From rich lapis and milky moonstone to subtly striated chalcedony, ornamental stones and hard stones have been a source of inspiration for aeons. But where once these ancient rocks served as accents and foils for precious gemstones, today they are emerging as the muse du jour.
Turquoise, onyx and quartzes – including the “humble” rock crystal – were stars at Couture Week in Paris, where they featured prominently in collections from Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Chanel. New York-based artist-jeweller Ana Khouri recently paired diamonds with hand-sculpted rock crystal for her lily of the valley-inspired collar necklaces and earrings, while Athens-based jeweller Nikos Koulis, who regularly leans into deco references for his “minimum styling, maximum presence” aesthetic, has introduced a suite that marries bold, frosted rock-crystal elements with diamonds; part of his experimentation with “the illusion of transparency”, he says. Rock crystal was also the starting point for Solange Azagury-Partridge’s new capsule collection of Hololith rings with tiny diamonds embedded into the translucent material, inspired by the idea of “making light physical”.
Many more fine jewellers are exploring a “rock on rock” effect. “People are increasingly interested in pieces that have a tactile quality, [and] in contrast – something polished beside something matte, something transparent beside something completely opaque,” says New York-based fine jeweller Renato Cipullo, who has introduced two new takes on his iconic 1970s gold alphabet pendant, in onyx and rock crystal, studded with a single diamond. In J Hannah’s capsule collection of one-of-a-kind “Gem drop” pendants, pear beryl, honey carnelian and grey moonstone are gorgeously celebrated with diamonds or emeralds framed against them for contrast. “Because each pairing can’t be replicated exactly, choosing one feels closer to acquiring a teeny artwork,” says the LA-based founder and designer Jess Hannah Révész, who notes that the limited releases “have sold very quickly”.
Though such stones can offer a more accessible entry point for independent jewellers in the face of rising precious-metal and gemstone prices, they also expand designers’ palette and creative possibilities, says New York-based jewellery adviser and gemologist Mirta de Gisbert. “We are seeing more fine-jewellery brands embrace the idea that they don’t need to focus only on the precious to be considered fine,” she says, also noting that clients are becoming “increasingly agnostic towards the traditional gem classifications of precious versus semi-precious”.
Ornamental stones are a defining feature of fine-jewellery label Prounis’s new Moderne collection, where beads of chalcedony, onyx and moonstone are layered with gold and diamonds in an ode to 1930s New York. “I love how no two of these stones are alike, each has a story,” says founder and designer Jean Prounis. They also offer an opportunity for designs of scale. “You are able to create a larger piece with chalcedony or rock crystal than in something like ruby or emerald,” says Prounis, who is increasingly receiving requests for bolder “statement” custom pieces – especially long “stately” necklaces – that accommodate a range of ornamental and hard stones.
For Piaget, embracing unconventional stones has long been a hallmark. The maison’s Vibrant Palace Possession collection continues the conversation. “People can focus on lapis or turquoise, but when we talk of blue we also have sodalite, dumortierite, some blue quartzes,” says Jean-Bernard Forot, the brand’s head of patrimony. “The idea was to reopen the door to all those sleeping beauties that have been a bit forgotten.”
Sodalite also appears in Pomellato’s capsule collection, Moneta Orientale, which reinterprets a 1990s archival pendant in 33 different stone-and-pavé combinations, framed in rose gold. Tiffany & Co, meanwhile, has launched a vibrant new incarnation of its HardWear fine-jewellery collection, adding a graphic pop of turquoise to the industrial-chic metal-only silhouette. And Ananya’s Phases of the Moon necklace features turquoise cabochons with natural pyrite inclusions, blue sapphires and diamonds to resemble a starlit sky.
“I love how the rough, sometimes veiny details in ornamental stones add a more grounded, casual feel to finer stones [while] diamonds elevate them and make them more elegant,” says LA-based fine jeweller Jenna Blake, who pairs diamond rondelles with turquoise, pink coral and fossilised coral in her disco ball-inspired chains.
Fine jeweller Lily Gabriella harnesses the breadth of character of hard stones in her Halo collection, using interchangeable discs in earrings to switch moods. “The graphic quality of Dalmatian jasper, the subtle shimmer of aventurine, the beautiful, painterly tones of unakite… each stone has a distinct personality,” she says.