Hello and welcome to another year of blogging – one I hope will be a little more consistent.

The New Year has brought so much work, it has been hard to find the time to share some of the wonderful things that have been coming my way, but it is time to take a moment and do so.

I would like to talk about jewellery styles and diamond and gemstone choices.

Last year saw a real move from the traditional six claw solitaire. A real Deco and Nouveau revival. This trend continued through to wedding bands as well. Many of the bands we made were engraved or diamond set. It is a beautiful way to enhance a simple engagement ring (or an elaborate one) or a great idea if you want to only wear one ring.

So many of the pieces we created featured beautiful detail such as milgrain edging or intricate engraving.

It was also a year where some people were interested in moving away from the classic white diamond. We made rings featuring Sapphires, Rubies, Emeralds and Amethysts and it was also the beginning of a great interest in coloured Argyle Diamonds.

This year we are finally getting the chance to work with pink diamonds. We have used a few small ones now and then, but one of our major projects for February features a significant pink heart and it is a wonderful experience to work with this beautiful stone and create something to show it off. I will do a feature on it once it is completed. Pink diamonds of a size are a whole other critter. It is a diamond whose value only goes one way and over the six or so years I have been pricing them, I have seen an amazing increase in their price (and value). Not that that is the main issue but a question that does arise from time to time.

My personal favourite is the Cognac diamond. The colours vary from a faint peach to a deep whisky and it never fails to delight me to see something of these colours ‘sparkle like a diamond’ – which of course they are. There are yellows of course, from straw to quite vivid, however, I have to say I haven’t held any, so I can only describe them from photographs.

Now that we work closely with the wonderful team at “Origin Australia’ – the only company committed to bringing Australian Diamonds back to Australia, I hope that a rainbow of diamonds will pass through my workroom over the coming years.

I could waffle on, but I will finish with a few images of beauty instead.

Until next time

 

Melinda Nugent

www.ethicaljewels.com.au

 

 

About the Author

Melinda, a jewellery designer and qualified gemmologist, is the founder and driving force behind Ethical Jewellery Australia (EJA) and The Promised Ring.

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