What makes a piece of jewelry truly special? Often, it's the gemstone–its color, cut and the way it catches the light. At the KLENOTA jewelry studio, we pay special attention to how we choose gemstones. We believe that the beauty of a piece of jewelry begins with the quality of the materials used. So how does our selection process work, where do the stones come from and what happens before they become a finished piece of jewelry?
Where do our gemstones come from?
Our shopping trips take us to different parts of the world and it’s that personal contact with our suppliers which allows us to guarantee the origin and quality of each individual stone. We regularly attend the most important international trade shows where we have the opportunity to choose from the best that’s available on the market. We carefully select our sapphires and rubies in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, which has long been one of the main centers of trade for color gemstones. We go to Hong Kong to buy pearls, diamonds and other color gemstones, and in Italy, we source our semi-finished gold components.
Every choice we make has its own rules
Every stone that passes our selection process is an original created by nature with its own unique optical properties. In natural gemstones, inclusions and minor irregularities are common and they serve to emphasize the stone’s authenticity. However, we pride ourselves on the high quality of our work so we carefully assess each stone in terms of its clarity, color, cut and size. From the hundreds of stones we look at, we select only those that meet our strict standards. In practice, it means that only about two-thirds of what we view meets our selection criteria.
Pairing gemstones together: The search for a perfect match
Finding gemstones to make a pair or a jewelry set is one of the most challenging stages of working with gemstones because in nature, no two stones are exactly the same. At KLENOTA, however, we try to match them up as close as possible in terms of their color, size and luster. Our buyers often go through hundreds of stones before they find the ones that are a perfect match.
An expert eye and a steady hand: The people who work with the stones
Let's look at the crucial roles of the buyer and the materials specialist. A buyer doesn’t just need to have detailed knowledge of the market but also an eye for aesthetics and details as well as the ability to negotiate. They monitor trends, assess quality and commercial potential and guarantee the availability of raw materials for specific collections. Their job is to source the best possible quality stones in a given price range so that we can supply our customers with the best that is on the market at that price point.
The materials specialist then makes sure that everything is thoroughly aligned during the actual production of the jewelry: the stones are measured, compared, checked and made ready so they can be set into a specific piece of jewelry.
The gemstone setters and quality controllers also play an important role in the process. It is the job of the setter to set the stone into the jewelry with the utmost precision so that it sits in the setting perfectly, holds in place and also shows off the stone’s shape and brilliance in the best possible way. This work requires expertise, patience and an eye for detail since each type of stone and jewelry requires a slightly different approach. The quality controller then checks the final result–whether the stone is set correctly, if it matches the original brief and if the jewelry meets all our standards of quality and workmanship.
Every small detail has a role to play
At KLENOTA, we see gemstone selection and pairing as one of the most important steps in the jewelry creation process. Every decision, from the purchase of the stones to the way they are set in a particular design, has an impact on the final result which must be not only visually convincing but also technically flawless. It is the combination of expertise, a feel for aesthetics and consistency in every detail which is key to ensuring that the jewelry meets the high expectations of our customers and stands the test of time.
