Australiana

If you think Australiana and immediately think 'opal' , we understand , after all 95% of the worlds supply of Opal comes from Australia - indeed many fine pieces can be found in Jewellery By Design showcases. The fire and brilliance of each opal is unique to itself and at Jewellery By Design we take this into account, too many fine opals are badly set into designs which just do not suit them , at Jewellery By Design we believe it is imperative to design jewellery which compliments and highlights the natural beauty of Australia's 'rainbow stone' reflecting the individual characteristics of each opal through design.

Outback adventures

Whilst Opal is rightly perhaps Australia's most famous resource , at Jewellery By Design the list continues , The natural nugget ring opposite almost glows with the heat of the outback. As with all of our jewellery the ring opposite is as much a product of design as it is of natural beauty , each nugget is studied by our designers who will decide the best way to bring out its inherent qualities - often intangible until design and the craftsman's skill merge to bring you Australia's most fascinating and unique jewellery.

18ct yellow gold and natural nugget ring

Moonlight

Arabic legend tells us that pearls were formed when raindrops filled with moonlight fell into the ocean and were swallowed by oysters.

You do not need to travel to Broome to see some of Australia's finest pearls , Jewellery By Design pay the same careful attention to design and quality when dealing with pearls as with all of our creations , as with opal - many fine pearls are set or stringed with no attention paid to design , fine round pearls will often suit a simple design that does not try to overcome the beautiful lustre that has made pearls one of the worlds most desirable gems. Semi baroque and baroque(irregular ) pearls can look stunning as a simple pendant or earring , or can be transformed by design into a unique and beautiful creation.

Pearls would not be out of place in our colours section , Black , Pink , Golden and silver pearls are a major feature of Jewellery By Design boutique , in addition to our South sea collection , Jewellery By Design stock a fine range of cultured pearls from around the world , we are also happy to produce a design for your own pearls bring them in and talk to our friendly design team.

The pearl earrings featured opposite are a fine example of simple yet effective design , with a handmade 18ct gold setting which does not try to overcome the simple beauty of pearl.

18ct yellow gold and natural South sea pearls

Pearls

Pearls were once considered an exclusive privilege for royalty. A law of 1612 drawn up by the Duke of Saxony prohibited the wearing of pearls by nobility, professors, doctors or their wives , the Pearl was the favoured gem of the wealthy during the time of the Roman Empire. This intriguing gift from the sea had been brought back from the Orient by the Crusaders. Roman women wore pearls to bed so they could be reminded of their wealth immediately upon awakening.

Today at Jewellery By Design anyone can own a stunning piece of Pearl jewellery , be it from our range of strung and set natural South sea or the finest cultured Mikimoto Pearls , or designed especially for you using your own pearls or pearl jewellery or by choosing a pearl from our own constantly changing stocks.

Baroque or irregularly shaped pearls , often make beautiful subjects for rings and pendants because of their unique flowing form , the ring opposite is a product of Jewellery By Design designers and craftsmen , with an unusual but complimentary combination of Diamond , natural emerald and a Keshi Pearl.

18ct Yellow gold Keshi Pearl with .85ct Emerald , .025ct Diamond

The Queen of Gems

In Twelfth Night Shakespeare referred to opal as "the queen of gems." , in Sir Walter Scott's Anne of Geierstein. The heroine owned an opal that burned fiery red when she was angry , these and other romantic notions are inspired by one of the most uniquely beautiful and dramatic gemstones nature has ever produced , Opal.

Like pearl , Opal deserves to be displayed to its full potential , at Jewellery By Design every opal design takes into account the individual characteristics of the stone the black opal opposite set into white gold , in contrast to the dark green and blue fire of the stone itself , highlighted with , the finished product , a unique and beautiful pendant

Australia is today the worlds most important source of opal , usually found in sandstone or claystone , deposits are spread over a wide area, with little clue to their location. Mining is done on a small scale with hand-operated machinery and small tools.

18ct white gold opal and diamond pendant, 1 x 2.16ct opal, 1 x 0.03ct diamond , 6 = 0.16cts channel set diamonds

Australian Opal

The most valuable variety of opal is black opal , however white opal with the right play of colour can be just as stunning . Fire opal is fairly transparent, but its background colour may be yellow, orange, red or brown , often called Mexico opal although Australia also produces Fire Opal , in fact you can come and see white , black , crystal and fire opal in our Perth and Joondalup boutiques where we stock set and unset stones.

You may have opal that you want resetting - we can even arrange re-cutting of suitable stones , or let us design a piece of jewellery using the stones of your choice. Whichever way you go you can be assured of our commitment and service.

The White Opal brooch opposite displays a subtle but distinct play of colour which can not be recreated on camera , why not come in and see for your self at our Perth or Joondalup boutiques. Using matte and highly polished 18ct yellow gold highlighted with Diamonds - another Jewellery By Design creation.

18ct yellow gold opal , 1 x 3.69ct solid white opal, grain set with 17 = 0.55ct diamonds

Inspired by Nature

These pages can give you only a glimpse of the diversity of Jewellery By Design use of Australia's natural resources , the list of possibilities is even longer , at Jewellery By Design we are also inspired by Australia's natural beauty , and often this is reflected in our jewellery design.

Opposite is an 18ct yellow gold Diamond set gum-leaf pendant , part of a range of Australian inspired designs that can be seen in our boutique , if you are interested in any of our work - please feel free to contact us in person at our Perth or Joondalup boutiques , or by e-mail , our contact details can be found on the main pages.

18ct yellow gold handmade gumleaf necklet, set with 3 = 0.03ct cognac diamonds