Rare & Precious Rings Jewellery Wedding and engagement rings Musson Jewellers Pink Diamonds Argyle Diamonds fine jewels MDT Design Platinum rings Engagement ring design Levendi Jewellers contemporary or clasical ring design Diamond quality carat rarity

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So Rare,

So Precious

Jewellery is the definitive expression of the heart. Alluring, mysterious, since the dawn of civilization, the eye has been drawn to Nature’s most precious gems and lustrous metals. The desire to embellish the human form with beautiful jewellery is a universal trait that stretches across cultures and continents. On the following pages, we explore the very fabric of desire with some of the most beguiling jewels imaginable.

“More and more people are asking about pink diamonds so it’s wonderful that the awareness is growing about this rare and unique
Australian beauty.”

- Nadia Neuman, Mondial Jeweller -

Musson Jewellers

Every bride dreams of a truly unique engagement ring and heart-stopping wedding jewellery. More and more, the same is true of her husband-to-be. Gone are the days when the bejewelled bride steals the show while her quiet and retiring gentleman settles for a plain gold band. Today’s bride and groom, whether reserved or outlandish, are making the most of the latest technology to create bespoke jewellery that is as unique as their romance itself. In search of inspiration, we’ve asked some of the country’s foremost experts for their thoughts on rare and beautiful stones.

“For grooms, there’s a trend toward unusual cars or clothes – and I think men have begun to cotton on to the concept that jewellery is the ultimate expression of individuality,” muses Olivar Musson. This trend is realised in the form of one of the world’s great wonders – coloured diamonds.

Famous for its pink diamonds, the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia’s Kimberley is the world’s richest source of pink diamonds. These are considered to be the rarest stones on earth. The Argyle Pink comes in many different shades, from a lightly stained rose to a deep vermilion. This is not the only mine in the world to produce pink diamonds, but the Argyle mine is known for the vibrancy of its stones, and it is the only location in the world where pink diamonds are found in deeper shades. In search of these divine diamonds, Argyle has delved deep below the original pit mine, and has discovered new reserves that are expected to last at least until 2018. This prediction, though optimistic, has done little to curb the feeling that the supply of the pink diamond may well be about to expire – leaving only the stones that are already adorning the jewellery of the elite. MDT Design

“I really love Argyle pinks. Knowing that they are so rare and precious – but also that they’re a part of the Australian earth, I love to think of Australians wearing them.”

– Paul Stewart, Independent Jeweller –

MDT Design

Despite their reputation for being the rarest diamonds, the uniqueness of the pink can be eclipsed by the brilliance of vivid blue and green diamonds. While lightly tinted stones of blue and green are exquisite, the true heart-stoppers are the vivid tones that border on iridescent. These make up only a fraction of the coloured or fancy diamonds on the planet – and like pink diamonds, iridescent blues and greens are known as ‘investment stones’ – that is, their value appreciates.

However, while the trend toward individuality may have been led by the world’s most valuable gems, that doesn’t mean it’s limited to diamonds. For many connoisseurs of fine jewels, the appeal is as much about the setting as it is about the stone. In this regard, highly valuable stones like pink and vibrant blue or green diamonds can be limiting. “They’re always cut for maximum stone weight,” reveals Anthony Bates of the Scientific Gem Testing Laboratories in Melbourne. “Every sliver of the diamond is so valuable, the key goal when cutting is to retain as much of the original stone as possible.” While this approach ensures that the coloured diamond market is filled with unusual shapes and cuts, it also dictates style to a large degree. MDT Design

“It’s something you have to work with,” says Paul Stewart. “Like the size of the finger, the style and profile of the ring a client wants – it’s just another facet of the design.” However, this potential limitation can also be the inspiration for a unique piece. In fact, every gem has its own properties and limitations, so this challenge is not unique to coloured diamonds.

“I think we’ll be seeing a lot more coloured stones. Pink diamonds, rubies, garnets, sapphires – I feel that there needs to be colour.”

– Nicholas Theochari, MDT Design –

Levendi Jewellers

Among the rarest and most precious stones on earth are emeralds. Carat for carat, these are often more valuable than white diamonds of a similar quality. Being prone to fracture and responding poorly to heat, the emerald can prove to be a difficult stone to work with. This, perhaps, is why jewellery that features the deep green hues of an emerald is thought of as being tremendously valuable. Once set, an emerald ring embodies not only the rarity of the stone itself, but also the exacting hours of dedication that have gone into creating a setting that is both practical and beautiful.

Sapphires, rubies and diamonds are more durable, so they’re more often seen in cutting edge designs. Tension settings and princess cuts are more appropriate for these stones because they’re less likely to be damaged by the techniques applied to create these shapes. For those in search of the avant-garde, harder stones may offer your designer more freedom to be creative.

In recent years we’ve seen a trend toward interesting metallurgic trends. Ancient techniques like the Japanese wood-look mokume gane imbue metals with appealing visual qualities, and they’ve made a resurgence recently at the higher end of the market. “Platinum is moving more and more,” says Nicholas Theorchari. “It doesn’t discolour like white gold can, and it’s versatile.” Titanium is also an occasional element in engagement jewellery, although many people still prefer the weight of a gold ring.

“Design is important,” agrees Paul Stewart, “But longevity is a consideration too. Engagement jewellery will be worn every day, often for fifty-plus years – so the challenge is to create settings that are as robust as they are beautiful.” This has led designers to experiment with emerging technologies, and the results speak for themselves. Today’s bride and groom can choose from anodized metals in any colour, stones cut to any shape and settings as contemporary or classical as the imagination can conceive. One thing is for sure. In the modern age where art is shaped by technology, jewellers catering to luxury brides will continue to push the boundaries and expand the very definition of beauty.