June 17, 2017
Coloured gemstone jewellery commissions
Throughout the year we visit stone dealers in search of new gemstones for our collection. Beautiful stones are never with us for long; they are swiftly made up into bespoke commissions for clients or one-of-a-kind designs for our collection. A beautifully cut gemstone has an almost magical appeal that is hard to resist. Many of our designs are inspired by stones; from bespoke pendants set with large fancy-cut coloured gemstones to our hand-carved Arris rings, which are each individually carved from wax to suit a particular gemstone.
Clients looking to commission a bespoke piece of jewellery can choose from a wide selection of diamonds and coloured gems. We constantly add new stones to the collection. These are sourced from a handful of trusted stone dealers, including some of Europe’s finest stonecutters. A skilful gem cutter will enhance the best qualities of a stone and bring out its colour and sparkle.
These gemstones were added to our collection in the past couple of months and are a good indication of the range we keep at any given time. All of these stones have since been made into bespoke commissions or pieces for our collection. Above (from left to right) they are: black opal, cabochon pink tourmaline, Australian black opal, blue sapphire, trapezoidal green tourmaline, a large fancy-cut citrine and alexandrite.
The oval pink cabochon tourmaline was chosen by a customer for the bespoke cocktail ring commission above. It features an unusual setting, which tapers up into pointed claws around the tourmaline. Pave white diamonds sparkle from every surface of the ring and provide a brilliant contrast to the deep pink tourmaline.
The fancy-cut citrine has a lovely burnt orange colour and unusual asymmetric cut, which make it a remarkable stone. Concave grooves cut into the back create lines of light deep inside the stone. It was chosen by a customer for a commission and has been made into the pendant above. This unusual bespoke pendant combines the citrine with yellow gold, white gold and volcanic lava. Read our journal post about the lava pendant and earring commission for the full story.
The smaller of the two opals is currently being made into a carved cocktail ring, once again a commission for a customer. The ring is one-of-a-kind; hand-carved to fit the stone perfectly. Above you can see the green wax model, which is complete and ready to cast in precious metal. The opal ring continues our series of hand-carved Arris rings; each one a unique design created for a particular gemstone.
The trapezoidal green tourmaline was also chosen by a customer for a commission. The green tourmaline cocktail ring above has been hand-carved from wax and cast in 18 carat yellow gold. Yellow gold compliments the delicate pale green tourmaline. Sculptural curves and strong lines echo the shape of the stone. It is currently a work in progress and will soon be ready to set. This will be an interesting piece and we’re looking forward to seeing the finished ring.
“Emerald by day, ruby by night”, alexandrite is the colour-changing variety of chrysoberyl, which appears green/blue in daylight and red under tungsten light. Alexandrite is very rare and highly sought-after so it’s no surprise that this stone was snapped up quickly. A customer commissioned the bespoke alexandrite and platinum ring above, which has just been finished. It is the latest in our series of hand-carved rings - our most in-demand designs at the moment.
Designs are currently in progress for the large White Cliffs Australian black opal and deep blue sapphire. Keep an eye on our journal for updates on this commission.
We hope this update on our latest stones and commissions gives you an idea of what’s possible. If you’re interested in commissioning a piece of jewellery drop in to our London atelier or send us a message. We’re always happy to have a chat about options. You can work with us to design a completely bespoke piece, whether you have an idea in mind or would like us to work with you to create a new design.
Visit our bespoke page for more information, and browse our journal to see more of our commissions.