By Rachel Garrahan in New York
Colour-saturated and boldly luxurious, Ara Vartanian jewellery epitomises the passion and vibrancy of the designer's native Brazil. His one-of-a-kind pieces feature coloured gemstones and modern, geometric shapes, and are worn by some of the world's most glamorous women, including Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen.
Ara Vartanian comes from a family of jewellers, which includes his brother Jack. He is passionate about coloured gemstones and loves tracking down rare and dramatic finds. His Brazilian jewellery features a dazzling array, including Paraiba tourmalines, Pigeon's Blood rubies and tanzanites, and when he sets his heart on a gem, he is determined to make it his own. "I just have to have it," he laughs.
Read more about the history of Paraiba tourmalines here
Bold precious stones inspire bold designs, and Ara's earrings hook over the inner lobe, his coloured gemstone rings extend headlong across the hand, and diamonds are turned on their heads to create jewellery with attitude and sex appeal.
In one ring, a spectacularly intense purple-blue tanzanite is surrounded by a geometric frame of outstanding diamonds. An outsized kunzite stands proud in his octopus ring, contrasted with extravagant tentacles of black and white diamonds. And the clean lines of a tanzanite and diamond necklace sit seductively on the collarbone.
These are confident jewels for a confident woman, and Ara Vartanian jokes that he does not part from them easily: "I like it when it causes me some pain to give them away."
Read more on luxury jewellery from Brazil
