Can hard stones really heal and ward off evil? Gems and minerals like malachite, turquoise and jade are back in fashion – in pieces from Dior, Van Cleef & Arpels and Piaget
In ancient Egypt, malachite was used to ward off evil. The Aztecs regarded turquoise as the “stone of the gods”, and a 15th-century legend has it that turquoise would lose its colour when its owner was in danger or unwell, and regain its brilliance when the peril or illness had passed.
In antiquity, carnelian was thought to have a calming effect on blood and anger. In Chinese medicine, lapis lazuli was sometimes placed on injured parts of the body, or used in powdered form for ailments.
And the New Age hippies of the 1960s and 70s dabbled in crystals and stones.
Today, hard stones have been experiencing a revival in the watch and jewellery world and their symbolism means they can be chosen for their beauty or for their properties.
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Pomellato’s gorgeously coloured new Armonie Minerali rings in pink, grey and green crystal and hard stone hues feel like talismans, as do the open gold bangles tipped with turquoise, malachite, carnelian, onyx or lapis lazuli in Piaget’s Possession collection, which can be stacked up the wrist. And then there is jade – said to possess healing properties – which is found in the collections of Hong Kong jewellers such as Wendy Yue and Dickson Yewn.
Christian Dior believed in the properties of stones, and this has been referenced by the house’s creative director Victoire de Castellane, who is known for her fondness of colour. Updating the Rose des Vents collection are new pieces set with malachite and lapis lazuli. A choker that combines these with the rarely used tiger’s eye stands out.
In high jewellery, the new Dior et Moi collection features eye-catching juxtapositions of hard stones and gemstones. Malachite is paired with emerald, lapis lazuli with sapphire, turquoise and aquamarine.
Cartier also explored mineral combinations of hard stone and gemstone in the 2019 Magnitude high jewellery collection with yellow and white diamonds enhancing the intensity of the blue lapis lazuli beads with their characteristic golden specks of pyrite for earrings, a ring and a necklace, with dynamic results.
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In the world of watches, the interest in hard stone dials is part of a trend towards natural materials that are beautiful but not perfect. Consider the random banding of malachite that can be found on watch dials from Omega, Boucheron and Jaquet Droz; the mesmerising glinting colours of black opal on Piaget and Chopard watches; and the intriguing rosy pink rhodonite with black veining in Les Pierres de Rêve de Chaumet collection. A random quality to the patterns on these watch dials makes them more individual.
The art deco era saw the first real emergence of hard stone in design and decoration: in interiors, jewellery and watches, notably in the collections of Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. Onyx, malachite, jade and coral were popular at the time for jewellery, turquoise came a bit later in the 1940s, although now many turquoise mines have closed, so the flawless and the dark veined varieties are increasing in value. Today malachite and lapis lazuli are more readily available and increasingly fashionable, especially malachite.
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Trends in jewellery wax and wane, and interest in these minerals disappeared until the 1960s, when London jewellers such as Andrew Grima and John Donald were working with textured gold and highly unusual hard stones. Piaget expanded on the trend with wafer-thin slices of malachite, black opal, onyx and lapis for watch dials. By 1963, there were 30 different stones in the brand’s watch collection. They were snapped up by the Rat Pack, Andy Warhol and Jacqueline Onassis (whose watch had a jade dial).
A few years later, in 1968, Van Cleef & Arpels launched its signature Alhambra collection of long necklaces, presenting the beaded quatrefoil motif initially in yellow gold. In 1971, lapis lazuli and malachite were added; carnelian, onyx, turquoise and tiger’s eye appeared by 1974. The four-leaf clover shape of the motif is a token of luck and something that Jacques Arpels used to pick in his garden to give to his staff. The long list of Alhambra’s fans, including Princess Grace of Monaco and singer Françoise Hardy, believed they would bring good fortune.
Hard stone minerals were very fashionable in the 1970s and are now enjoying renewed interest in some of Van Cleef & Arpels’ other daywear collections, including its Bouton d’Or (a revamped 1930s design), Rose de Noël, Lucky Animals and Perlée ranges, and also in the enchanting B Blossom collection from Louis Vuitton.
Hard stones are found in high jewellery designs as well, playing accents to precious gems. In Bulgari’s new Cinemagia collection, the Pirate Treasures necklace features black onyx alongside diamonds and sapphires. Cartier has also brought hard stones such as malachite and onyx to its high jewellery creations, pairing the stones with diamonds to create a textured and colourful effect.
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From ancient Egyptians to New Age hippies, hard stones have long been thought to possess magical properties, and are now undergoing a revival in the watch and jewellery world as their symbolism and unique qualities appeal to a new era of fans