Every exclusive jewellery piece goes through a fascinating journey – from inception to creation. Here are two masterpieces by the House of Gübelin, Switzerland, set against the backdrop of interesting storylines.
The House of Gübelin, a Swiss family-owned firm, founded in 1854, is acclaimed for its high-end jewellery and gemstone expertise among others. With boutiques set up in prime locations in Switzerland and a premier salon in Hong Kong, Gübelin surprises us with two magnificent creations – woven around the beauty and lustre of rubies and emeralds.
The Blushing Beauty
Inspired by the inherent splendour of Mozambican rubies, the chandelier earrings, The Blushing Beauty, recreate the colourful vibrancy of a desert rose.
The earrings feature carefully selected two matching oval rubies – 3.10 carat and 3.05 carat — evoking the red shades of the blossom. The curvaceous chandelier earnings encrusted with diamonds are articulated to resemble delicate branches sprouting more blossoms, featuring six round rubies framed with pear-shaped entourages. The setting of the entourages with both rubies and pink sapphires, recreate a subtle colour gradient, reminiscent of the delicate blush of the flower blossoming into red, pink and white shades.
The modular earrings, which can also be worn as elegant ruby ear studs, are a product of Gübelin’s gem and design expertise.
And here’s a bit of history about Mozambican rubies that were formed some 450 to 750 million years ago deep within the earth in this region. Believed to be among the oldest of their kind in the world, the first prime specimens only began to find their way into the market about a decade ago. Today, Mozambique is one of the world’s major sources of rubies!
“As a member of the sixth generation of our family-owned company, I am very proud of the way in which we combine beauty, knowledge and artisanship,” says Raphael Gübelin, President of the House of Gübelin.
The Palm
The Palm chandelier earrings are a tribute to the emerald and its country of origin, Colombia. The fascinating structures within the 4.97-carat Colombian emerald reminded Gübelin Jewellery designers of a wax palm, the national tree of Colombia. The striking linear earrings mimic the form of the palm tree and its fronds. The white gold earrings are set with two step-cut Colombian emeralds, 4.97 carat and 5.39 carat, and a mix of fancy-cut diamonds – 32 marquise diamonds emulate the palm fronds, while the brilliant-cut and step-cut diamonds resemble the light filtering through the foliage. The chandelier earrings can also be worn as statement ear studs.
Spectacular plant-like structures (jardin) within the gem bear witness to its origins and are as unique as a fingerprint. The emerald crystal was formed millions of years ago deep within the earth and these characteristics can provide valuable information about the gemstone’s history as well as its identity, authenticity and origin. Photomicrography of the 4.97-carat Colombian emerald offered deep insights to designers about the inner beauty of the gemstone.
Emeralds are associated with fertility, immortality and eternal springtime, and specimens from Colombia are especially treasured by gemstone collectors and connoisseurs all over the world.