Ornamental hard stones such as malachite, turquoise and lapis lazuli have been part of the jewellery vocabulary from the very beginning. However, there is now a strong mood among designers to explore more unusual stones — those that are not often seen in jewellery.
“The appeal of using unusual hard stones has always stemmed from a desire to celebrate the raw beauty of the earth,” says Sophie Howard, founder of UK fine jewellery brand By Pariah. “Hard stones — often overlooked in traditional fine jewellery — have such unique personalities.”
Expressing this beauty are the tactile pendants and stacking rings in her latest collection, carved from moss agate — a stone with green, mosslike inclusions sourced from China — and Botswana agate, featuring bands of pale to warm brown tones. “Each stone holds a story; there is a thrill in working with materials that have a natural history and texture,” says Howard.
Fellow UK-based jeweller Eugenie Niarchos is setting dendritic agate in black enamel and in diamond rings and pendants, in her Venyx Noir collection. Hannah Martin has obsidian in her new The Perfect Drug collection.
Meanwhile, Lily Gabriella is using marble, as is Pomellato in its Mora and Mosaico collections. The Italian brand is working with a whole glossary of rarely used minerals, such as green skarn from Pakistan; kogolong, a milk-white volcanic mineral; sodalite, which resembles lapis; and dendritic opal (which has inclusions like dendritic agate).
In the US, Assael’s collection of strikingly colourful jaspers, tracked down by former creative director Peggy Grosz, inspired her NatureScapes collection of earrings. Sonoran Sunrise jasper, a red-orange colour with turquoise elements, is from Mexico, while peachy to yellow Maligano jasper is from Indonesia.
“The challenge for us was finding the colours we wanted, along with a ‘scene’ that related to oriental painting,” says Grosz, who has since left Assael, following its sale at the end of last year. “The NatureScapes collection reminds me of miniature paintings of nature: some are landscapes, others are seascapes or skyscapes.”
For Grosz, these ornamental and extremely wearable hard stones “are fascinating, yet non-bling”. Customers seem to like these qualities, as the trend for hard stones has grown: the collection has been expanded since she introduced it two years ago, to meet demand.
Dendritic agate is a similarly fascinating and picturesque stone. It is a milky colour, featuring brown to black branch and feather-like inclusions that look as though they have emerged from the forest — hence the term “dendritic”, meaning a branching form. German jeweller Hemmerle has a pair of oval earrings that has brown, fernlike inclusions in the stone, while Niarchos has built a whole collection around the stone, adding sparkle with diamonds.
Niarchos has worked with malachite, other agates, howlite, and softer materials, such as lava, before. But she discovered dendritic agate on a visit to the annual Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase and was captivated by its beauty.
“Each stone has its own character and intricate, almost painterly, inclusions, which tell a story within each piece,” says Niarchos. “I’ve always been drawn to unusual gemstones, particularly those less commonly used in jewellery, as they add an element of surprise and distinctiveness to my designs.”
Finding these unique stones, however, comes with its challenges, she points out, as she sources and prioritises stones with the most evocative patterns that spark design ideas naturally.
Lily Elia, founder of Lily Gabriella, has a background in fine arts, particularly sculpture, so “I’ve always been drawn to the tactile quality of materials like marble”, she explains. Although marble is traditionally associated with large sculptures, she is inspired to create “miniature sculptures that can be worn”. Setting marble cocktail rings with heliodor and rubellite gemstones enables her to blend her twin passions of sculpture and jewellery.
Marble in jewellery is rare but not unheard of. Ancient civilisations, including the Greeks and Romans, used marble in decorative objects and amulets. And, for today’s jewellers, there are several renowned marble quarries, from the iconic Carrara quarries in Italy to unique local sources in countries such as Greece, Turkey and India, Elia explains. “Each quarry offers different marble varieties, distinguished by colour, texture and veining, so there’s an inspiring array to choose from,” she says. But it is the material’s weight and fragility that makes it a unique choice.
“The material, itself, may be less costly than traditional gemstones, but the labour and skill required to cut, shape and polish the stone at a small scale for jewellery are quite intensive.”
As a result, it is not necessarily the case that jewellery featuring ornamental hard stones will be accessibly priced. Hard stones do offer a luxurious, high-quality aesthetic without the premium of precious gems. “Of course, agate is less expensive than a sapphire for example”, says Howard.
“However, working with them requires intricate craftsmanship, especially in carving and setting,” she adds. “Stones can be quite brittle and unpredictable, requiring specialist techniques and skilled artisans to maintain the integrity of the stone while shaping it to design specifications.”
As Grosz says, all jewellers are indebted to their master carvers.
