ring

Characteristics. According to the gemologists, the opal is a mineral amorphous (from a chemical point of view is a hydrated silica). But it is also a stone with many different aspects: its color can range from transparent to milky white, but also green, red, yellow, brown, black, iridescent. It has pearlescent and transparency effects. And more: the opal is a stone, yet he contains water in an amount of up to 20%.

Pendente a forma di uccello: il corpo è un grande opale scolpito — Ilgiz Fazulzyanov, bird-shaped pendant: the body is a large carved opal

Where is it. The capital of opals is Australia, where is 97% of world production, particularly in the area of Lightning Ridge, where we extract the precious black opal. But you can found opals also in Mexico, Ethiopia, Wales and even in Sardinia (Italy).

Anello con opale di Theo Fennell — Opal ring by Theo Fennell

Classification. Besides taking very different colors, this stone is spread in a wide variety: there are the common opal, opal noble, black opal, opal water, the fire opal, opal coal was and ialite. Also it varies the transparency can go from transucido to completely opaque. Another classification is related to brilliance. The rating scale following categories: Weak, Not bright, bright, very bright, brilliant.

Anello in platino con opale di fuoco — Platinum ring with fire opal

Colors. The opals have the distinction of being opalescent. Obviously. Word that means, in fact, a game of colors and iridescent light. These iridescent effects are caused to interference and diffraction of light passing through the particular arrangement of small silica spheres inside the stone. One of the finest is the opal red Mexico. Another very popular variety is the black opal, where the iridescent colors stand out against a background that ranges from black (the most prized) to dark gray. In contrast, less rare opals are white (white) or clear (light).

Pendente con opale di 75 carati, oro bianco, diamanti bianchi e neri, ametista, pietra luna — Pendant with 75 carat opal, white gold, black and white diamonds, amethyst, moonstone

Value. The opals are one of the stones more difficult to classify and to assess. The best are those in which the whole is a gem homogeneous. In trade, in reality, they are also some who have only part iridescent, which is linked together with other minerals: they are classified as bouldering.

Anello in oro bianco con opale e diamanti — Sandra Cronan, white gold ring with opal and diamonds

Care. If you have jewelry with an opal, you must be careful not to expose the stone near heat sources: the heating can cause dehydration and, consequently, the loss of the effect of opalescence. If you notice that your opal is not iridescent as a time, try to soak down the stone in the water.

Anello con opale nero australiano e spinelli rossi — Katherine Jetter, Australian black opal and red spinel ring

Cleaning. opal is a delicate stone. Use a basin of warm (not too hot) water with a drop of liquid soap. Gently clean the jewelry with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Dry with a soft cotton cloth (but does not release fibers) or with a synthetic fabric suitable for cleaning glass or electronic devices.

Alexandra Abramczyk, anello con opale, zaffiri, tsavoriti, ametiste, diamanti — Alexandra Abramczyk, ring with opal, sapphires, tsavorites, amethysts, diamonds

Anello in oro, diamanti, opale — Gucci, gold ring, diamonds, opal

Anello in oro bianco, diamanti, opale, zaffiro, granati — Cartier, ring in white gold, diamonds, black opal, sapphire, garnets

The occasions of Amàli

Published on August 28, 2023

Showroom

Among the inhabitants of Astoria, a corner of Queens, New York, there are also Sara Freedenfeld and her husband Daniel Tishbi. Sara is the founder of Amàli, a jewelry brand named after the designer’s grandmother. Yet it was not her grandmother Amalia who pushed Sara Freedenfeld to pursue a career in jewelry, self-taught. It was the case. Or, better, a theft suffered in her youth, while she was walking through the streets of Chile with her backpack. Left without money, Sara began to see bijoux made with braided rope, a skill she acquired in Valparaiso. From that rudimentary activity she moved on to metalworking, learned with the help of a Venezuelan goldsmith. In short, a strange story, which could fit well in a sliding door series.

Anello con pietra luna intagliata — Carved moonstone ring

The fact is that at 26, after returning to the United States, the designer put into practice what she learned during her travels and in 2006 she founded Amàli. The Maison’s jewels are in 18-karat yellow gold, dressed with precious and semiprecious stones, in particular opal and tourmaline. Necklaces, rings and earrings are all handmade.

