William Welstead Trunk Show 2024

“In this trunk show, I have included a ring and two pairs of earrings made with colored diamonds originating from the Panna mines in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. India was the original source for diamonds before African deposits were discovered, and I have always been intrigued by these Indian diamonds and the magical colors that they come in. Chrysoberyl star sapphire cabochons in 22-carat gold displaying the extraordinary optical effects of chatoyancy and asterism. Also in this collection are two beautiful sapphire and emerald cabochons set in 22-carat gold rings with great depth of color and simplicity. It is hard to pick a favorite piece, but I particularly love the Colombian cabochon emerald ring and the round red Burmese spinel in a simple 22-carat gold ring that is of the finest red color.

Currently, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, there is an exhibition of the art of the Great Mughals, featuring some beautiful, rare jewels of Indian origin. It reminds me that, even after many years of doing this, I still regularly find things I have never seen before, and this is what I find most inspiring about making jewelry with rare stones.

As the weather turns colder, I begin to look forward to my visit to Arts and Science and to welcome old friends and show new jewels.”

― William Welstead