FRESH EYES
New year, new outlook — start 2018 with a sprinkling of inspiration, spirituality and peace by wearing the colour purple, in shades beautifully exhibited by these amethyst pieces
The experts have spoken: The Pantone Color Institute has announced Ultra Violet as its colour for 2018, a complex, contemplative blue-based purple that, with all hope, will provide the balm to the trying episodes that made up 2017. “We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination,” says Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman, and Ultra Violet “takes our awareness and potential to a higher level.”
This bold, intriguing colour pops up in jewellery through gemstones such as amethyst, a variety of quartz traditionally associated with enhancing creativity, mental clarity and emotional stability. Though it was once available only to royalty and commanded the same price as ruby and emerald, amethyst saw a drop in price when large deposits in Brazil were discovered during the 19th century. Its wide supply — other major deposits are located in the US, Uruguay, and Zambia — makes amethyst popular among jewellers who appreciate it as a supplementary gemstone for boosting contrast or as exceptionally vivid centrepieces in high jewellery.
Magnificent amethyst creations still perform admirably at auctions: At Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale last April, a set of necklace and matching earclips with diamonds and 280ct of electric violet amethysts by Van Cleef & Arpels garnered US$143,750, and an amethyst and lapis lazuli brooch designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany exceeded its pre-sale estimate to fetch US$21,250. Tiffany & Co., Chopard and Bulgari are among the jewellers keeping this captivating gemstone in the spotlight by presenting amethyst pieces this year through their Blue Book, Red Carpet and Festa collections respectively.