There is roughly a 10% chance of receiving a gemstone per piece of extracted ore. From the elegant, pale glow of a rosy-hued morganite or pale blue aquamarine to the fiery hue of a red spinel or mandarin garnet, these coloured gems from all corners of the globe open up a limitless world of creativity and innovation. While our whirlwind tour is by no means comprehensive, it does give some insight into the origins of where semi-precious gemstones come from around the world. Having first dipped its toe in the realms of high jewellery eight years ago, Louis Vuitton also presented an assured collection at Paris Couture based on its iconic flower monogram, blooming with a colourful bouquet of gems. If further proof is needed that the jewellery industry has wholeheartedly embraced the mesmerising beauty of semi-precious gemstones, consider the fact that esteemed houses such as Boodles, Dior and Chopard have all incorporated them into recent collections. Louis Vuitton ring from the Blossom high jewellery collection featuring an indigolite tourmaline set onto a milky petal-shaped opal (POA). Closer to home, Russia’s vast mineral reserves include deposits of alexandrite and dermatoid garnet. Also worth noting are Thailand, Peru and Chile, with the latter being a major source of deep-blue lapis lazuli. Other countries that produce coloured gemstones include India, where moonstone, iolite, aquamarine and garnet are mined in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This particular gemstone was mined in the Vermillion mine in Brazil and only three of its kind are currently available for purchase in the world, making it a true collectors’ stone. In a number of pieces, precious stones such as diamonds and sapphires are used as accents, with colour-graduated pink, yellow and orange sapphires mirroring the shifting hue of a 17.43ct Imperial bi-coloured topaz in a stunning cocktail ring. Her latest couture collection also incorporates other semi-precious stones such as topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, and rubellite, all hand-selected for their alluring colours and radiance. Born in Australia but now residing in New Mexico, she is known for her luxurious yet laidback pieces that showcase the brilliant prismatic fire of opals sourced from her home country. Their kaleidoscopic colour play makes opals a favourite with contemporary jewellery designers such as Katherine Jetter. Next, let’s head over to Australia, the world’s leading supplier of multi-coloured opals, with mines located at Coober Pedy and Andamooka in the south as well as the famous Lightning Ridge in New South Wales. The most famous mining areas are situated on the downward slopes of the central hills in the south-east of the islands.Ī 17.43ct Imperial bi-coloured topaz with a striking yellow to pink gradient is set in rose gold and surrounded by sapphires in this ring by Australian designer Katherine Jetter (POA). Sri Lankan gemstones are found in the alluvial deposits in old riverbeds, which have been covered by centuries of overlay from the eroding of the surrounding hills. The country’s mining industry is centred in the town of Ratanpura, which has been nicknamed The Gem Town. Sri Lanka is one of the world’s most gem-rich countries and is known as the “Treasure Box of the Indian Ocean” thanks to its abundant supplies of garnet, zircon, tourmaline, beryl, topaz and quartz. It makes me wonder why anyone would choose the absence of colour, when one could have the depth of fire tones, the richness of wine.” The effect is so rich and delicious, like chocolate and strawberries. Katey Brunini says: “The ring is an expression of mono-chromatics – red, on red, on rose gold. If you need further proof of how easy a slip-up like this is to make, take a closer look at the emerald-cut spinel in the K.Brunini ring from the designer’s new bridal collection, which boasts a fiery glow that more than holds it own against the adjoining two rubies. Two of the red gemstones in the British Crown Jewel collection, the 170ct Black Prince’s Ruby and the 352.50ct Timur Ruby, are, in fact, red spinels. Some of the Burmese spinels have such a deep colour and high level of fluorescence that they are easily mistaken for top-quality rubies. An emerald-cut red spinel is set in yellow gold flanked by two rubies in the Petite Vertebrae ring from K Brunini’s new bridal collection ($37,200).
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