EditorsNov 06, 2026
The Spectrum Pieces I Can’t Stop Thinking AboutFrom a Betta fish brooch to a “dragon’s trove” of zircon eggs, here are seven pieces that’ve stuck with Associate Editor Lauren McLemore.
TrendsFeb 15, 2018
Clearly Trending: Translucent Stones
Rock crystal and moonstone are elevated when paired with gold and diamonds.
Adam Foster 18-karat yellow gold ring with 23 carats of carved quartz hand-painted with crushed mother-of-pearl and white diamonds ($9,990)
New York--From imaginative and avant-garde to boldly primitive, designers are currently shaping their jewelry visions with translucent gemstones like rock crystal and moonstone.
White diamonds retain popularity, in part, because they’re neutral and suit every skin tone, and quartz and moonstone are their less expensive equivalent.
These materials also allow designers to work with larger stones at a more economical price point, though some designers add an abundance of diamonds or colored gemstones to elevate their translucent stone pieces to one-of-a-kind works of art that fetch thousands of dollars.
Karma El Khalil, for example, has created an elaborate choker of elongated hexagon moonstones. Framed by white diamonds and set in 18-karat white gold, which emphasize the cool tones of the moonstone, the piece feels like the epitome of luxury, and its $60,000 price point reflects that.
Likewise, Nigaam, which often favors Art Deco motifs, sources the highest-quality Brazilian crystals to incorporate into its collections. Its rock crystal, emerald and diamond bangle features completely clear, hand-cut crystals, set side by side to form the base of the design, a jewelry engineering feat. It retails for $35,000.
One reason designers favor these translucent materials is because they can be carved and engraved.
Adam Foster, a rising designer to watch, has used the translucence of rock crystal because it is the medium best suited to displaying his intricate carvings, which are executed in the same vein as those of Wallace Chan.
Alice Cicolini 9-karat yellow gold necklace with rainbow moonstone pendant and diamond accents, $1,130
Available at Twist
Available at Twist
Bleecker & Prince’s natural crystal hoop earrings with diamonds set in 14-karat yellow gold bezels, $1,200
Available at BleeckerandPrince.com
Available at BleeckerandPrince.com
David Webb 18-karat white gold, platinum, rock crystal and diamond cuff, price upon request
Available at David Webb
Available at David Webb
Doryn Wallach 18-karat yellow gold cocktail ring with rock crystal, emerald and black diamonds, $6,850
Available at DorynWallach.com
Available at DorynWallach.com
Elie Top Seal ring in 18-karat white gold and silver with diamonds and rock crystal, $8,680
Available at Dover Street Market
Available at Dover Street Market
Elizabeth Gage rock crystal and 18-karat yellow gold necklace, $11,250
Available at Elizabeth-Gage.com
Available at Elizabeth-Gage.com
Judy Geib 18-karat yellow gold, silver and rock crystal earrings, $1,620
Available at TwistOnline.com
Available at TwistOnline.com
Karma El Khalil 18-karat white gold necklace with diamonds and moonstone, $60,000
Available at Roseark.com
Available at Roseark.com
Nigaam bangle in 18-karat white gold with Brazilian rock crystal, emerald and diamonds, $35,000
Available through sales@nigaam.com
Available through sales@nigaam.com
Nikos Koulis 18-karat white gold earrings set with white diamonds in clear enamel, $25,200
Available at Bergdorf Goodman
Available at Bergdorf Goodman
Noor Fares 18-karat yellow gold necklace with moonstone and diamond, $1,789
Available at Matches Fashion
Available at Matches Fashion
Sorellina 18-karat yellow gold earring with rock crystal, black rhodium and white diamonds, $1,450
Available at London Jewelers
Available at London Jewelers
Walters Faith engravable pendant in 18-karat rose gold with rock crystal and diamonds ($3,990 plus $250 for up to four letters) on an 18-karat rose gold chain sold separately ($3,300 for a 16-inch chain)
Available at WaltersFaith.com
Available at WaltersFaith.com
Michelle Fantaci 14-karat yellow gold and quartz necklace, $1,920
Available at Broken English
Available at Broken English
Amrapali 18-karat yellow gold ring with rock crystal and diamond, $7,995
Available at Legend Amrapali
Available at Legend Amrapali
Elie Top uses carving techniques to create seal-style rings with complicated insignia that fit the medieval look of his latest collection.
Not all carvings need be so intricate. David Webb’s archive is filled with pieces that employ rock crystal; they provide the weight that was so essential to Webb’s aesthetic. Many of the pieces are carved into large, curved planes that emphasize the heft of the material.
Carving is also an essential element of designer Alice Cicolini’s oeuvre. Moonstone and quartz are materials she frequents in her signature carved pieces, which she shapes into delicate flowers and statement bold “domes” inspired by architecture.
Walters Faith and Pascale Monvoisin are two lines that use crystal to engrave words and simplistic designs. The former uses quartz as a clean backdrop for a monogram engraving on a pendant, and the latter etches specific words with primitive symbols into quartz, emphasizing the piece’s handmade quality.
And some renditions of the
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translucent stone style are simpler still, like Michelle Fantaci’s crystal orb pendant or Cyril Studio’s crystal sphere-centered line. Each evokes the natural, mystical quality of the stone, displaying it in a simple, polished form and letting that shape inform the rest of the respective pieces.
Of the designers embracing the clear trend, Nikos Koulis might have done so with the most fervor, debuting a growing collection of clear jewels in white gold, diamond and what was supposed to be a top-secret material, at the Couture show last year.
As is usually the case with Koulis, he has already been copied by several imitators and the material was revealed to be clear enamel. Still, his process is still highly unusual, so much so that he has patented his own specific technique, which is handcrafted in his Athens workshop.
Click through the above slideshow to see the many varied interpretation of the clear and translucent gems.
Of the designers embracing the clear trend, Nikos Koulis might have done so with the most fervor, debuting a growing collection of clear jewels in white gold, diamond and what was supposed to be a top-secret material, at the Couture show last year.
As is usually the case with Koulis, he has already been copied by several imitators and the material was revealed to be clear enamel. Still, his process is still highly unusual, so much so that he has patented his own specific technique, which is handcrafted in his Athens workshop.
Click through the above slideshow to see the many varied interpretation of the clear and translucent gems.
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