Aquamarine Necklace
The central element of this necklace features a 45-carat aquamarine designed and cut by famed German stonecutter Bernd Munsteiner.
The aquamarine is set in a curving, pagoda-like platinum cage, flanked by “Erotik” cut yellow beryls and “Spirit Sun” cut aquas, all by Bernd Munsteiner. The yellow beryls are set in mirror image, matched pattern yellow and gray gold mokume mounts with platinum detailing.
“Balance Beam” – 1996
Each year, the American Jewelry Design Council challenges its members to create one-of-a-kind pieces for an annual exhibition of jewelry art. The theme for this project was “Cube”. Each member was given one-inch cubes of black jade to incorporate in their piece.
I used the cubes to support an elaborate 22k gold repousse’ fish bead cradled in mahogany obsidian. The cradle is balanced on the points of verdite cones resting on the jade cubes. The cubes in turn balance on an 18k gold beam. A fused black glass base anchors the piece.
Pink Topaz Necklace
The focal point of this necklace is a very rare and beautiful 25ct pink topaz with an interesting history. The stone was part of a deposit of rose-red to violet-blue crystals discovered in the early 1700’s in the Bakakin gold-washings on the Samarka River in Russia. It first appeared as a cut piece in an art deco diamond necklace made by Boucheron, circa 1930. In the 1980’s the owner of the necklace inexplicably separated the topaz from the necklace and sold it. I discovered it some years later in a collection of gem and mineral specimens.
The stone is so spectacular that side stones are superfluous. I mounted it in a “jewel box” of pattern-matched panels of yellow gold and platinum mokume with red gold, yellow gold and platinum detailing to accentuate the color of the stone.
A hand made gold and platinum chain connects the “jewel box” to a gold and platinum clasp mounted with a “cabochon” of symmetrically patterned mokume and diamond and sapphire side stones.