Anello in oro con opale etiope — Gold ring with Ethiopian opal

Bracciale in oro con diamanti neri — Gold bracelet with black diamonds

Collana con opale messicano — Mexican opal necklace

Orecchini con opali boulder — Boulder opal earrings

Orecchini con tormalina — Tourmaline earrings

Orecchini con opale lavanda e tanzanite — Earrings with lavender opal and tanzanite

Anello Galaxy con opale boulder — Galaxy ring with boulder opal

The palette of Campbellian

Published on August 18, 2023

Showroom

Tourmaline Neon BlueGreen, Platinum Ring, Diamond, Garnet, Spinel

Fabulous stones, strong colors, magical combinations: here are the jewels of Bella Campbellian, specialist in unusual combinations ♦

Do you like earrings and rings with very colored gemstones? In this case the Campbellian Collection it’s for you. The brand was founded by an expert in physics, no less. But also passionate about dogs, who lives with her husband and son in New Jersey, USA. Her name is Bella Campbell and is the creative mind and founder of Campbellian. In addition to a Masters in Physics at the Georgia State University, she is an expert in marketing as well as gems, and began her career as Associate Buyer for The Fine Jewelry Department at Macy’s, New York.

Orecchini con pietra luna rainbow, zaffiri rosa, diamanti — Rainbow Moonstone and Pink Sapphire Earrings with Diamond Accent

It is easy to deduce the type of jewelry she offers: especially earrings and rings that shine thanks to the compositions of stones as Paraiba tourmaline, spinel, rubellite, tsavorite, tanzanite, moon stone, but also opal and zircon. Often these stones are chosen for their unusual color: as in the case of the stone blue moon or green garnets. There is also stones not very known as the grossular, this a stone that takes on different colors too. So, if the compositions of the jewels from a geometrical point of view are quite traditional, the one that stands out right away is, however, the coloring resulting from the combination of stones, often mounted on platinum. If you like the jewels that are immediately noticeable, then look at these pictures.

Anello con pietra luna arcobaleno e diamanti — ARainbow moonstone and diamond ring

Anello in oro bianco, rubellite, rubini, diamanti — Ring in white gold, rubellite, rubies, diamonds

Anello in platino e oro bianco con tormalina Paraiba e grossular — Ring in platinum and white gold with Paraiba tourmaline and grossular

Ciondolo in oro con diamanti, spinello rosa e viola, tormalina magenta — Gold pendant with diamonds, pink and purple spinel, magenta tourmaline

Orecchini in oro bianco, tormalina verde menta, granati champagne e verdi, tormalina neon, diamanti — Earrings in white gold, mint green tourmaline, champagne and green garnets, neon tourmaline, diamonds

Orecchini con pietra luna arcobaleno e zaffiro rosa, diamanti — Earrings with rainbow moonstone and pink sapphire, diamonds

Orecchini con rubini, diamanti, opale — Earrings with rubies, diamonds, opal

Orecchini in oro rosa con zirconi blu e diamanti — Rose gold earrings with blue zircons and diamonds

What is a black opal worth

Published on August 17, 2023

Campus

Anello con opale nero australiano di 30,98 carati

What is a black opal? How much is it worth? And why is it often considered more valuable than other opals? Here’s what you need to know about the black opal ♦ ︎

Think about it: jewels with a black opal in the center are more and more appreciated. Not only: on average they cost more than others. The opal is a stone that came back into fashion a few years ago and black opal is the queen of this type of gem.

Katherin Jetter, anello con opale nero e spinello — Katherin Jetter, black opal and spinel ring

The opal is a stone famous for its iridescent shades. In geology it is considered a mineraloid, and is chemically an amorphous hydrated form of silica. It is also the national gemstone of Australia, the countries where black opals are found. And, in particular, in the area of Lightning Ridge, the capital of opals.

Read also: Everything on the opal

We must also add that there are two large classes of opal: the precious ones and the common ones. The precious opal has its famous iridescence, while the common opal does not. The iridescence is caused by the internal structure of the opal, which causes the diffraction of light, with the consequent change in color. The black opal is considered the rarest, while white, gray and green are the most common.

Chopard, Fiori d’Opali, anello con opale nero di 20 carati con pistilli di diamanti montati su oro bianco rodiato nero e petali cesellati in titanio colorato di striature blu e gambo con tasavoriti verdi, lazuliti e diamanti brown — Chopard, Fiori d’Opali, ring with 20-carat black opal with diamond pistils mounted on black rhodium-plated white gold and chiseled petals in titanium colored with blue streaks and stem with green tasavorites, lazulites and brown diamonds

Why is the black opal so rare? The tough activity to extraction is the most frustrating activities in the world. To find a black opal you have to dig holes at random in particularly rich areas, where the diggers fit into an extremely deep well, risking to fall for about twenty meters, they risk their lives. In short, when you see a jewel with black opal, know that finding it has cost effort and risk. Of course, the prospect of a profit corresponds to work: a large black opal can reach up to 15,000 Australian dollars (about 9200 euros).

