Jeweller - May 2021

FEATURE
Coloured Gemstones
L to R: Anna Hu brooch and necklace; Van Cleef & Arpels brooch
Beautiful
The popularity of coloured gemstones continues to offer jewellers
a spectrum of possibilities – and new innovations in supply
chain transparency are making the sector even more desirable,
writes ARABELLA RODEN.
GÜBELIN CAMPAIGN; CHOPARD BROOCH
There is no denying the appeal of coloured
gemstones. From the high jewellery of Paris
Couture Fashion Week to Tiffany & Co.’s
Blue Book Collection – the centrepiece of its annual
design calendar – the spotlight in 2021 has been
firmly focused on vibrant, vivid gemstones in every
colour of the rainbow.
Soothing yet magnetic hues of blue and green, captured in
aquamarine and emerald, were emphasised at Tasaki and
David Morris, while Bucherer painted a perfect pastel picture
with soft pink and purple spinel and sapphire.
Inspired by the natural world, Tiffany’s Blue Book – themed
‘Colors of Nature’ – teemed with tanzanite, tourmaline,
and garnet.
Beyond pure creativity, the collections also reflect consumers’
– and the wider jewellery industry’s – increasing desire for a
varied palette of colour.
“Coloured gemstones become more and more important and
sought-after; they express individuality, style, connoisseurship
and add colour to your life,” says Raphael Gübelin, president
of the House of Gübelin – including Gübelin Jewellery as well
as the Gübelin Gem Lab, which specialises in the scientific
analysis of coloured gemstones.
He adds, “We recognised that people are looking for the
so-called ‘big three’ of ruby, emerald, and sapphire, and are
also interested in gems such as Paraíba tourmalines and
Padparadscha sapphires.
“In our latest Gübelin Jewellery creations you will find rubies,
emeralds and sapphires – especially fancy coloured sapphires
– often in a sophisticated combination of colours and cuts.”
Mauro Carvajal, director Colonial Gemstones – which
sources emeralds exclusively from Colombia – told Jeweller,
“Emeralds have definitely increased in popularity, and it is
getting more and more common to wear an emerald ring for
weddings and anniversaries.
Jewellery Theatre
Harry Winston
“Emerald can be sourced from different places like Zambia,
Brazil, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe and Colombia – though
Colombian emeralds are famous for their quality.”
Katherine Kovacs, director K&K Export Import, has observed
strong demand for a wide variety of gemstones: “Tealcoloured
gemstones have been a strong trend for the
past year or two and this shows no signs of slowing down,
with sales of blue zircon from Cambodia, tourmalines and
particularly Australian sapphire seeing high demand.
“I’m also personally pleased to see Australian opal of all
types enjoying a spike in popularity in the domestic market
the likes of which we haven’t seen for a number of years.”
Recent Gemfields auction results have also reflected this
increased demand.
“Coloured gemstones become more and more
important and sought-after; they express
individuality, style, connoisseurship and
add colour to your life”
RAPHAEL GÜBELIN
House of Gübelin
Adrian Banks, managing director of product and sales, told
Jeweller that Kagem – Gemfields’ emerald mining subsidiary,
based in Zambia – had recently recorded its highest auction
revenue since March 2016.
“We were very pleased to see such strong demand and
pricing. Because operations were suspended at Kagem in
March 2020, the world’s largest emerald mine produced no
new emeralds for more than a year.”
He added, “Kagem has already surpassed the aggregate
auction revenues achieved in the whole of 2020, which stood
at just $US22.4 million ($AU28.8 million) as a result of the
fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Gemfields also operates Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) in
Chaumet
May 2021 | 44