‘I am always looking for new ways of working with beautiful materials but they need to be in keeping with our values too,’ says jewellery designer Ruth Tomlinson. Loved for her ethereal, magical designs that celebrate textured twists of gold and scattered diamonds in offbeat placings, Tomlinson is inspired by found objects, imbuing her own pieces with this casual consideration.
Now, Tomlinson has turned her eye to rubies, incorporating stones from Gemfields’ Montepuez Ruby Mine in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, into the new collection, ‘Montepuez’. ‘These Gemfields rubies really spoke to me with their deep red and alluring sparkle. They reminded me of historic royal treasures, love and passion,’ Tomlinson adds.
‘I have a strong connection to the past as well as found objects and this always forms my design inspiration. Combining these rich red rubies with organic forms and purposefully imperfect details, the jewels feel both ancient and contemporary. I want people to question their origin when viewing them.’
Tomlinson’s distinctive filigree technique is a romantic foil for the blood-red rubies in the one-of-a-kind rings. ‘Before sighting these particular stones, I would have said I’m not naturally attracted to working with rubies, as I tend to work with more neutral tones: blues, greens and golds.
‘However, as soon as I saw this selection at the Gemfields HQ last year, I immediately overcame my previously assumed design hurdle and wanted to work with this richness in colour. In a new design direction, I’m thrilled with the depth of colour that comes through and the conversations that I hope they’ll start now and in the future.’