Anello con tsavorite, opale nero, diamanti — Michael-Kneebone, ring with tsavorite, black opal, diamonds

What distinguishes black opals? Black opals have traces of carbon and iron oxide. The body of the gem varies from black to dark gray. In short, the black opal is not black: it is colored on a dark background. It is this unusually dark shade that allows rainbow iridescences to appear more vividly than light opals. Of course, not all black opals are the same: the value of stone may depend on many other factors, such as brightness, body color, shape, colors, and any defects.

Anello con opale e zaffiri — George Pragnell, black opal and sapphire ring

How are opals cut? Usually, the classic cut of opal is the cabochon. The way an opal has been polished and cut has a great influence on the overall value. The cut affects its final price.

Anello con opale taglio a pera. In vendita per 90.000 dollari — Martin Katz, pear cut opal ring

For those who believe … There are many people who imagine that stones have special powers and can affect the lives of men. In the Middle Ages, the opal was considered a lucky stone. Some thought it could guarantee invisibility if the opal was wrapped in a fresh, hand-held bay leaf, much like the Harry Potter cloak. But in the nineteenth century, the opal became suddenly suspect. In a novel by Walter Scott a woman wears an opal with supernatural powers: when a drop of holy water falls on the stone, it becomes colorless and the woman dies shortly after. After the novel, the opal was referred to as porta bad luck and sales in Europe fell by 50%. Who was right?

Orecchini pendenti degli anni Cinquanta con diamanti e opali — Seaman Schepps, 1950s diamond and black opal drop earrings

Anello in oro con opale, due zaffiri arancio e lacca nera — Maison Auclert, gold ring with opal, two orange sapphires and black lacquer

Pendente Carcinus, oro giallo 18 carati, opale nero, acquamarina, zaffiri blu — Daniela Villegas, Carcinus pendant, 18K yellow gold, black opal, aquamarine, blue sapphires

Anello Astrolabio, con diamanti bianchi, opale nero, zaffiri blu, gialli e arancio, tsavorite — Lorenza Baumer, Astrolabe ring, with white diamonds, black opal, blue, yellow and orange sapphires, tsavorite

The colors of the world in Denise Cassou’s jewels

Published on May 18, 2023

Showroom

Orecchini con opale e diamanti. Copyright: gioiellis.com

A globetrotter with a passion for art, cinema and fashion. But also for her gems, which she has decided to make the absolute protagonists of her activity: Denise Cassou, a Brazilian from Sao Paulo, has decided that once she has reached maturity, she wanted a change. After traveling much of the world and graduating in photography and cinema, she launched herself into the world of high quality jewelery with the brand of the same name. For many years she designed and made her own jewelery and that of her daughters and her close friends before creating her own Maison, which she launched in 2022.

Orecchini con opale e tormalina paraiba — Earrings with opal and paraiba tourmaline

But without forgetting her traveler roots: her first collection of jewels created using stones extracted during her travels is inspired by the world of Magna Graecia. As often happens in Brazil, a country rich in stone mines for jewelry, Denise Cassou’s earrings and rings are focused on gems. In particular, the opals and tourmalines of different colors, starting with the mesmerizing Paraiba, become the protagonists. But there are also large emeralds, sunstones, tanzanites and diamonds.

Orecchini con agata nera e bianca, diamanti. Copyright: gioiellis.com — Earrings with black and white agate, diamonds. Copyright: Gioiellis.com

Anelli con tormaline di diverso colore, pietra sole, zaffirio. Copyright: gioiellis.com — Rings with tourmalines of different colors, sunstone, sapphire. Copyright: Gioiellis.com

Due anelli di Denise Cassou con due grandi smeraldi dalla tonalità completamente diversa — Two rings by Denise Cassou with two large emeralds with completely different shades

Orecchini Grotta Azzurra in oro e perle barocche — Grotta Azzurra earrings in gold and baroque pearls

Orecchini con tormalina bicolor e corallo — Earrings worn with bicolor tourmaline and coral

The colors of Texas with M.Spalten

Published on May 15, 2023

Showroom

Anello Lunar in oro bianco18 carati, perle e opale

Texas: wide-brimmed hats, boundless spaces, oil wells. And the colored gems of M. Spalten, a small Maison in San Antonio, a city in south-central Texas and the seventh most populous metropolis in the United States. Melissa Spalten lived in Texas, where she still makes her jewelry, although she often resides in California. She discovered her passion for the arts as a child: sculptures, paintings and then the beaded jewels created from clay with her hands accompanied her childhood. Before jumping headlong into jewelry, she attended the Fashion Institute or Design and, later, the Gemological Institute of America, which gave her the scientific basis for the choice of stones.

