Mining for Exquisite Stones

Hi Sara, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed today, I would love to know more about the beautiful collection that has just arrived in store featuring the unique coloured gems.

‘We have been so lucky to have in store a unique and small collection of beautiful coloured gem rings and pendants. The stones are very unusual because they have been sourced directly from the mines. We have a gentleman that works alongside us, Guy Clutterbuck, also known as the modern day ‘Indiana Jones’ of the jewellery and gem trade.’

Sara, this is amazing, tell me more about Guy.

‘Guy travels the world and has made his life’s work to forge lasting relationships with the many mining communities as it is not possible to just turn up and expect to buy rare stones in the way that he is able to. Winsor Bishop has been working with Guy for many years and together we are able to source, create and offer for sale the most amazing gem stone jewellery.’

What is so special about obtaining the gems directly from the mines? What does this mean for the end consumer?

‘The benefit from obtaining the loose stones in this way means that we know exactly the country, location and even the mine in which the stone was sourced from. This means we can pass on all of this information the customer, allowing them to truly understand the process and place where their jewellery has come from. Most of these special stones carry their own unique certifications and we are proud to be able to guarantee that these stones have not been treated in any way.’

It is really important to know where the stones originate from, and to ensure they are purchased in a safe and conflict free manor. What happens when the stones are then mined?

‘This is the exciting part. Guy arranges to come into store on his return travels and meets with us personally. We are able to view the selections of stones he has sourced and purchase them directly from him. We then use our in house designers and team to create unique and ‘one off’ pieces using the stones we have selected. They are either mounted into rings or pendants and really have a wow factor along with a special pedigree.’

You mentioned that the stones are unique and come with their own certification, can you tell me more about this?

‘All of our principal diamonds are graded by the two ‘top’ worldwide companies – GIA and IGI. They independently certify all of our loose diamonds under perfect lighting conditions using the world standard 4 C’s criteria. Coloured stones are not graded in quite the same way as diamonds, however, the quality of colour and clarity is just as important and we can certify our stones in this way. By having a guarantee, showing that the stones have not been treated in any way elevates them onto another tier making them very rare and sought after indeed.’

Sara, the collections are beautiful, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. What should customers do if they would like to see and go on to purchase this collection?

‘Customers are encouraged to make an appointment directly with myself and come in store to view them. The colour and beauty of these pieces really needs to be seen in person, but being so rare, once they have been sold, they cannot be replaced. It would be my absolute pleasure to show these pieces.’

Make an appointment with Sara at [email protected] to view the collection including Sapphire, Ruby and Emerald stone jewellery.