Paraiba tourmalines are one of the “youngest” and at the same time the most valuable gemstones in the world.
And every piece of jewelry with this stone is doomed to success. The first Paraiba tourmaline was found in Brazil in 1987 – less than 40 years ago – and almost immediately attracted great interest from gemologists and experienced collectors. An unusual color, ranging from deep bluish-green to “neon” greenish-blue, as well as the ability to literally glow from the inside, captivates everyone who ever sees the mineral with their own eyes. The main difference between Paraiba and other blue and green tourmalines is in the admixtures of copper. Initially, it was believed that stone deposits are available only in Brazil, but later they also began to be mined in Mozambique and Nigeria. However, it is Brazilian tourmalines that are valued all over the world above the rest.
Here are a dozen of extraordinary jewelry inlaid with magnificent Paraiba tourmalines of different shapes and shades.
Arunashi
Arunashi is a family brand, the name of which was born from the names of its founders – spouses Arun and Ashita Bora. Light Indian motifs, bold designs and beautiful gems have made Arunashi incredibly popular with Hollywood stars as well.
Each creation of the brand is a small piece of art. Like the 18K white gold mermaid brooch set with 2.2 carats of Paraiba tourmalines and 5.35 carats of diamonds.
Martin Katz
Paraiba, of course, is beautiful in itself, but a skilled jeweler will be able to choose worthy “neighbors” for a beautiful stone. This is exactly what happened with the eye-catching Martin Katz ring. The 18-carat oval center tourmaline is surrounded by a solid, sparkling pavé of 350 diamonds and smaller tourmalines.
Sutra
The founder of Sutra jewelry brand, Arpita Navlakha, hails from the Indian city of Mumbai and often uses designs in her jewelry that match her culture. For example, one of the rings is adorned with six rose cut diamond drops, which are very popular in India, and the main attention, of course, is taken by 7 pear-shaped Paraiba tourmalines with a total weight of 8 carats. The cost of the ring is fully consistent with the precious content and is $ 130,000.
Lugano diamonds
Southern California-based Lugano Diamonds is definitely committed to making its beautiful clients stand out from the crowd. The earrings in the photo feature oval Paraiba tourmalines, each weighing an incredible 23 carats. 120 tiny diamonds and 112 of the same Paraiba tourmalines became the setting for them. The upper part of the earrings is also adorned with 2 cushion-cut diamonds of 0.28 carats.
Chopard
In 2012, Chopard presented the fabulous Disney Princess collection, which included jewelry inspired by cartoon characters: Cinderella, Ariel the little mermaid, Snow White, Jasmine and others.
Despite the somewhat frivolous and even childish theme, the jewelry came out really luxurious. Among them was a necklace with Paraiba tourmalines: it was “intended” for Tiana, the heroine of the cartoon “The Princess and the Frog”, and was like one precious wreath of delicate blue flowers. Tourmalines were accompanied by tsavorites, emeralds, diamonds and cultured pearls.
Dior
Dior Creative Director Victoire de Castellane’s flight of fantasies is limitless, and she does not hesitate to bring the most daring ideas, styles and stones to life. It would seem that the more bright colors in one decoration, the greater the risk of turning it into insane fireworks without meaning and form, but Victoire knows exactly how to keep the components of everything in harmony.
The Exquise Tourmaline Paraïba yellow gold ring is a living example of such a subtle and skillful play with flowers. Its center is a magnificent Paraiba tourmaline, around which spessartines, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds are located in petals.
Spark Creations
New York-based jewelry house Spark Creations has managed to present the classic color combination – blue and white – in a very elegant and graceful form. This neat triangular pendant encloses a vibrant 5K Mozambican tourmaline surrounded by shimmering pavé diamonds. The metal is 18K white gold. The cost of the decoration is $ 85,375.
Michele della valle
Michele della Valle is undoubtedly one of the most talented jewelers today. He creates not just jewelry, but real jewelry sculptures: his extraordinary precious flowers in brooches, necklaces and earrings seem to be completely alive and are just asking for hands.
With a true love for gemstones, Michele does not strive for minimalist design, without hesitation showcasing each gem in all its glory and splendor. For example, the white gold cocktail ring is almost studded with Paraiba tourmalines, including the central cushion stone weighing more than 9 carats.
The jewelry was auctioned at Sotheby’s for $ 128,500.
Giampiero Bodino
Giampiero Bodino was born in Turin and began his career quite far from the jewelry business – in architecture. However, the designer’s love for working with forms and beautiful functional things caught the attention of Bulgari representatives. The famous Italian brand invited Giampiero to Rome – this is how the history of Bodino in the world of jewelry began.
Among the works of Giampiero Bodino there is no clearly developed uniform style: in some of them, you can find motives that return the viewer to the past for several centuries; others resort to modern and massive forms; still others simply praise the beauty of the flowers of the elements of nature.
The necklace in the photo is one of the designer’s outstanding pieces called “Baroque”. The jewelry uses 326 carats of African Paraiba tourmalines, surrounded by diamonds and a white gold setting.