The designer loves very colorful stones: opals, sapphires, tourmalines, emeralds, peridot are the kind of material she uses as colors on the painter’s palette, supported by silver and 18 and 14 carat gold. Her jewels are also sold on some large online platforms, such as Moda Operandi.

Three Gemfetti Ring, Blue Topaz & Peridot

The Mini Gemfetti 14K Yellow Gold Ruby, Amethyst and Diamond Earring

The Large Double Heart 14K Yellow Gold Opal, Chrysoprase Earrings

Gem ID 14K Yellow Gold, Turquoise, And Tsavorite Bracelet

Brooke Gregson’s jewelry

Published on August 11, 2022

Showroom

Collana con tormalina watermelon, smeraldi, spinelli rosa, granati viola e diamanti

London-and Los Angele based designer Brooke Gregson: high-end jewelry with a mysterious flavor. ♦

Brooke Gregson was born in Los Angeles and works between London and California. The designer became famous among the emerging jewelers on the banks of the Thames thanks to a collection dedicated to the constellations, between astrology and astronomy, followed by many others in which the protagonists are colored gems. The Astrology collection is composed of simple pendants in brushed gold, on which small diamonds mark the lines that make up the constellations of the zodiac. It is no coincidence: the designer has in fact also studied astronomy, in addition to the classic gemology that was used to revolutionize the proposal of her collections.

Collana Aries (Ariete) in oro spazzolato e diamanti

Another collection that has been successful, in fact, is called Planetary, and is also based in this case to the stars, with Martians earrings and crescent moons. Nothing bizarre, you know: also in this case the jewelry is gold and and diamonds, absolutely terrestrial. Another trail route from Brooke is that of silk combined with large stones: there are so several bracelets in which this material is interwoven with gold and combines with large stones like emeralds and diamonds. Speaking of stones: another feature of the brand is to propose unusual cuts, even irregular. Like Nefertiti necklace with a large opal skewed framed by gold and diamonds (it costs 8255 pounds). Her jewelry can be found in some world class shopping in the UK, USA, France, Germany, Japan and Dubai.

Anello Neptune con opale nero, spinelli e granato

Collana con rodocrosite intagliata a cuore

Collana con rubino, diaspro, unkite, thulite, ridocrasite, quarzo rosa, opale rosa

Collana talismano in oro inciso, smeraldo e zaffiri

How to clean cameos, pearls, emeralds, opals, crystals

Published on February 19, 2022

Campus/perle

How do you clean a fragile piece of jewelry, which can easily be ruined? Here are the rules to follow to clean a jewel without damaging it ♦
Maybe you have fragile, delicate jewels in your drawer. It is very easy: most of the jewels are not made with very hard stones, such as diamonds or rubies, which are more resistant stones (although despite this they can still be damaged). There are also materials that are damaged or scratched very easily, for example cameos, pearls, emeralds, opals, crystals. And the materials that are glued are also fragile, such as the stones that make up a pavé.

Attention, therefore: this type of jewelry must be treated very, very carefully. Especially when it is necessary to clean them, an operation that must be repeated regularly. By the way: even better than cleaning jewelry is to prevent it from getting dirty. Don’t wear them if you have to do gardening, wash the dishes, or if you are going to sprinkle yourself with a cream, or any other action that has to do with dirt and chemicals.

Fortunately, it is not difficult to clean a delicate jewel, as long as you follow these tips.

