Breaking news: semi-precious gems are back in fashion. Colourful hard stones including lapis lazuli, malachite and tiger’s eye have long been sought after for their natural beauty and affordability – especially when compared to diamonds, which are set to spike in price thanks to a surge in demand against tight supply. There is a certain thrill that comes from owning something that’s centuries old and from a far-flung destination, prompting jewellers to rethink these overlooked treasures – often with strikingly beautiful results.
Taiwanese artist Cindy Chao – owner of the eponymous high jewellery brand – set semi-precious stones including aquamarines, garnets and tsavorites into one of her latest Black Label Masterpieces, playfully titled the Amour Butterfly brooch. The creation’s three-dimensional, outstretched wings are secured to a body comprised of polished ox horn, which took more than a year to source from Europe. With its green garnets enhanced by ribbons of aquamarine and tsavorite, the piece is a wondrous achievement in terms of colour and scale.
Pomellato has a history of using colourful gems including semi-precious stones. The Milanese jeweller’s Armonie Minerali collection features softly formed cabochons cut from rough blocks of rock, which were shaped in the German town of Idar-Oberstein, known as one of the world’s most important gemstone hubs. Bohemian jewellery pieces feature chunks of chrysocolla, amazonite and rhodochrosite secured by strap.
