What makes a gem treasured? There are solely 4 gem stones that get that distinction: diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. In keeping with geologists, these stones possess the minerals that mix the best levels of magnificence, hardness, sturdiness and rarity. Valuable stones in jewellery have fascinated mankind for the reason that daybreak of time. Earlier than written language and even the spoken phrase, there was jewellery. British archaeologist Archibald Campbell Carlyle stated of primitive man, “The primary religious need of a barbarous man is ornament.”

However jewellery is greater than a mere decoration, a flash of money or historic heirloom in a museum or gathering mud in a protected. Jewellery symbolizes a lot greater than that — it’s a image of our separation from the animal kingdom and our want to seize and recognize magnificence.

Excessive jewellery — or in French, haute joaillerie — refers to the costliest items of jewellery out there from the big-name homes, lots of that are one-of-a-kind; value thousands and thousands resulting from supplies, workmanship and signature, and embrace extraordinarily helpful gem stones as distinctive options.

The formal excessive jewellery exhibits occur in Paris in the course of the Haute Couture exhibits, and each exemplify the very best in creativity and supplies, and supply designs that drive the creativeness past the potential. However the highest type of jewellery artwork does greater than encourage fantasy and creativeness: It additionally retains outdated craftsmanship alive, and gives a tangible and transportable strategy to protect investments. 

Right here, WWD showcases items made out of the best treasured stones — diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies — crafting beautiful, one-of-a-kind items that dazzle the attention and keep the uncommon artwork that goes again centuries.