Mossa 1: immergere il gioiello in una tazza d'acqua — Mossa 1: immergere il gioiello in una tazza d’acqua

Mossa 2: aggiungere una goccia di sapone liquido neutro. Eventualmente utilizzare uno spazzolino morbido

Materials to use

Warm water
Liquid neutral soap (to avoid antibacterials and aggressive soaps)
Soft cloth: an old cotton T-shirt or microfibre is fine
A soft toothbrush, preferably with natural bristles

How to do

Mix warm water (neither hot nor cold) with a drop of neutral soap in a glass or on a concave dish. When the mixture boils a little and has diluted well, dip the jewels and let stand for two minutes. If dust has settled in the cracks (for example, between a stone and the metal), use the soft bristle brush very gently. Focus mainly on the underside. Make sure to rinse the solution well, always with lukewarm water: soap residues can damage the stones. When finished, dry gently with a soft cloth.

Cameos or emeralds

We can add a separate tip for cleaning cameos or emeralds. In addition to following the instructions you read earlier, in this case you can use the oil that is used for the body of babies. Emeralds, for example, can get damaged due to micro cracks, almost invisible, but which tend to widen: a drop of oil can prevent them from further ruining.
Caution

Warning: these indications are generic. Obviously, if you have a very old or particularly delicate jewel at home, ask your trusted jeweler for advice before carrying out any operations that could ruin it. Lavinia Andorno

Orecchini con perle South Sea e diamanti

Collana di perle coltivate a quattro fili venduta per 40.0000 euro

Bracciale Tudor Rose, in oro bianco, diamanti e perle

Five myths wrong

Published on January 5, 2022

Campus

Anelli Dune in oro di diversi colori e diamanti

How many colors does gold have? Are diamonds really indestructible? Are precious stones everytime more expensive than others? Discover the answers and debunked the myths regarding the jewelry ♦

Even in the jewelry there are myths die hard. They are opinions that you can listen by a friend, or suggestions that a grandmother, which you considered wise, handed down as truth, as the result of ancient experience. In short, as in many other aspects of life, even for jewelry the are popular belief, sometimes, hides the reality. Here are five myths that here are unmasked .
The diamond is indestructible
Diamond is one of the toughest elements that exist in nature. For this reason, many people believe that diamonds are indestructible. Not so. It is true that diamonds are at the highest level on the Mohs scale, which measures the hardness. But they are far from proof of damage. So, be careful: you can scratch a diamond, for example if it is brought into contact with another diamond. And in some cases, especially at certain points, such as the edge or belt of a ring, a diamond can scratch or break.

1 diamante taglio brillante — Diamante taglio brillante

The opal brings bad luck
It is a myth that has formed in the nineteenth century. It comes from a novel by Walter Scott, in which the heroine, Anne of Geierstein, throws his opal in the sea after spending many misadventures. Without the stone his life becomes serene. The Empress Eugenie of France, hit by the novel, fueled this belief that, as with all myths, is magnified through word of mouth. So much so that the opal was forbidden at the court of superstitious Tsar. Rather, opals are unlucky for those who have to work it: they break easily when are cutted.

Anello in oro bianco, diamanti, opale — Martin Katz, anello in oro bianco, diamanti, opale

Diamonds are increasingly rare
Not so. The trend in the price of diamonds is regulated by supply and demand. In short, it also depends on how much money people have in their pockets. Not only: the price of the stones is also affected by how many are placed on the market. The large mining companies are very careful not to sell too many diamonds, a factor that would decrease the price.

Bracciale Raindrop con diamanti taglio rotondo, baguette e a goccia

Gold has many colors
The jewels are most often offered in three variants of gold: white, pink, yellow, but there are also shades of green or black gold, brown, beige … In fact, in nature there is only one type of gold: yellow . The other gold variants are obtained by mixing gold with other elements, for example copper to obtain the pink variant. It is not just an aesthetic choice: pure 24-karat gold is very soft and deforms easily: this is why the yellow metal is alloyed with other elements, such as silver or palladium.

Small ring yellow gold and stars diamonds, lava finish — Antonini, small ring yellow gold and stars diamonds, lava finish

Semi precious stones are worth little
It’s not for sure. There are only four precious stones: diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. But there are also semi-precious stones that are very rare and very beautiful, like alexandrite, demantoid garnet, tanzanite and aquamarine. A semi-precious stone of great quality can have a value greater than a gemstone.

Alex. Anello in oro bianco, alessandrite, tsavorite, diamanti bianchi

Dalben jewels are born on Lake Como and arrive in the USA

Published on December 9, 2021

Rings/Showroom

In Como, an Italian town on the Lake that George Clooney also likes, there is the Dalben atelier which, like the nearby body of water, is very popular with Americans and in generals to the tourists. It is the atelier of Oreste and Laura Dal Ben, who created Dalben Gioielli. The couple designs and makes handmade jewelry with simple but pleasant lines. Oreste Dal Ben is an artist applied to jewelery, while Laura is an architect. They work in a complementary way, drawing from the design school of nearby Milan, but also from the tradition of ancient art, architecture and nature.

