Stephen Webster has firmly cemented himself not only as one of the best luxury jewellery designers Britain has to offer, but one who successfully combines classical craftsmanship with chic aesthetic, and his Zultanite collection are continuing testament to this.
Originally unveiled during the Couture Show in Las Vegas in June last year, the collection takes advantage of a Zultanite, an extremely rare color changing Diaspore found only in the remote Anatolian Mountains of Turkey. Such a rare and exciting material suits Webster's glam-rock stylings perfectly, the man himself declaring "I'm particularly interested in the phenomenon of color change stones, and it's compelling to be able to offer my customers a gem that has a point of difference from the marketplace", further enthusing "it's not one colour, it's about four… if you're looking for something out of the ordinary, they're the first thing that are going to catch your eye".
Even by looking at the pictures here, you get a sense of the chameleon-like qualities of this emerging gem, with the collection made up of scintilliating rings, earrings, and pendants all set in 18K white gold with diamonds. The centrepiece is the Sultan's Sheild, a 96.20ct Zultanite set into an eye-watering couture collar necklace; as a raw crystal it weighed 72.53 grams and under the talented eye of master cutter Stephen Kotlowski the stone took thirty hours to complete. The Zultanite is ethically mined by Ottoman Gems, ensuring that the stones are extracted with environmentally-sound techniques and without any adverse effects on the workers themselves or their communities.
For those already an admirer of Stephen Webster's exciting jewellery, it's no wonder to find something as alluring as this new gem right at home with his individual eye; for everyone else it's clear to see why he's been getting all the attention for pieces as terrific as these.
