Kunzite is an attractive pink to lilac colored variety of spodumene. Minerals are sometimes named after those who discover them, like comets and stars. In this case, kunzite was discovered in 1902 by then Tiffany & Co’s chief jeweler George Frederick Kunz. It’s believed to be a powerful healing stone; said to reduce mood swings and depression and helps one cope with the stresses of modern life. I just like how it looks, really. And set in these earrings are beautiful samples of  large, transparent and deep pink gemstones. Quirkily contrasted by blue topaz and encircled by diamonds.

Tangerine is set to be a popular color for 2012. Energizing and exciting; a great way to start the new year! Orange hues tend to be some of the most under-used colors, but we should all find ways to inject youthfulness in our lives. Inset are bespoke earrings of trilliant cut citrines surrounded by textured yellow gold and diamond pave segments.

‘Tis the season… for getting together and reconnecting with friends and family. But what to wear?

Inset are some new items that were designed to be predominantly neutral; flexible enough to wear day and night. On top is a double strand of white cultured pearls. Which can also be worn as a long, single strand by detaching the clasps from behind. On it hangs a pendant of rose-cut, white and pastel colored sapphires set in yellow gold. The  pendant is also movable and can be worn with other necklaces; be it a cord, chain or ribbon.

These earrings are also composed of white rose-cut sapphires. Also with blue sapphires, rubies and diamonds. Of which the danglers are detachable and the tops can be worn as chic studs.

These are part of the recently launched 2011 Deux Yeux collection. Available at Firma, Greenbelt 3.

…for being able to finish another collection. Thankful also to those physically and spiritually present at the launch. Of course, among many other things to feel so blessed about.

Inset has to be one of my favorite pieces in the Deux Yeux collection. Its a necklace of lemon topaz and honey quartz with an arabesque gold detail in pave of white sapphires strung on faceted spinel beads. The yellow of lemon topaz is actually a natural color. In fact, people back in the day almost automatically labeled any yellow stone as topaz much as they would any blue stone sapphires. The now popular blue color of topaz has only been a relatively recent development with the help of man; one has to first heat treat and then irradiate white topaz in order to obtain the signature hue. But its nice to see large, natural specimens once in a while.

Available in Firma Greenbelt 3.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Shamcey wears my lotus flower inspired rose cut rhodolite garnet earrings with yellow sapphires in this month’s issue of Sense & Style Magazine. When worn, it covers a good part of the lobe. Sometimes its not just your clothes you match your jewelry with but your skin color as well. And I love how it goes well with Shamcey’s olivine skin tone. The earrings are part of the Deux Yeux collection coming out this November 11, 2011 at Firma Greenebelt 3.

The history of grand jewels is nothing short of fascinating. Stories of fabulous wealth and costly inventories of exquisite gems seem so far fetched today, and somewhat of a social sin, that when one reads accounts of court jewels from the Mughal Dynasty, Siam royalty, as well as the French and English crown jewels, one wouldn’t know if they were actually fantasy or fairy tale. From the fabulous Golconda finds, wherein the first diamonds were mined, came the largest and most illustrious of gems; providing the Mughals their playthings of pebble sized diamonds strung in massive bibs, turban ornaments, bracelets and rings, among other things…and all worn together at the same time.

A sort of exchange of European and Indian/Oriental design happened in the early 1900’s when French joalliers were commissioned by the English royal house to take apart and recreate many of the accumulated gifts from India, considered the greatest jewels in Europe then. The French artisans redesigned them into lighter, more elegant, Indian-inspired feminine pieces as the originals were mainly worn and designed for male wearers.

Magnificent pieces were produced through commissions between the 1700’s and early 1900’s by Queen Alexandra, Napoleon and the infamous Marie Antoinette to name a few, but so far as history goes, the general fate of these said magnificent jewels were either to be taken apart or redesigned according to the successive monarchs’ tastes. A majority of the French Crown Jewels was, in fact, auctioned off in 1887 to prevent a royalist coup d’etat. Parures, coronets and diadems of natural pearls, precious gems and large diamonds were dismantled and sold into numerous lots. And once they were disposed, most were never to be heard from again.

It is in these cloudy chronicles that Kristine and Paul draw inspiration for their new creations from. Wherein literal translations of these jewels would be next to impossible, the designers now attempt to reinterpret these grand designs with their own takes. “I am inspired to create pieces that give a similar feel of elegance and history using a more playful approach,” says Kristine. “I’ve also been watching Disney fairy tale based movies and listening to the soundtracks while I design. I don’t know if this has a strong influence on the outcome, but it keeps the royal mood light and fun!”

“What inspires me are the classic forms and motifs; the incredibly large stones and the formal symmetry. Which I plan to inject some movement, tension and whimsy to, to lighten the whole look,” says Paul. “During the creation process, I noticed a large part of my collection gave nod to the Mughal era; with ‘decadence’ as the guiding principle in allusion to the feel of the end product. But I made sure everything would still be wearable.”

Deux Yeux, roughly meaning “two eyes”, aims to show two different views on the discussion of court jewels. The challenge of which is to practically imagine the original pieces; even the original cuts of the gems themselves, as references to these remain scarce. It was in a time of yet unspoiled commercial society that these jewels came to be and it is in that essence of pure creativity that fueled the designers’ minds.

The collections will once again be produced applying the principles of renewable luxury. Using reclaimed precious metals and forming them into these newly inspired pieces.

Deux Yeux’s launch will be on November 11, 2011 at Firma Greenbelt 3, Friday, at 6pm. Co-presented by Ayala Malls, Moet & Chandon and L’Oreal Paris Philippines.

Glad to be in this month’s Town & Country’s list again.

The spinel earrings is at number 1.

You can click on the image to enlarge or click here to check the archive entry on spinels for a bigger view.

Thanks again to Rorie Manzano for “liking”!

Next month’s pretty exciting; big news then. But as a preview of new things to come, I’ve been sort of fixating on the Mughal dynasty lately. The look. The incredible stories. The history. And I’ve sort of taken inspiration from the jewels as well. Not to reproduce impossible pieces but to take off from them. As an example here are earrings, influenced by ancient patterns, updated and interpreted. With drop center stones about 0.75cts each set in white gold.

I like emerald cut diamonds. But they seem to have more character in larger sizes. They don’t sparkle as much as brilliant cut diamonds but possess a more subtle, ice-cube like character, for lack of a better term.  Inset is a bespoke project with components taken from several heirloom pieces and formed into one gorgeous bauble. At the center is about a 2 carat emerald cut diamond, flanked by diamonds of about a carat each. A parallel of pave diamonds go horizontally across and run down the sides of the architecturally inspired ring. When worn, all you see on top of the finger are broad flashes of white light.

Angel skin coral is characterized by its soft, even pink hue and is highly prized along with the deep red varieties. Corals were traditionally given to babies as protection against the “evil eye”. But these earrings will probably get the attention of eyes in general. It’s so delicate and feminine.