LES FEMMES
LES FEMMES - part 2:
Although we didn’t really leave you with a cliffhanger, you are probably impatiently refreshing this page, dying to learn more about our new additions. Yes? We know the feeling. Well, the time has finally come and today we are diving even deeper into the specifics of sapphires, treatment, cut and traceability. Get ready for part 2 and welcome back to sapphire school - Les Femmes edition!
The origin of Les Femmes
Let’s start at the very beginning. About 500 million years ago, to be more specific. That is when sapphire crystals started growing inside the rocks and mountains of Sri Lanka and Southern Madagascar. Through slow erosion, over a long period of time, these crystals were then uncovered, rounded and polished by nature’s own forces and local rivers. Today, small mining teams dig deep to reach the hidden sapphires and in contrast to diamonds (which are mostly mined by large-scale corporations) the sapphires originating from Sri Lanka and Southern Madagascar are mined small-scale. This means that the mining teams rarely consist of more than 8 people, who all use age-old techniques and are solely aided by hand-tools and water pumps.
A range of unique colors
Sapphires are often purchased and heat treated by well-established lapidaries, which makes the sapphires of our Les Femmes collection even more unique in their untreated, natural coloring. Being able to acquire unheated sapphires is rare and so we are especially excited (and proud!) to now be offering a full collection of untreated or mildly heated sapphires. With their genuine, unique and sometimes quirky hues they are nothing but especially special - and no stone in the collection is similar to another.
The art of gemstone cutting
All of our gemstones are hand-cut, but being “especially special” Les Femmes do of course require some special treatment. Sculpting each stone and at the same time giving it a diamond-like brilliance is certainly a challenge, and when creating a gemstone cut every facet of it needs to be just right in order for light to be reflected in the most flattering way. Even true masters of gemstone cutting (yes, there’s such a thing) explain how each new gemstone often requires a personalized cut because of its unique angles.
Each stone and its journey
As mentioned, our Les Femmes sapphires are sourced from two regions: Central Sri Lanka and Southern Madagascar. From there they are transported to Rathapura city, in the southern parts of Sri Lanka, where each crystal is documented and closely examined by a GIA-trained gemologist. The stones are then shaped by a gem cutter, before they reach the hands of our gemstone specialist and we use our magic wands to add that final Caroline Hjerpe touch to them.
But the journey does, of course, not end there. Which one of Les Femmes is calling your name? Check out the full collection here.
Love, team Caroline Hjerpe
