Celebrations, Olga and peridot

Hello to you all.

This month we are celebrating many things – the commencement of our sixth year at Highgate, completion of two very complex and lengthy commissions that were initiated earlier in the year and over the past five years at Highgate, the processing of over three thousand client requests. Wow!

It is also twenty-eight years since my dear grandmother Olga passed away and my memory and love of her is still very strong.

Olga Pike

Something I am forever grateful for, is the big impact she had on my choice of career. I had started painting, drawing and creating things using my hands and in year 10 when a jewellery apprenticeship was offered, she discussed at length with my parents the positives of being able to make your passion your career. It was through her and my headmaster’s encouragement that my parents allowed me to accept the job. I was fifteen.

She often discussed art, music, fashion and food with me and was always excited to show me her latest purchase. It was sometimes a painting, a new dress or a piece of furniture and new soft furnishings were very regular additions to her house. She had a clever knack of putting eclectic pieces together and had an eye for colour and form and created a home which was warm and welcoming.

My sister and I always loved being with her. We would cook together, make jams and pickles, paint rooms, garden and even milk the cows together. She was widowed for over forty years, but she rarely complained. She got on with her life and gave willingly to the community. She was held in high regard by her family, friends and neighbours and I like to think that a lot of her talents have influenced me.

One thing I also remember is Olga’s love of a certain gemstone, Peridot.

Peridot for those of you that don’t know, is a precious gem-quality green gemstone, rather rare especially in larger stones, is a bright lime/yellow green to darker leaf green, is relatively hard wearing and has a lovely lustrous sheen.

We have always loved them and have supplied them for use as a single stand-alone gemstone, and also in partnership with diamonds and other coloured stones. It is also the birthstone for August.

The following images are indicative of the broad range of possibilities that exist in the way that I design them to be set. All the designs involve simple features enabling the peridots to be the centre of attention or a strong accompaniment to other gems.

Oval cut peridot in yellow gold with diamonds.

Peridot with aquamarine, citrine and tourmalines in pink gold.

Rectangular cushion cut peridot with diamonds in two tone.

Oval cut peridot in silver ring.

Peridot claw set in white gold with aquamarines and citrines.

Emerald cut peridot in white gold ring.

Oval peridot with complementary coloured gemstones.

Cushion cut peridot with checkerboard facets in a white gold split ring.

Brilliant cut peridot in silver bezel set ring.

Cushion cut Peridot (bottom centre)

Briolette cut peridots in yellow gold drop earrings.

Images

If you would like to view some peridots, just give me a call and we can arrange a selection of stones for you to view.

Warmest regards

Nicholas X