It is a jewelry that produces valuable pieces, especially rings, sold at prices that average between 2,000 and 8,000 euros. The design and creation of the jewels including the setting of the stones, all takes place inside the laboratory and this allows a continuous quality control up to the smallest detail. Most of the Dalben jewels are sold in the USA.

Anello in oro rosa con opale australiano

Anello in oro con smeraldo di 3,82 carati

Orecchini a forma di pesci in oro con opale australiano

Margot McKinney the queen of the opal

Published on December 7, 2021

Rings/Showroom

Anello in oro, opale nero, zaffiri orange e yellow, diamanti

From Australia to the United States: exceptional pearls and opals are the work tools of Margot McKinney ♦ ︎

In Australia it is an authority and not just as a jeweler. Margot McKinney has also a certain political influence: she supports the liberals and gave the former Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, a pair of earrings that caused a sensation. But apart from that, Margot is also a woman who represents the fourth generation of jewelers. And from Australia she has quickly embarked on the road to the United States: its jewels are distributed by Neiman Marcus and a network of independent boutiques throughout the country.

To make Margot McKinney so popular is her ability to select stones and to combine them often with pearls.

In fact, Australia is a country where high quality colored stones are found and it is also a region where a large part of cultured pearls comes from. Among the stones, of course, a place of honor is occupied by opals, among the most beautiful stones in the land of kangaroos. And the combination with the South Sea pearls, among the most beautiful in the world, is often a winner. In the true sense of the word: a collection of jewels with South Sea pearls and precious and colorful gemstones has been awarded with the Prix de Marie Claire for the best Australian jewel in March 2011 and the Haute Joaillerie prize at the biennial International Opal Jewelery Awards in 2009.

Orecchini in oro giallo, con quarzo lemon, tsavorite, diamanti, zaffiri orange e yellow

Anello in oro bianco con multi acquamarina

Orecchini con topazi blu, diamanti, tsavorite, diamanti, zaffiri orange e yellow

Anello con tormalina verde cabochon e pavé di tsavoriti

K.Brunini between Sicily and California

Published on December 6, 2021

Showroom

Bracciale Twig Talon con perle di Tahiti e diamanti

The nature of Sicily and the air of California are in a mix by K. Brunini Jewels.

The Katey Brunini jewels are conceived in California. But their birth is not only tied to the West Coast of the United States State. Katey launched her jewelry design company in 1998, K.Brunini Jewels. But, she says, the desire for “a bath of history” brought her first to Europe, where she lived from the Middle East, Belgium, Israel, and the Canary Islands.

But, at the end of her wanderings, she was established in Sardinia and, later, in Sicily. After canoeing in the sea of Sicily, paragliding above Taormina, nights spent watching the constellations, in Catania Katey has decided to study the craft of the Sicilians goldsmiths. And the Etna volcanic landscape has inspired his style. Back in California, the designer has thus embarked on her personal road to the jewelry brand, where there is a mix of nature and of strong colors of Sicily and California. Opals, vivid colors and simple shapes sometimes characterize its works as Skipping Stones collection, they refer to the pictures on this page.

ù

Orecchini in osso tagliato a goccia, oro e diamanti

Anello Beloved in oro e diamante taglio rosa

Orecchini in oro, diamanti, con opale e legno

Orecchini a forma di conchiglia Nautilus in oro giallo e diamanti

Anello a forma di vertebre in oro giallo e diamanti

Two designers for Tenthousandthings

Published on November 29, 2021

Rings/Showroom

Tenthousandthings, many things together. Or, rather, many jewels created by a pair of designers Ron Anderson and David Rees, who unlike many of their colleagues are self-taught and have experience in fashion retailing behind them. Putting the clothes aside, they created Tenthousandthings and opened a workshop in central New York City, in Greenwich Village, to create anchors, bracelets, necklaces and earrings in silver and gold, along with semi-precious stones and natural pearls. The inspiration is largely directed to the natural world.

They also opened a stone carving workshop in Jaipur (India) where the two designers work with local artisans and create their shapes, some new, others traditional, completely by hand. The processing of the jewels, on the other hand, takes place in the New York laboratory, in the back of the store. The style of the jewelry is modern and traditional at the same time, with rings that often adopt cabochon-set stones, especially opals.

