Good morning, my darlings!
I love clever jewelry and subtle jewelry and everyday jewelry, but sometimes you just want to feast your eyes on a big, juicy, brain-boggling showstopper. That’s what we’re going to do today, with a little help from Andreoli.
BAM.
The thing that makes these Andreoli pieces so remarkable – besides the obvious characteristics of size, color, and sheer glamour – is the enthusiastic use of briolettes. In this piece, the largest gems are briolettes: the ones that look like lush, trembling droplets of purple dew.
A briolette is a charismatic, opulent way of cutting a gem. A faceted teardrop-esque shape with many varieties, briolettes shimmer from every angle, presenting a constant, ever-changing sparkle rather than the concentrated flash of a modern round brilliant cut, for example.
Briolettes are frequently set in a way that allows them to move, reflecting light from their many factets in an ever changing dance. In other words, they’re a super sexy gemstone cut, sultry and opulent.
For example: imagine this Andreoli necklace when worn. Each luscious peridot briolette would rest gently against the curves of the lucky wearer’s décolletage, shifting gently from side to side with every breath she took. With each subtle movement, the faceted drop would capture the light in a slightly different way, trembling with a constant rain of shimmer.
Pardon me, I need to fan myself now.
Briolettes are one of the world’s oldest gemstone cuts. One particularly famous briolette – the legendary Briolette of India – is a 90+ carat wonder which may also be one of the oldest diamonds in existence.
It’s also REALLY pretty.
The Briolette of India in a photograph by Richard Avedon,
featuring model Penelope Tree. (Image source.)
Although Indian in origin, the Briolette of India’s storied (and somewhat speculative) history begins with its earliest appearance in the possession of Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 12th century. It then passed through many famous hands, including King Henry II of France, Cartier, and Harry Winston. It is currently believed to belong to a private European collector.
These Andreoli briolette pieces serve up the kind of ultra glamour that I want to shake in celebrities’ faces when I see them walk down the red carpet wearing a pair of diamond studs.
In a world where you had THIS available to you, why would you not wear it?
Thanks, Andreoli, for giving us all something beautiful to dream about today.
Images c/o Andreoli except where otherwise specified.
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OMG!! Stunning! Peridot is my birthstone and wow, that is fabulous!! They all are, thanks so much for sharing!
My pleasure!! I loved seeing peridot look so glamorous – I think it’s an underutilized stone, and such a gorgeous one.
Whew! I love briolette cut stones; this is an inventive variation on the usual suspects we see honored with this cut and style. I think the peridot pieces are my favorites so far, although I’d have to see more from Andreoli before making a final decision (ooh, shiny! I wants them all!). I will need extra tissues to wipe away any drool. Love this post!
I’m so glad you enjoy these as much as I do!! I love the peridot, too – such an innovative and utterly delightful use of a stone that is sometimes underappreciated.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Janice!
xoxo,
Becky
I looked up Andreoli (good ol’ Google!) after reading this. I almost swooned. There was one necklace which may have had citrines or golden topazes–tough to say without further information.
I’ve also seen the insistence on understated jewelry parading the red carpet. While I understand the desire to play down the glitter opposite some of the more, shall we say, adventurous couture creations, it baffles me to see a dress with simple lines and little or no embellishment paired with the aforementioned diamond studs. It reads a bit like a blank slate. I get the appeal of the “too cool to care” pose, I do, but sometimes I’d rather somebody went ahead and scared the horses. And if the country club school of thought mocks you for your silk pajamas and topaz parure, so flipping what?
Amen to that! I’d wear a topaz parure with silk pajamas aaaaaany day. And Andreoli is definitely worth a Google: gorgeous pieces, and they’re lovely people, too.
Yes, it is worth the Google! I was sighing over a couple of pieces for certain, and wow, are they gorgeous! Thinking about them now, I’m reminded of Expressionist abstract sculptures in brass or other base metals, or perhaps something by Rodin, but in this case the medium was gold or platinum, accented with artfully cut gems in all manner of gorgeous settings. I’m gushing, I know. It’s hard not to, when you see such artistry and creativity at work!
I was thinking about topaz when I wrote that. I like topaz, always have, and not just because of the birthstone association, although that helps. I also like silk pajamas; they’re comfortable, they’re chic without screaming for your attention, and they’re glamorous in an understated androgynous way. My chief complaint about most topaz on the market today: A lot of it is blue. I have nothing against blue topaz, and I’d like to get my hands on some myself, but only blue? There are other colors in topaz. I’m still awaiting with bated breath the debut of a jeweler who likes topaz as much as I do (briolette earrings in imperial topaz, anyone?).