Ravishing Rhodolite – WSS shares a fave gemstone

Now don’t get me wrong, I love a diamond, but truth be told, I really adore striking coloured gemstones as much, if not more. Rich jewel tones are called that for a reason and one of my favourites is rhodolite.

Rhodolite isn’t technically a gem in is own right, rather it is a type of garnet, called rhodolite due to its distinctive colour. The name is derived from the Greek word Rhodon, which means ‘Rose’. The luscious purplish-red colour, combined with its high refractive index (which means it’s nice and sparkly) and the hardness of the stone makes rhodolite excellent for use in jewellery making. Lucky us!

The rich, sumptuous colour just makes me drool. It looks fabulous against yellow and rose gold and I especially like it combined with black stones like black diamonds, onyx or black spinel. Modern designers are coming up with some fantastic colour combinations as well as using the stone in unusual settings or contrasting finishes.

Here are some of my favourite pieces around at the moment:

Rhodolite Bracelet by Freebird Trinkets

I love the simplicity of this bracelet with the run of so many small gems on one side of the chain, this really shows off the rich colour of the stones. These are then highlighted by a few gems on the clasp and dangling charm. Very chic and wearable for spring/summer. Plus, it’s a total bargain.

Rhodolite Bracelet by Freebird Trinkets on Etsy. £20.75 (approx).

Rhodolite and Diamond Pendant by John Biagiotti

Lordy, would you just look at this beauty! What a showstopper. The rhodolite is set against druse melanite garnet crystals and highlighted by white diamonds. Stunning. And at $2100, a wee bit out of my price range, but what a gaaawjus piece of jewellery eh?

Rhodolite and Diamond Pendant by John Biagiotti. $2100.

Rhodolite 18ct Vermeil Ring by Davina Combe

I’ve been hankering after this ring for a while now, it’s got a certain something that I just love. The cabochon cut of the stones shows off the rhodolite’s great versatility as a gemstone and the texture of the finish of the metal give it a lovely organic feel that adds to the sumptuousness of the stones. Winner!

Rhodolite 18ct Vermeil Ring by Davina Combe. £85.

Rhodolite and Pink Amethyst Earrings by Lucent Jewels

I think these are just super-cute. They are so pretty and I can just see me wearing them with a summer dress and some cool shades. I love the combination of shades from the rich deep red through to the palest pink.

Rhodolite and Pink Amethyst on Silver Earrings by Lucent Jewels on Etsy. £36.97 (approx).

Aurora Interlocking Ring by Shaun Leane

Another of the more pricey pieces I’ve shown here, but this ring is so divine, I couldn’t not include it. The design here really captures the inherent sexiness of rhodolite, deep, ripe and lavish. Combining the rhodolite with rubies just takes this piece to a whole new level. Heavenly indeed.

Rhodolite and Ruby ‘Aurora’ Interlocking Ring by Shaun Leane. Available at Astley Clarke. £1995.

Oxidised Silver Flapper Rhodolite Earrings by Karen Morrison

Here the designer has used the attractive contrast of the rhodolite’s colour against black in a slightly less traditional way. Rather than using black stones, she’s set them against oxidised silver, which looks great. Plus, these earrings will be bang on the 20s flapper trend doing the rounds this season. Nice.

Oxidised Silver, Rhodolite and Garnet Earrings by Karen Morrison. £130.

Mari Splash Cuff by SHO London

And finally we have this magnificent cuff from the ever fabulous SHO London. Showcasing how rhodolite combines so well with other gemstones, here with citrine and amethyst, this statement cuff is both super-stylish and timelessly elegant.

Mari Splash Cuff by SHO London. £630.

So there you have it, some of my favourite rhodolite jewellery. I hope this brief glimpse into the world of this magnificent gemstone has given you some inspiration to add some rhodolite jewellery to your collection. I know I definitely will be.

TTFN.

WSS.

xx

Please note, all products reviewed here are done so totally independently, the author has not been incentivised in any way. All images are used without the permission of the owner who holds any and all the rights to them. If you own these images and wish me to remove any of them, please use the Contact Us form on the site.