Orecchini con cristallo e perle di Tahiti

Ciondolo in oro con turchese Bella addormentata nel Bosco — Ciondolo in oro con turchese Bella addormentata nel bosco

Bracciale in argento spazzolato e ossidato

Anello in oro con perla barocca naturale

Freedom and jewels by Victor Velyan

Published on November 6, 2021

Rings/Showroom

Anello in oro 18 carati con tormalina Paraiba, diamanti e perle

If you meet him on one of California’s wide roads, riding his powerful Easy Rider-style motorcycle, you would never say Victor Velyan is a renowned jeweler and fine jewelry designer. But the appearance is deceiving. It is true, however, that the designer has an unconventional life behind him by jewelry standards. As a boy he played in a rock band, then spent 12 years in Africa as a safari guide. But in 1984 he returned to his homeland and started working as a diamond setter and then an apprentice jeweler. Having learned the techniques necessary to attempt a new adventure, he opened his own company, but with the idea of producing on behalf of third parties. Also because, as he says, it must be frustrating to have won over 27 awards, but under the name of other designers.

Until he decided, as often happens, to put his experience with one of his Maison to good use. Victor Velyan’s jewels, however, also hide past lives in the design. Large stones, sometimes juxtaposed in clusters, with often fancy or cabochon cuts, diamonds, paraiba tourmaline, emeralds, opals and lots of gold. Jewels that combine luxury with a musical rhythm, with the vivid colors of Africa, with the freedom of motorcycle travel.

Orecchini in oro 18 carati con smeraldi colombiani e diamanti

Anello in oro 18 carati con smeraldi colombiani

Collana in oro con opale, diamanti, tormalina Paraiba

Bracciale in oro con acquamarina e diamanti

Pendente in oro con opale nero e diamanti

Traveling with Yael Designs

Published on June 10, 2021

Showroom/bracciale/Rings

Bracciale, pezzo unico, in oro rosa con opali etiopi e acquamarina

A very personal design that of Yehouda Saketkhou and his San Francisco-based Yael Design. Starting from the name, a tribute to the disabled sister ♦

His name is Yehouda Saketkhou, and he grew up in Iran and France, but after has passionate San Francisco with Yael Designs. He make jewelry very colorful, very select, very expensive. They are one of kind pieces, in which the main material are the stones, often bold colors: blue, pink, red. The designer has the jewel in the blood: was born into a family of jewelers, he started as an apprentice in the jewelry of his uncle after his family moved to California.

The name of the House is a tribute to her sister Yael, who is disabled, who encouraged Yehouda with cutting photos with her favorite jewels. He could not resist, and was inspired by artists, more than others brand of the industry: Jar, Salvador Dali and the eccentric Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. “I create jewelry that warm the hearts of those who wear them,” he says. Since Yehouda loves to travel, he explains that his jewelry is often inspired by the architecture that meets in her move from one point to another of the world, from the Philippines to Columbia. And travel seems to be fruitful: the handmade creations of Yael have already won numerous awards. Lavinia Andorno

Anello in oro bianco, smeraldo di 2,17 carati taglio rosa, diamanti, smeraldi

Orecchini con zirconi blu e zaffiri rosa e gialli

Anello in oro rosa con rubino, diamanti, madreperla

Anello con pietra luna di 32 carati, spinelli rosa e diamanti

Bracciale con opali, spinelli e diamanti

Kimberly McDonald’s natural stones

Published on April 18, 2021

Showroom

Orecchini con opale e diamanti su oro con rodio nero

The stones, often rough, but of exceptional impact, by Kimberly McDonald ♦ jewels

Kimberly McDonald is also famous because many of her jewels went to brighten up famous clothes and skins: from former First Lady Michelle Obama to Cameron Diaz or Melissa McCarthy. But in reality her passion didn’t start with celebrities: she was born in North Carolina, she grew up collecting agate and geodes. In short, as a girl she was a lover of minerals. And this fixed idea of her stuck in her head: just look at her jewels, which seem inspired by the mineral department of a natural history museum. Her jewels, in fact, are known for the design that she uses geodes, agates, opals and diamonds in a natural version. In any case, the idea was liked.

