birthstone

Opal is arguably the most unique and diverse birthstone of all. It takes on many shapes, each with their own firework display of colors, with streaks of red, blue, yellow, green and purple flashing through the stone, making them a constant source of wonder.
Historically opal was found primarily in central Europe and was a rare material prized by the wealthy. The discovery of extensive opal fields in Australia in the late 19th century changed this, making opal more commercially available and increasing the variety of colors and patterns. Australia is still the biggest producer of opal, but over the last couple of decades, Ethiopia has become a significant source and is known for its beautiful crystal opal which is transparent to translucent with little to no body color and shimmering patches of play-of-color.
The Romans treasured opal as the most precious of all gemstones, believing the ability of this one stone to display the colors of all the other precious gems marked it out as unique and special. Its name ‘opalus’ means precious stone and it was said to combine the virtues associated with the other precious stones and be the luckiest of them all. However, in the early 19th century, the notion took hold that the opal brought bad luck, perhaps partly down to a novel by Sir Walter Scott, which depicted them as a symbol of misfortune; the novel’s heroine is seemingly possessed by her opal jewel, which eventually spirits her away.
Princess Alexandra of Denmark continued to fuel the superstition when, on becoming Queen in 1863, she removed ‘the unlucky opals’ from Queen Victoria’s crown and refashioned her mother-in-law’s piece with rubies.
Luckily, when Australian opals appeared at the end of the 19th century, it didn’t take long for the public to fall for their mesmerizing allure.
Ring, Lily Gabriella
Ring, Picciotti
Necklace, Van Cleef & Arpels
Ring, Mindi Mond
Earrings, Wendy Yue
Earrings, Anne Sisteron
Earrings, TAYMA
Necklace, Hirsh London
Earrings, Fernando Jorge
Ring, Pragnell
Earrings, Jemma Wynne
Necklace, Akaila Reid
Earrings, Emily P. Wheeler
Earrings, Nak Armstrong
Earrings, Fred Leighton
Ring, Adler
Earrings, David Morris
Ring, Susannah Lovis
Cuff, Theo Fennell
Necklace, Marlo Laz
Ring, Nina Runsdorf
Necklace, Retrouvai
Necklace, Brooke Gregson
Necklace, Sig Ward
Ring, Pippa Small
Ring, Noor Fares
Necklace, Venyx
Ring, Ray Griffiths
Earrings, Annoushka
Earrings, Kimberly McDonald

Photo: Getty
The splendor and sparkle of the diamond has inspired us for generations; their rarity, value and the way they delicately reflect light. Whether they’re worn as status symbols, bought as investments or emblems of endless love, diamonds are still the most prized stone in the world.
The tale of the Taylor-Burton diamond is glamorous to a fault. The story begins in 1966, when a 240 carat rough was found in the De Beers-owned Premier Mine in South Africa, the same mine that had produced the Cullinan and Golden Jubilee diamonds. It was snapped up by the American jeweler Harry Winston, who decided to make the larger half into a perfectly proportioned pear shaped diamond.  Winston sold the diamond to Harriet Annenberg Ames, sister to billionaire publisher and diplomat Walter Annenberg, who planned to wear it as a ring, but felt too conspicuous wearing such a huge stone in her native New York City.  Ames didn’t keep it for long, putting it up for auction in 1969. When Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton heard about the upcoming sale, they had to see the stone, so it was flown to Gstaad where the couple were holidaying.
Burton set his ceiling price at $1 million, and had his lawyers bid via telephone from London.  Despite his efforts, the winning bid, $1,050,000, came from Robert Kenmore representing Cartier, who outbid Burton, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis and the Sultan of Brunei. A proviso of the sale stated that the diamond’s buyer could name the diamond, so naturally the stone was christened the Cartier Diamond. It’s reported that Richard Burton, livid not to have won the diamond, had his lawyer contact Cartier the very next day to buy the gem.  Robert Kenmore did indeed agree to sell it to Burton, for an undisclosed amount, but on the condition that Cartier was able to display it in store before it was handed over to the couple. Over 6,000 people a day flocked to Cartier’s Fifth Avenue store to see the celebrated stone, now of course named the Taylor-Burton Diamond.  Shortly afterwards the diamond was delivered to the couple on their yacht in Monaco, where they were anchored to attend Princess Grace’s 40th birthday. Taylor wore the legendary 69.42 carat diamond on a double strand necklace of smaller diamonds for the first time in public at Princess Grace of Monaco’s party.
Over the years, the diamond has continued to be a treasure, be it in the form of a sparkling solitaire or set in a delicate tennis bracelet. If you, like so many around the globe, have a soft spot for the April birthstone, here are 37 jewelry pieces worth investing in this month.
Earrings, Astley Clarke
Ring, Auvere
Earrings, Alicia Jane
Choker, Ananya
Necklace, Anita Ko
Earrings, Annoushka
Earring, Maria Tash at Browns Fashion
Earrings, Venyx
Bracelet, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel
Necklace, Pomellato
Necklace, Fernando Jorge
Ring, Sorellina
Ring, G by Glenn Spiro
Earrings, Greenwich St Jewelers
Necklace, Graff
Ring, Hirsh London
Earrings, Jade Trau
Bracelet, Katkim
Bangle, David Morris
Earrings, Kimberly McDonald
Necklace, KIAIA London
Ear jackets, Kiki McDonough
Earrings, Nikos Koulis
Earrings, Messika
Bangle, Lucy Delius
Necklace, Roxanne First
Ring, Dina Kamal
Earrings, Robinson Pelham
Cuff, Shahla Karimi
Cuffs, Shaun Leane
Necklace, State Property Fine Jewellery
Earrings, Suzanne Kalan
Necklace, Thelma West
Choker, Diane Kordas Jewellery
Necklace, De Beers
Ring, Vintage Ring Company
Necklace, Bee Goddess
Originally published in Tatler.com