The Bite Magazine - Spring 2019 - Issue 24

bite jewellery Thus her inspiration to get into jewellery design was born out of a curiosity with these stones and the frus- tration of not finding unique pieces that were afforda- ble and different. “I love statement pieces – iconic, statement designs that you won’t see everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I love precious gems. Just look at the exquisite workmanship you see in pieces by brilliant designers at Cartier, for example. But I am drawn to gems and minerals you don’t often see in jewellery.” You can really see that precious stones are Carol’s passion and you will come away with a new found knowledge of these beauties after speaking to her. For example, there are the transcendent green of uvarovite from the Ural Mountains in Russia, merlinite from Australia and Herkimer Quartz from New York. It is Carol’s desire to design pieces using these and other exotic and ‘ordinary’ minerals. “I believe a necklace strung with slices of Brazilian quartz geodes is as beau- tiful as a string of diamonds, rubies or pearls.” You can also find some fascinating details about featured precious stones on her website. Currently on Druzy, also known as Druzed Quartz, it received its name from the word ‘druse’ and refers to a rock surface (usually a cavity) covered with tiny crystals, such as those found inside geodes (rocks) or in larger pockets of mineral deposits far below the earth. Often called ‘Gemstone of Heaven’, these stones can be found any- where in the world where it is hot and there is a place for water to collect and evaporate on a piece of rock. One hundred percent natural, Druzy glitters like sugar coating on a piece of candy and is said to be more sparkly than diamonds. Available in a variety of rain- bow colours like purple (where the name changes to amethyst), green, pink, brown, yellow, blue and orange, these stones are believed to help people calm down and bring them peace if they are stressed. Others believe it can purify and amplify the body’s natural healing abilities, but one thing is for sure, you’ll feel and look a million dollars when this gem is worn in a piece of jewellery. As well as wanting her designs to make people happy, Carol also wishes for her pieces to stand out and be seen as wearable art. She admits the ‘uncommon’ delights her so she uses natural stones and is constant- ly searching for minerals, geodes and gems that we don’t typically see. She loves pairing stones with other non-obvious materials such as Mexican fire opal in a string of small garnets or azurite on a vintage Victo- rian chain to make a piece of jewellery look amazedly unique and extraordinary. Being a certified gemmologist and jewellery designer, Carol is able to travel to different parts of the world to see various types of gems and minerals. “I’ve been to Avignon and the Arctic Circle, and so many places in between and beyond.” When asked about her design signature, she replied: “My Betty & Wilma collection is comprised of big, beautiful, unique and wearable ‘rock art’. The pieces in this collection are made from big WEARABLE ART Images courtesy of Carol Richard Jewellery