Page 24 - April 2016 Life In Naples Magazine

LIFE IN THE FACET LANE
TSASVOavRoIrTinEgbyDianaJarrettGGRMV
T here aren’t many ‘newly discovered’ gemstones. Most gems have been
around for centuries if not thousands of years. But the earth has not given
up all its treasures. Every so often, someone stumbles upon a new stone
that upsets the whole idea of what are precious stones.
WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT
Such is the story of tsavorite. (Say săv-o-rite) The stone is a relative newbie THE MOST DAZZLING GREEN
in the gem world. It was discovered quite by accident in the latter half of the
20th century by a British geologist kicking around the East African bush.
Some peculiar nodules spread over the landscape that he stumbled upon bore
shiny green bits. These sparkly rocks turned out to be a rare green garnet that
was eventually called tsavorite in a nod to the Tsavo National Park near its
place of discovery.
THE DESIGNER’S EYE
Couture jewelry designer Laura Jackowski-Dickson, of LJD Designs
happens to love these verdant treasures. She’s also a graduate gemologist and
understands the value of these rare green jewels. According to Jackowski-
Dickson, “It is difficult to acquire top quality tsavorite.” So imagine the
challenge facing her when she set out to create a pair of tsavorite earrings.
Contact Diana Jarrett at diana@dianajarrett.com and read color-n-ice.blogspot.com www.dianajarrett.com
RIPPLED SAND PLATINUM EARRINGS
WITH WHITE DIAMONDS AND TSAVORITE;
COURTESY LJD DESIGNS
Not only did she have to search for equal quality
stones, but the sizes had to match. Was it difficult
to find a perfectly matched set of tsavorite for
her earrings, we wondered? “Oh yes, like finding
a needle in a haystack,” she revealed. “We went
through about a hundred stones to match them
up; cut, carat weight and size, quality, and color.
That’s why I chose platinum as the metal.”
YOU NEVER HEARD OF
According to her, the general public and even
jewelry collectors are not so savvy about tsavorite.
But she does her part to present this jewel in its
proper light. “Tsavorite garnet is definitely an
underappreciated and little known stone. I find
it much more appealing to the eye in color than
an emerald.” Once people learn about this gem
and hear the remarkable back story, they can
develop a real appreciation for it. Designers like
Jackowski-Dickson who understand the value
of this exceptional stone are on the forefront of
exposing collectors to its charm. “I think when it
is presented as an exotic gem people take more
of an interest in it. But yes, it has a way to go
before it becomes the new sought after stone.” 3