The many desirable forms of white jewellery

In jewellery, tones of white are ever-present. Diamonds come in brown, grey, pink or yellow, but it is white that remains the most frequently set gem. White pearls, too, are seen more often than their anthracite or black Tahitian counterparts. What draws designers to the clean, icy hue? And as white remains popular, which new materials do makers embrace to move the needle?

‘I have always fostered the purity of white through my work, not only by using diamonds, but combining natural materials such as mother-of-pearl, tagua seed and white marble,’ the Brazilian jeweller Fernando Jorge writes in an email. At his London showroom, Jorge presents pieces such as his High Fluid Pebbles ring, made from white marble and rose gold, set with white diamonds. ‘White jewels become a true focal point, reflecting, refracting and bringing life and radiance to the wearer, as well as a very distinguished elegance,’ Jorge enthuses. ‘White earrings or necklaces have a unique ability to draw in light, enhancing and brightening facial features.’

At Boucheron, the Parisian heritage brand’s Écume ring is carved from clear rock crystal, matched with white gold and diamonds. Rock crystal, the most pure variety of quartz, also features in designs by Lily Gabriella. Her Ether ring is geometric and multifaceted. ‘Working with rock crystal is an exercise in precision, it reveals everything,’ says Gabriella. ‘A delicate interplay of transparency and reflection, it becomes a sculptural study in pure form, capturing light like frozen water.’

At Pomellato, a selection of Nudo rings, pendants and earrings are topped with quartz in a milky white shade. While it’s white mother-of-pearl with a smooth matte finish that makes the cut in the Athens workshop of Greek jewellery brand Lito. And elsewhere, pearls and diamonds, the two stalwarts of white-tone jewellery, have inspired innovative creations.

In the hands of jewellery designer Victoire de Castellane, the long-standing artistic director of Dior Joaillerie, pearls become playful accents to serious gems. For a ring from Milly Dentelle, a high-jewellery collection inspired by Christian Dior’s bucolic bolthole Milly-la-Forêt, outside Paris, white and warm yellow diamonds with lashings of small pearls appear placed by chance. More industrial in influence is a Biela chain-link bracelet by Brazilian designer Ara Vartanian. Here, white diamonds are framed in white gold. The result is minimal, yet eye-catching.