Opalescent jewelry

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Winged heart opal brooch, Pre Raphaelite (Arts & Crafts) tiara (1900s) and William Morris’ illustration. Opalescence is the optical property of a transparent or translucide material which gives it an aspect or a milky color with iridescent reflects like the … Continue reading

Paraiba tourmaline jewelry

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Paraiba tourmaline is a copper-bearing tourmaline. The name comes from the location where the stone was discovered : in the Brazilian state of Paraiba (city of Sao Jose da Batalha). This fine gemstone had been found in 1989 by the miner Heitor … Continue reading

Marco Bicego jewelry

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Inspired by his Venetian roots, the Italian jewelry designer Marco Bicego creates wonderful 18 karat gold jewels decorated with colored gemstones. Each piece of jewelry is unique since the manufacture is handcrafted. The Italian craftmanship is highlighted through Marco Bicego’s … Continue reading

ILA Collection jewelry

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Ila Collection was founded by the Indian brother and sister Vikas and Ila Sodhani in 2007. They draw their inspiration from Indian culture, designs, architecture, ornaments and craftmanship. For 8 years, Ila had been designed high-end diamond jewelry with her … Continue reading

Pippa Small jewelry

The London-based jewelry designer Pippa Small creates beautiful “organic, ethnic and ethical” jewels. The shapes are unregular because she works on the original shape of the stones. Respecting the organic nature of the stones characterizes her work. Very careful to the details, each stone is personally chosen by Pippa Small. Each piece of jewelry is unique. Committed jewelry designer, Pippa Small undertakes ethical projects : she works with communities,  indigenous, tribal and traditional crafts persons to develop jewelry lines.

Enregistrer

Enregistrer

The jewelry designer Alice Cicolini

Alice Cicolini is a British jewelry designer inspired by Indian designs and using the Meenakari traditions. She had been Director Arts & Culture for the British Council in India. She used the sacred architecture and patterns of the Silk Route as an inpiration for her jewelry. All the jewels are handmade in India ; the studio of Kamal Kumar Meenakar uses the meenakari enameling traditions. The jewels are real pieces of art : patterns are engraved into 23.5 carat gold to the reverse of the jewels and colored with enamel. The jewels are decorated with gemstones.

Alice Cicolini’s work pays a tribute to the Meenakari jewelry. “Enameling or Meenakari is the art of colorings or decorating a metal surface by attaching or fusing pieces of different mineral substances, over it.” “Enamel is a combination of ground, pigmented glass and metal, heat fired into the recesses created by the engraving and then polished with agate stone.” “More commonly, enamel is applied to the reverse of jewels, where the precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds are privileged at the forefront.”

A mosaic of blue gemstones

mosaiques pierres bleues

Apatite is a calcium phosphate mineral. It is the most widespread phosphate in the  nature. The name Apatite derives from Greek “apatein” meaning “misleading” because this gemstone was confused with other minerals like tourmaline, peridot, emerald or aquamarine. Surprisingly, Apatite is the main constituent of bones and teeth!

Apatite can be blue, green, brown, yellow, violet, pink or colorless. This gemstone is found in Brazil, Burma, Mexico. The violet and purple ones are found in Maine and Afghanistan. My favourite varieties of Apatite are : neon blue apatite and Paraiba apatite. Besides, Apatite is believed to have calming, comforting and stimulating properties.

Anne Sisteron’s earrings

Jamie Wolf jewelry

Jamie Wolf is an American fine jewelry designer based in New York City. Her jewels in 18kt gold are decorated with precious and semi precious stones (white topaze, tourmaline, amethyst, quartz…). Her jewelry’s shapes are feminine, elegant and inspired. I love particulary the “Aladdin” and “Scallop Pavé” collections. All the pieces are made in New York. She realizes also engagement rings by request. The website : http://jamiewolf.com/

Iolite jewelry

Iolite is a magnesium aluminium silicate and has a blue-violet colour. This fine gemstone is found in Brazil, India, Madagascar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and in the United States. Furthermore, the name comes from the greec word “ios” meaning “purple”. The Viking sailors used the iolite as a polarizing filter in order to find the sun during cloudy days.

Amethyst jewelry

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Amethyst belongs to the macrocrystalline branch of the quartz group of  minerals. The amethyst’s colour varries from purple and violet to pale red-violet. Its colour comes from the iron and aluminium impurities. Furthermore, this fine gemstone is found mainly in Brazil … Continue reading

Blue topaz jewelry

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Topaz is an aluminium silicate containing fluorine and hydroxyl. Purely, it is colourless (white) ; it is the impurities which cause the variations of colour. “Topaz ranges from colourless to yellow, orange, red-brown, light to dark-blue, pink to red, violet … Continue reading