by Elsa Vanier | Mar 30, 2020 | Gems, Metals and Materials
Let's start with a little anecdote showing how gold is an extraordinary metal: Gold atoms have the property of being able to move away from each other while remaining united. This is called ductility. By stretching a gram...
by Elsa Vanier | Nov 19, 2019 | Workshop Visits
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the DJEVA factory and discovering a large manufacturer of synthetic sapphires and rubies located near Montreux in Switzerland. The factory runs 24 hours a day and employs nearly 80 people. The history of Djeva goes back to the...
by Elsa Vanier | Feb 8, 2019 | Gems, Metals & Materials
Fascinated by coloured stones, I had long neglected highly symbolic solitaires until the day I discovered the coloured diamond. I was then working in London and the visit of a Exhibition of diamonds organized by the Australian mine...
by Elsa Vanier | August 29, 2017 | Gems, Metals and Materials
"Jade is the image of goodness, because it's soft to the touch and smooth; of care, because its veins are fine, compact and strong..." Confucius (551-479 B.C.) Confucius adds that jade is a symbol of sincerity because...
by Elsa Vanier | Tue 2, 2017 | Workshop Visits
Who better than John Moore could illustrate a Exhibition dedicated to colour? He chose aluminium for its ability to be stained and inked as well as anodised... I met John at a Exhibition in London in 2014. His name had been blown out of my mind...
