Interviews
'Queen of Kilimanjaro' tiara on display at Royal Museum
25 Nov '08
6 min read
GEMSTONES:
Light & Stone features traditional gemstones, such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds, highlighting the surprising variety of colours of these “common” stones. This section illustrates the amazing diversity of beryl, ranging from pink morganite and blue aquamarine to the extremely rare colourless goshenite. The most well-known form of beryl is undoubtedly the emerald.
An entire case is devoted to the beauty and scope of this famous stone, featuring examples of the rare red emerald species, such as a 10-carat “pigeon's blood” ruby. One of the finest of its kind in the world, this gem is named for its intense colour, said to resemble the blood of a freshly killed young pigeon. A series of gem butterflies in all colours and styles is displayed, ranging from an antique diamond and ruby pin to a demantoid garnet butterfly with 330 garnets and 472 diamonds set in a unique ultra-light titanium mount.
The exhibition presents many uncommon gems, including extremely rare garnets, a precious stone prized for its diamond-like brilliance and found in every colour except blue. Among them, the two most desirable species of green garnets, demantoid and tsavorite, as well as other rare garnets, such as the rich orange spessartine. Sixty-three perfectly matched specimens of this beautiful stone were used in the creation of Ramona Orange, an exquisite necklace featuring a total garnet weight of 165 carats and an additional 11 carats of diamonds.
Light & Stone features an entire section devoted to tanzanites, a relatively new and rare gemstone discovered in 1968 by Maasai herdsmen in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Tanzanite can be found in shades of blue, red or brown, although the most common colour is violet-blue. It can also appear a different colour depending on the direction it's viewed. Another new species is the surprising electric blue Paraíba-type tourmaline.
Discovered in the 1980s, Paraíba-type tourmalines came from Paraíba State in northeastern Brazil. This stone is extremely rare and by far the most valuable of the tourmalines. Another notable highlight is the Paraíba parrot brooch that showcases a 7-carat faceted Paraíba-type crystal, with “feathers” composed of diamonds and 119 tourmalines, totalling 31 carats in weight.
GEMS AS ART:
Light & Stone includes stunning vintage examples of custom gem-carving, a practice that dates back thousands of years, plus modern examples that show how gems continue to inspire today's master sculptors and artisans. Mr. Scott acquired numerous carvings and sculptures from the renowned gem-carving villages of Idar and Oberstein in southwestern Germany. While it is unknown when the gem-carving tradition began in these villages, some believe it may date back to the ancient Romans.
By the early 20th century, these cities were producing very sophisticated carvings, including animals sculpted out of ruby, opal and labradorite. Over 15 of the finest examples of Idar-Oberstein carving and faceting known today are on display here, including Repose, a stunning piece carved from 9,000 carats of quartz with a gold draping on an obsidian base. Created by Idar-Oberstein artist Gunter Petry in 1991, the intricate sculpture appears to be suffused with light.
Light & Stone features traditional gemstones, such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds, highlighting the surprising variety of colours of these “common” stones. This section illustrates the amazing diversity of beryl, ranging from pink morganite and blue aquamarine to the extremely rare colourless goshenite. The most well-known form of beryl is undoubtedly the emerald.
An entire case is devoted to the beauty and scope of this famous stone, featuring examples of the rare red emerald species, such as a 10-carat “pigeon's blood” ruby. One of the finest of its kind in the world, this gem is named for its intense colour, said to resemble the blood of a freshly killed young pigeon. A series of gem butterflies in all colours and styles is displayed, ranging from an antique diamond and ruby pin to a demantoid garnet butterfly with 330 garnets and 472 diamonds set in a unique ultra-light titanium mount.
The exhibition presents many uncommon gems, including extremely rare garnets, a precious stone prized for its diamond-like brilliance and found in every colour except blue. Among them, the two most desirable species of green garnets, demantoid and tsavorite, as well as other rare garnets, such as the rich orange spessartine. Sixty-three perfectly matched specimens of this beautiful stone were used in the creation of Ramona Orange, an exquisite necklace featuring a total garnet weight of 165 carats and an additional 11 carats of diamonds.
Light & Stone features an entire section devoted to tanzanites, a relatively new and rare gemstone discovered in 1968 by Maasai herdsmen in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Tanzanite can be found in shades of blue, red or brown, although the most common colour is violet-blue. It can also appear a different colour depending on the direction it's viewed. Another new species is the surprising electric blue Paraíba-type tourmaline.
Discovered in the 1980s, Paraíba-type tourmalines came from Paraíba State in northeastern Brazil. This stone is extremely rare and by far the most valuable of the tourmalines. Another notable highlight is the Paraíba parrot brooch that showcases a 7-carat faceted Paraíba-type crystal, with “feathers” composed of diamonds and 119 tourmalines, totalling 31 carats in weight.
GEMS AS ART:
Light & Stone includes stunning vintage examples of custom gem-carving, a practice that dates back thousands of years, plus modern examples that show how gems continue to inspire today's master sculptors and artisans. Mr. Scott acquired numerous carvings and sculptures from the renowned gem-carving villages of Idar and Oberstein in southwestern Germany. While it is unknown when the gem-carving tradition began in these villages, some believe it may date back to the ancient Romans.
By the early 20th century, these cities were producing very sophisticated carvings, including animals sculpted out of ruby, opal and labradorite. Over 15 of the finest examples of Idar-Oberstein carving and faceting known today are on display here, including Repose, a stunning piece carved from 9,000 carats of quartz with a gold draping on an obsidian base. Created by Idar-Oberstein artist Gunter Petry in 1991, the intricate sculpture appears to be suffused with light.
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