Stephen Webster Couture Zultanite Collection
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.