I'm in love with the Louis Vuitton necklace in the second to the last pic which IMHO is the most spectacular piece in the lineup, and I must say the article ended very abruptly on my monitor and there may be more to the story that didn't load on my system so you might want to use the link to see if it continues beyond where it cut off on my screen, and if there's more please LMK.
Did Taylor Swift just make opals cool again? Miles Teller’s wife Keleigh Sperry gifted her a ring we can’t stop talking about – though designers at Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton are all old fans
STORYAnnie Brown
Feb 13 , 2024
Taylor Swift at her 34th birthday party in New York with Sabrina Carpenter and wearing an opal ring. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram
"Whether it’s visions of the jewellery worn by a terrifyingly ancient great aunt or of a touristy gift shop on an 90s family holiday to Australia, opals have some major preconceptions to shake off.ior’s Victoire de Castellane, Kim Jones at Fendi and Francesca Amfitheatrof of Louis Vuitton are all opal fans, with LV ambassador Ana de Armas spotted in the Rupture necklace from the Deep Time collection
Australian designer Sarah Gardner, Danish jeweller Orit Elhanati and Los Angeles-based Suzanne Kalan are among the smaller brands leading the trend for the mesmerising stone
Luckily, the mesmerising stone, found all over the world but mostly in Australia, is enjoying a major resurgence. Not least because Taylor Swift was spotted wearing a new pear-shaped opal ring, which looks to be surrounded by blue topazes, at her birthday bash in New York in December. The ring was a gift from friend Keleigh Sperry, who also happens to be actor Miles Teller’s wife.
Ana de Armas, with an opal as the centrepiece of Louis Vuitton’s Rupture Necklace, another sign that the stone is returning to favour. Photo: Handout
For others, such as Victoire de Castellane, the creative director of Dior Joaillerie, they’ve always been a favourite. Indeed de Castellane once said that she loved them because they contained every colour in the world. Not a bad claim for any gemstone.
Collections for the maison, such as Dior et d’Opales, have centred on the stone, while Kim Jones featured opal jewellery in his debut haute couture collection for Fendi, and former creative director of Gucci and ultimate magpie Alessandro Michele is an enormous fan.
They’re also beloved by Francesca Amfitheatrof, artistic director of jewellery and watches at Louis Vuitton. One of the most significant pieces in her Deep Time high jewellery collection this year was the Rupture necklace, modelled by actress and LV ambassador Ana de Armas in a recent campaign. It features a rivière of 33 brilliant-cut purply-brown zircons – the oldest stone in the world and not one typically found in high jewellery – 15 oval-cut opals, and a triangle-cut sapphire set into a chunky gold chain.
A bold and unusual move in high jewellery, the necklace fits with how jewellers around the world are returning to viewing opals with the esteem they held during the art deco and art nouveau periods.
Suzanne Kallan earrings. Photo: Handout
Los Angeles jeweller Suzanne Kalan is one such contemporary designer to work with opals, with the launch of a new collection of drop earrings and cocktails rings that use vibrant multicoloured opals set with coloured gemstones, and in her signature “Fireworks” baguette diamond setting.
For Kalan though, opals have long been a source of wonder.
“Opals have captivated my fascination for many years. Their beauty lies in their uniqueness – no two stones are ever the same, each with its own distinct dance of colour and light. The way they capture and play with light, revealing a spectrum of hues with each movement, is truly mesmerising. It’s like holding a fragment of a galaxy or a rainbow in your hands,” she says.
Still, making clients desire opals again comes with its challenges. Mostly, Kalan says, because of their “traditional” image.
L’ Amore Oceania Earrings from Elhanati, in opal and gold. Photo: Handout
“However, by infusing them with my signature modern designs, I’ve been able to showcase their vibrant beauty in a fresh light. This approach has resonated well, generating renewed interest and appreciation for these timeless gems.”
Kalan believes a particular kind of person is drawn to an opal – definitely someone with a strong sense of their own personal style. So far she says her own clients have been particularly drawn to her Mexican Opal rings and Opal Doublet drop earrings.
“The ideal customer for our opal pieces is someone who possesses a distinct sense of style, someone who appreciates the blend of elegance, chic and contemporary flair,” she says.
“They are individuals who understand and value the uniqueness inherent in each opal, the subtle differences that make every piece one-of-a-kind. Additionally, our opals attract collectors drawn to the rarity and diverse beauty of these stones, cherishing them not just as jewellery, but as unique works of natural art.”
Sarah Gardner opal necklace. Photo: Handout
Danish jeweller Orit Elhanati of the handmade jewellery brand Elhanati says opals have a certain kind of magic to them. She agrees that clients are seeing them as a form of art and expression of personal style.
“I’ve found that opals really come to life when set in yellow gold. There’s a kind of cosmic reaction that happens, almost cinematic. It’s something really decadent and special. The same magic doesn’t happen with white or red gold. For me, these wonders unfold when opals mix with 18k yellow gold,” she says.
“I aim to create jewellery that is not just ornamental but also a form of art. My clients look for something truly special, a piece, a stone that no one else has. It’s about crafting a piece that resonates personally with them and using the opal to work creatively around this.
“I do a lot of bespoke jewellery, including bridal and wedding rings. My clients want something that is special and can be treasured for life. I love combining opals with yellow gold and diamonds, catering to a clientele that appreciates a more bohemian chic style. Something the opal really brings to the table.”
Louis Vuitton high jewellery necklace with an opal as its centrepiece, modelled by on Ana de Armas. Photo: Handout
Australian jeweller Sarah Gardner is another major fan of opals. The Sydney-based jeweller has worked with the stones for more than 25 years and they are the highlights of her signature “splice rings” – a joyous cacophony of opals and colourful gemstones. She too loves that no two opals are the same.
“I love everything about opals. I’m completely opal obsessed. I love that each one is unique to the next. I love the play of colour and magical feel to them and I love that the opals we use are the most sustainably mined gems. Opal fields have to be returned to a safe, stable and self-sustainable state via land rehabilitation,” she says.
She says there has been a marked surge in the popularity of the stone in the past five to seven years, something she thinks is because of their “one-of-a-kind beauty”. Working with full transparency over her opal supply chain is something she says clients are appreciating more too.
Elhanati Large Oceania earring in 18k yellow gold and opal. Photo: Handout
Working with opals for so long, since well before they regained their popularity, means Gardner feels a special affinity with them.
“I was lucky enough to have trained on opals over 25 years ago, long before they were accepted by the Australian public and at a time when hardly any jewellers were willing to work with them. Through this I have made many friends and contacts within the opal world,” she says.
“I have been able to work closely with miners and cutters and will have regular meetings to view new material and either cut pieces to suit my design or work the natural, organic shape into my work. I work with them in an intuitive way and as woo woo as it may sound, I feel like they let me know what I’m meant to do with them.” "
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