Citrine & Sapphire

 The second is the 258-carat bright blue sapphire from the Russian crown, kept in the Diamond Fund in Moscow. The Rockefeller Sapphire, weighing 62.02 carats, sold at auction in 2001 for US$3,031,000 ($48,871/carat) resulting in per carat and total pnbe Maria1 rexxrra1 for a single blue sapphire.
The sapphire is considered the symbol of power, obedience, fidelity, chastity, and in the medieval times, it was called the "Stone of Bishop" and believed to be a stone of higher spiritual values.

 
    Apart from that, sapphire was believed to be capa­ble of alleviating pain, averting conflicts, and giving eternal life to its owners. Sapphire was once believed to provide healing properties for colic, rheumatism and mental illness. It was also considered an antidepressant. The astrologers advise to wear sapphires to people born under the signs of Capricorn, Sagittarius and Aquarius. Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the zodiac sign Taurus; 5th, 23rd, and 45th wedding anniversary stone. Star Sapphire is given for 65th wedding anniversaries. 
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, AI2O3. The presence of iron and titanium causes the blue colour. Sapphire has a hardness of 9 and excellent toughness, making it a very good gemstone for all types of jewelry. Corundum comes in all colours of the spectrum - - the red form is known as ruby, the blue form is sapphire, and all other colours are known as fancy sapphire (and are described by their colour, i.e. pink sapphire or green sapphire).

Sapphire on Sphene   
The most valuable sapphires are: velvety, slightly violet blue highly saturated in medium-to-medium dark tone, with 'sleepy' transparency. Historically the best sap­phires come from Kashmir, so Kashmir sapphires are an equivalent to Colombian emeralds in terms of reputation of colour.

A) Emil Becker, Designer        B) Ulrike Weyrich, Designer       C) Kirschweiler, Designer
There are many companies representing a broad range of gem products as well, including Constantin Wild, Groh & Ripp, Hermann Grimm, and Wild & Petsch. Moreover, there are firms special­izing in specific material like Ekkehard Schneider, who is known for his wide selection of mandarin garnet; Rolf Goerlitz focuses on exotic gems like alexandrite and demantoid; Hermann Lind II is dedicated to garnets; and Emil Weis Opals and Opal Country are all about opals. Trend-trackers hot for the latest in gem fashion also will find many choices in unique beads by such houses as Engel & Co., Rohm, Alfred Ruppenthal, and Ulrike Weyrich.

Emerald Pendant
     Emerald is often mined and sold under peril - the natural resource Colombians cherish is also coveted by underworld drug traders. The availability of fine-quality emerald is limited, and emerald was plagued in the late 1990s by negative publicity about treatments commonly used to improve its clarity.
     The Romans also loved emeralds because, as ancient scholar Pliny said, "Nothing greens greener." Pliny said that emerald was the only gem that delighted the eye without fatiguing it. He said his eyes were restored when gazing at emerald. Emperor Nero wore emerald sunglasses to watch the gladiators.

Emerald Bracelet

One legend says that Satan lost the emerald from his crown when he fell. The emerald was shaped into a bowl that the Queen of Sheba sent to Nicodemus. Christ used the bowl at the last supper and Joseph of Arimathea used the bowl to catch blood from the cross, founding the order of the Holy Grail.

The Moguls of India, including Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal, loved emeralds so much they in­scribed them with sacred text and wore them as talismans. Some of these sacred stones, called Mogul emeralds, can still be seen in museums and collections today.

Emerald is the birthstone for May, the month of springtime romance, and the anniversary gemstone for the twentieth and thirty-fifth year of marriage.

    Aiessandra Lanna, born and raised in Rome, studies jewelry at the European Institute of Design, Rome, and attends specialistic courses at Domus Academy, Milan, and Central Saint Martins, London. During those years she obtains a working placement at Swarovsky in Innsbruck, Austria, and Uno Aerre in Arezzo, Italy. She is also awarded the World Gold Council "Best Designer of 2000". The same jewel is later presented at "Donna Sotto Le Stelle", the most prestigious Italian fashion event. :

Tribal Dencers: A Pair of earrings in black and yellow gold, black diamond a emer­ald round cut, black & white feathers.
Following her studies, Alessandra moved to New York City where she had the opportunity to work for the forecasting agency MPD studio design, and express her creativity, technical skills, and live in a multicultural city full of life and resources. Among her clients Uno Aerre and Gem.net.

With the further knowledge and experience ob­tained in the USA she returned to Italy in order to design her own collection of jewelry. While applying her talents to this creative research, Alessandra continues her career as a freelance designer for Versace Jewelry.

    Alessandra defines her work, made of unique pieces in gold and precious stones, feminine yet strong. Currently she is based in Rome, designing and working closely with expert artisans - all jewelry pieces are manu­factured entirely in Italy. She is often abroad researching and meeting private clients and buyers, going to exhibi­tions, events, auctions and fairs. She goes regularly to Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, and Jaipur where she personally selects and buys precious stones for her collection. Once a year her work is exhibited at the Antique Show in Las Vegas.

Princesses: A pair of earrings in black gold, brown Tahiti pearls, round and rose cut brown diamond, brown feathers.

The most important aspect of her work is the research, experimentation, and study behind each piece. These are the things that most inspire and stimulate her to keep going. Alessandra considers her work an emotional and personal experience.

Shaun Leane is a London-based jewellery designer. He trained by ap­prenticeship in Hatton Garden working with traditional English jewellery.

Over this thirteen-year period he was immersed in the craft of goldsmithing, fashioning delicate antique pieces and using precious metals and stones. He took a break from work to take a formal course at Sir John Cass College in East London, where he studied fine art and silver smithing.

Later, he set up an independent practise in London's Hatton Garden. In 1991 he began a valuable partnership with Alexander McQueen, producing a number of pieces for McQueen's second catwalk show 'Highland Rape'. As the extravagance and scale of McQueen's catwalk presentations grew, so did the scale and elaboration of Lane's creations - to a scale that could be described as full body sculpture.Leane draws his inspiration from street culture, the club scene and urban life.

 

 
   A legend in the fine timepiece and diamond industry, Jacob Arabo has become synonymous with celebrity glamour, customized design and signature flair in his diamond jewelry and watch collections. For the Basel 2005 Watch Fair, Jacob established himself as a force in fine watch making with the unveiling of his Five Time Zone Automatic time piece, a stun­ning model befitting Jacob's aesthetic sensibilities and growing technical pursuit of perfection. A first of its kind, this mechanism, which took eighteen months to develop, offers the five time zone function plus calendar date indicator. Offering endless diamond possibilities, Jacob redesigned the classic with a dif­ferent thought in mind: the man in the three piece suit.