The idea, however, liked. “Whenever the First Lady Michelle Obama wearing my jewels i am full of pride,” she confessed. “I know that she has the ability to select anything you want. And I respect her a lot and I appreciate that you have chosen my work on several occasions”. Perhaps Michelle, who is a nature lover, loves it was just the style of the jewelry, which also uses raw forms: geode, opal, emerald and agate are the first four materials with which the collections are made. That does not mean that they are less sexy, as you see in the video on this page.

Orecchini in oro con calcedonio e diamanti

Orecchini a cerchio con smeraldi su oro rodiato nero

Bracciale in macramé con geode e diamanti

Orecchini con geode e diamanti su oro giallo

Swedish Geometries in New York with Annika Inez

Published on April 15, 2021

Rings/Showroom

From Sweden with love (for design). Annika Inez comes from a Swedish family of designers, but she grew up in New York, where she attended Parsons School of Design, a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. She has not forgotten, however, the culture of origin, sober and clear, but she has combined it with muses in art and music such as Pina Bausch, Karen O, Bianca Jagger and Shirin Neshat. In short, art, research and simple but sophisticated forms. She finished school and she experimented with jewels, through the By Boe brand, which she then changed simply with her name.

The proverbial Swedish sobriety, which is wrongly mistaken for coldness, guides the creation of 14-karat gold jewelry, with small opals that often close the ends of the metal or with the addition of rounded crystals, which replace the use of stones. The natural design and the search for simple, but innovative volumes, is however the aspect that most distinguishes Annika Inez’s work.

Orecchini in oro 14 carati e gocce di vetro

Orecchini a catena in oro 14 carati e opali

Orecchino singolo in oro 14 carati e opale

Nina Runsdorf’s fossil opals

Published on April 6, 2021

Rings/Orecchini/Showroom

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Nina Runsdorf, one of the most respected luxury brands in the US, started making jewelry. She started with silver working in the kitchen of her parents’ farm in upstate New York when she was 11. As an adult, she also worked as a designer for Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic, before embarking on the path of jewelry. One of her trademarks is The Flip Ring, a ring featuring a pendant composed of a pear-shaped gem. Her new collection is called Tree Opals and uses a rare mineralized wood, 15 million years old, rendered into brilliant opals, along with diamonds and rose gold.

Orecchini in oro rosa, legno mineralizzato-opale, diamanti brown

But how can a small luxury jewelry brand survive the covid tsunami? Boutiques closed for months, distribution rests in crisis, customers closed at home … Yet the Nina Runsdorf brand in New York is an example of how you can reorganize your business. The designer, who in 2021 celebrates her Maison’s 15 years of activity, has focused on digital. And she has appointed Anne Muhlethaler, founder of the consulting firm Out of the Clouds and former communications manager of Christian Louboutin, as a consultant.

Bracciale in oro rosa, legno mineralizzato-opale, diamanti verdi

The consultant, who is based in Geneva, has helped the brand to invest heavily in social and e-commerce. In-store appointments have been replaced by video appointments on Zoom. In short: the path chosen was to take care of the website and online presence with the same attention that is normally reserved for the boutique. The cure worked.

Orecchini in oro rosa 18 carati, legno mineralizzato-opale, diamanti

Anello in oro giallo con diamanti briolette

Orecchini a frange con diamanti e smeraldi

Orecchini in oro bianco 18 carati con diamanti e smeraldi

Goshwara, drops of India in New York

Published on November 29, 2020

Showroom

India reborn with the colored gems under the skyscrapers of New York with Goshwara ♦

The Indian taste for gold and precious stones transported in the shadow of skyscrapers in New York. The result is Goshwara, Maison specializes in high jewelry collections made with colored gems. Goshwara debuted in 2007 on the initiative of Sweta Jain designer, who started to offer unique items for a selected private clients.

Anello con smeraldo intagliato, rubini e diamanti

The success convinced her to take the next step and look out to the open market. “I have noticed a lack of color in jewelry,” she explained to describe his creative philosophy. On the other hand, Sweta Jain has worked with the precious stones from childhood: the merchant father of gems has taken her around the mines in Africa to find the best bits. When she is become adult, she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology to study jewelry design. It’s all right, in fact. There is only to explain the meaning of the name, Goshwara. It was a term used in India and Persia to describe a perfect teardrop shape. A silhouette of perfect proportions that, according to Sweta, embodies the essence of femininity. The luxury curves, in fact. Giulia Netrese

Orecchini con acquamarina intagliata e tsavoriti

Orecchini con granato mandarino e rubellite

Orecchini con cristallo di rocca e smeraldi

Anello di morganite intagliata — Anello con morganite intagliata