Gemstone Jewellery

28th June 2022 Astley Clarke

Where would we be without gemstone jewellery? Our wardrobes would certainly be more boring and our spiritual health might be less robust, if that is your thing.

They run the gamut from a to z, or agate to zircon; come in every colour of the spectrum and the word “gemstone” encompasses everything from the exceedingly rare – have you heard of painite? – to quartz, which you can pick up on a beach. There’s also an element of individuality to gemstone-set pieces. What you choose and why is also about the personal connection, whether you’re drawn by the stone’s colour or its energy, or both. How you style it is also a reflection of your personality, a clever way to communicate to the world who you are – all things we at AC are passionate about when it comes to jewellery.

But what is gemstone jewellery?

The very short answer is anything that’s set with gems. But the possibilities of pieces that come under this definition are endless. That Tiffany Yellow Diamond estimated to be worth $30m that Beyonce wore, and everyone became self-righteous about because it was mined in Kimberley long before that word was associated with any kind of process? That’s gemstone jewellery. One of our pretty agate-set Biography bracelets for £135? Also gemstone jewellery. Although that comparison is a tad dramatic, what it shows is that if you want something with gems on it, there is piece of jewellery out there for you whatever your tastes and budget.

What types of gemstone jewellery are there?

Again, there’s a short answer – all types. And a marginally longer one, which relates more to how gemstones can be used. Rather than look at the myriad ways gemstones can turned into jewellery, we’ll just concentrate on how we use them at AC. For bold designs we love large, faceted gemstones such as the agates and spinels in our Deco collection. The facets catch the light and make the colours really pop. We also use gemstone slices on our lockets, and some of our pendants, which creates a more muted effect or as backdrops for our North star motif. We also love to string our stones, especially when it comes to our gemstone necklaces and gemstone bracelets. We turn them into droplets, mix them with gold nuggets, encircle them with tiny white sapphires, make them into evil eyes or protective hamsas. As you can see, we love to experiment with our gemstones.

When it comes to diamonds, and our other precious stone pieces, we wholly support the idea that more is more, which is why we love pavé. This method of closely setting small stones together not only gives you more stone for your space, it also allows the jewels to refract light off each other creating designs that dance and shimmer. Kinetic, not static, that’s our motto.

Gemstone Guide

When and how should you wear gemstone jewellery?

All the time, in our opinion. Experiment with layering, try contrasting your colours, or you could always colour block. The wonderful thing about AC jewellery is that every collection is in dialogue with the others, so there’s no right way to wear the pieces. Our signature motifs, such as an encircled white sapphire or the compass and star designs inspired by our connection with the cosmos, repeat and echo each other so you can easily curate your own look by combining our different lines.

Gemstone energy

Humanity has been using gemstones for their energy since we became civilised. Records from Sumer, the earliest known civilisation located where southern Iraq is today, show that stones were used to enhance prosperity and health, while the Ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald for medicinal purposes and rituals. Wearing gemstone jewellery is a much easier way to harness a gemstone’s energy than wearing them in your bra (thank you, Miranda Kerr). It also allows you to wear the stones where you need to channel the energy. Earrings for your head and throat chakras, or a necklace for your heart. Why not choose your gemstone jewellery layers by what you need spiritually rather than sartorially? It might not boost your love life or change your luck, but it will certainly boost your confidence.

Your Guide to Gemstone