Gorgeously imperfect, sustainably sourced marine diamonds – diamonds plucked by human hands from the seabed where they have come naturally to rest – bring an organic fluidity to Deborah Blyth’s new jewellery collection.
‘The sea has always been a huge influence on my designs, as has the desire to be as sustainable as possible, so when I discovered these raw diamonds, it was as if everything just came together,’ the jewellery designer says. ‘It felt important that I should create my first fine jewellery collection showcasing these incredible gems.
‘I was completely drawn to the raw diamonds in all their natural beauty. Knowing there has been no alteration by human hands, no cutting or polishing. Their brilliant shine and naturally faceted surface have been created entirely by their incredible journey to the sea; only the most resilient diamonds survive.’
The necklaces, rings and earrings of the new collection embrace the organic forms of the ocean diamonds themselves, eschewing symmetrical silhouettes for sensual forms that loop recycled 9ct gold around the precious stones, the result of a collaboration between Blyth and Cornwall’s Ocean Diamonds.
For Blyth, the natural forms of the diamonds may have proved seductive, but the creation process was not without its challenges. ‘I always use the lost wax casting technique and my main challenge was to create settings that would hug the contours of the diamonds, finding a way to complement the diamond without losing its unique attributes. Rather than using a traditional claw setting, I wanted the settings to mimic the crevices where the diamonds can be found on the seabed.’
The rawness of the diamonds makes them a natural choice for Blyth, who has made the free-flowing, organic aesthetic her own in distinctive jewellery that encompasses roughly smoothed gold and a sensual tactility. ‘When I discovered these beautiful raw gems and heard the story of their remarkable journey to the sea, I knew that I wanted to create a collection that would showcase their natural beauty,’ she adds. ‘The organic, tactile nature of my designs and the raw shape of the diamonds perfectly complement each other. It has been a joy to design this collection. There is a real subtle beauty to the pieces; the diamonds have a wonderfully special shine, unlike any other gem I have worked with.’
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