Getting Stoned
WITH FABIEN THE DEALER
As far as clients, the likes of JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal) and Victoire de Castellane have been known to call on him for a mineral hue or two. As far as secrets, he has a black stone that nearly electrifies with color, glows in the dark, in UV light. Those who are into color, are really into color. It’s not a world of flat feelings.
“Color makes people uninhibited,” explains Fabien, referring to the incredible market shift in the past few years towards colored stones. Jewelry junkies want expression, energy, the no-limit dare of color, with likes of designers Marie-Hélène de Taillac or Lydia Courteille out to satisfy.
“We see color first, before size. A stone could have zero inclusions, yet no color. But when the color is there, really there, you can almost see the vibrance from outside the room.”
A LITTLE MORE, PLEASE.
THE ROCKS N POPS NEWSLETTER
TEMPORARY EXHIBITION:
Far Past the “Precious Four”
For decades, there was the indomitable quartet of precious stones—diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds—with all other stones in a jeweler’s repertoire categorized as semi-precious. The classification was based largely on relative value and, today, is considered meaningless, as the International Gem Society is eager to defend, and the World Jewelry Federation (CIBJO) helped officially clarify. All are gems.
“JAR was a precursor in the 1990s regarding Paraíba Tourmaline,” describes Fabien. JAR had recognized the unique quality of the Paraíba Tourmaline, a stone appearing in multi-color creations already well-travelled at auction. For example, this beauty at Christie’s.
A tourmaline claims the Paraíba Tourmaline title only if it comes from the mines in Paraíba, Brazil, just as Champagne can only be called such if the sparkling wine is from the earth of Champagne, France. Ever since the discovery of the copper-rich mine in Paraíba in the 1980s, and the stone’s entry into the buying market in the 1990s, the Paraíba Tourmaline has steadily risen in price ever since, due to its incredible hue and restricted origin.
For, while tourmalines of competing quality are sourced in Nigeria and Mozambique, there is a unique visual savor to the Caribbean-water electric, brightly saturated, almost neon shade of blue coming from the earth of Brazil. Like Champagne, origin is earth, a mineralogical profile in place that is, literally, irreplaceable.
“I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance, you can only admire it.”
Elizabeth Taylor
“Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”
Warren Buffet
Fabien’s regular pilgrimage to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in Arizona is part of his sourcing. “There something magical about billions of stones in one place.” Or India, where there is the art of the deal: “Sometimes they play you, ten days of showing you shit, then just as you’re about to get onto the plane to go home, they pull out something interesting. Ten days and then the beautiful stones start to come out. It’s a seduction game.”