he design of the Dancing Dunes necklace is inspired by the inner beauty of the Brazilian emerald of 4.11 ct. Over the course of millions of years, there arose structures within the emerald which are as unique as any fingerprint. The hidden structures and colours reminded Gübelin Jewellery designers of the spectacular dunescapes in Lençóis Maranhenses.
This national park, located in Northern Brazil, is home to the countryʼs only desert. Glistening water surfaces meander through the sand dune formations, turning it green. Surrounded by desert, shimmering blue-green lagoons are nestled in among the gently undulating waves of sand. The flowing structures in the sand seem to be dancing. This spectacular countryside resembles the shapes within the emerald, reflecting the symbolism of the green gemstone, which is associated with the power of nature, regeneration and fertility.
The designers translated their inspiration into sinuous elements set with, brilliant-cut diamonds, which emulate not only the structures contained within the emerald but also the dunes in Brazil, the country where the emeralds used in this necklace were mined. The centrepiece of the necklace is a sparkling pear-shape emerald surrounded by a diamond entourage, above which the iconic Gübelin Jewellery ruby seems to float. Experienced goldsmiths, gem setters and polishers spent over 500 hours working on the elegant jewellery piece in the companyʼs own Gübelin Jewellery atelier in Lucerne.
Dancing Dunes is set with 75 Brazilian emeralds totalling 21.18 ct, along with brilliant cut diamonds weighing a combined 6.98 ct. Sparkling emeralds in a sophisticated mix of cuts link the two rows of diamonds in the necklace, which grow progressively finer. Each of the 460 individual gems was set meticulously and delicately by hand. The cabochon-cut emeralds, step-cut emeralds and round, faceted emeralds chosen for this necklace are amazingly varied but share one thing in common: they were all sourced from the same mine in Brazil.
With the haute joaillerie creation Dancing Dunes, Gübelin Jewellery once again sets new highlights while taking things to the next level. The striking necklace is a brilliant mix of inspiration, ethics and aesthetics. Transparency and responsibility are core values for the House of Gübelin. This led the Swiss, family-owned company to found Provenance Proof. The innovative company is an industry trend-setter when it comes to transparency. Thanks to the Emerald Paternity Test, it can be determined that the 4.11 ct emerald was mined at Belmont in Itabira, Minas Gerais. Nanolabels, invisible to optical microscopes, have been applied to the emerald crystal in order to offer more transparency regarding the origin of the emerald. These nanolabels carry characteristics including precise information about the mine where the gem was extracted.
All of the diamonds and precious metals are from RJC-certified sources. A ruby, symbolising the Deeply Inspired philosophy, adorns every piece from Gübelin Jewellery. The one used in this necklace originated in Greenland and can be traced back to the RJC-certified mine. In addition, the Dancing Dunes necklace is listed in the Provenance Proof Blockchain and demonstrates the House of Gübelinʼs deep commitment to a transparent and ethical gem trade.
The Gübelin Gem Lab conducted a comprehensive analysis of the centrepiece gemstone. The emerald is accompanied by both a Gemmological Report as well as a Gemmological Profile, providing valuable background information, fascinating insights as well as detailed photography of the Brazilian emerald. To offer more orientation and comparability, the Gem Lab developed the Gübelin Gemstone Rating. Here, experienced experts assess the quality, rarity and salience of a coloured gemstone and translate the complex parameters in to an easily understandable point system. Gübelin Points help make purchasing decisions more objective. The emerald received 90.1 Gübelin Points from the experts.
The House of Gübelin’s Deeply Inspired philosophy pervades all aspects of the company’s activities. It is based on a unique combination of beauty, knowledge and expertise, always pursuing a deeper understanding of the profession, in tribute to the family’s pioneering spirit. To symbolise this philosophy, each piece of Gübelin Jewellery contains a ruby. It is considered the king of gemstones and stands for passion and love. The iconic hallmark of Gübelin Jewellery also stands for the Gübelin family’s passion for coloured gemstones.
Raphael Gübelin, President of the House of Gübelin, explains: “Dancing Dunes is a further milestone, bringing together all the activities and facets of our family-run company. Gübelin stands for the highest degree of expertise in gemstones, for innovation and inspiration. All these aspects combine brilliantly with each other. Dancing Dunes unites transparency and expertise along with ethics and aesthetics. This is fully in keeping with our company’s Deeply Inspired philosophy and with our values of authenticity, expertise and inspiration.”
