Regal and Rare: Sourcing Gemstones of Distinction with Sunita Nahata

When designers produce such exceptional works of fine jewellery, it can be easy to forget that the large, saturated and perfectly proportioned minerals in their pieces don’t simply land on their desks! The process – or should I say the art – of sourcing gemstones with ideal hues and impressive sizes is hard enough. Now imagine trying to balance these commercial factors with a gut instinct of what is flourishing in popularity and what’s going to be the ‘next big thing’. Someone who has seemingly mastered this skill is Sunita Nahata – a designer firmly on my radar thanks to her sensational use of coloured stones. Let’s discover her latest collections and hear her perspectives on what’s hot in minerals right now…

If you’ve ever devoured season one of your favourite show, only to hear that a second season is in the works (oh, the excitement!), then you’ll understand how I feel about my regular catchups with Hong Kong-based designer Sunita Nahata. Her collections develop over time, with new layers of loveliness added for the significant events on her calendar, such as JCK Las Vegas and, of course, the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Show in September. As each offering builds, there are crescendo moments achieved with extra-large gemstones with double-digit carat weights. And this is undoubtedly Sunita’s superpower – sourcing gemstones at the perfect moment, just as they are becoming difficult to find or when they’re on the rise to international stardom.

The skills you need to do this can’t necessarily be taught. In Sunita’s case, she has a family history in the mineral world and has an eye for “picking up the best of the best material,” she tells me. This isn’t just about finding the largest carat weights to demand attention, though. Sunita looks for nuances of colour that cut through the tonal noise to find that true, rich, saturated and exciting hue. These aren’t necessarily the most quintessential shades for a particular gem or the most expensive, but they’re different and characterful and guaranteed to be coveted by others once they’ve caught up! Below are four Sunita Nahata collections that showcase this skillset perfectly, starting with the Blue Planet offering, which is now in its fourth generation, and three new ranges: Red Dragon, Blush and Ivy. 

Blue Planet Aquamarines

“Every season, we come up with a new collection,” Sunita tells me about her ongoing Blue Planet saga. This is an ode to one of the brand’s favoured gemstones – aquamarines – and specifically Santa Maria-colour gems with that classic watery, slightly icy, but saturated blue hue. Many pieces now fall under the Blue Planet umbrella, but they are all united by scarce blue beryl that Sunita is increasingly struggling to find in the best qualities and saturations. She explains: “This material is becoming more special with each passing year; it simply is not coming onto the market anymore, and they are so rare.” Rather than relying upon one supplier, Sunita collects the finest specimens steadily over time. In each parcel of gems that passes her desk, she may only choose one that matches her expectations for the Blue Planet collection. 

Blue Planet is an immersive journey to the depths of the ocean, the deeper you look into these gemstones, the more intense and mesmerising the hue. – Sunita Nahata

In her latest novelties, there are aquamarines galore, including a 17-carat pear-shaped beryl in a ring, a large oval-shaped gem of 22 carats in a necklace, and another 18-carat oval-shaped treasure in a ring. This pear-shaped ring is best described as a ‘Blue Lagoon’ style because of its setting, which uses the complementary blue-purple palette of alexandrite to mimic algae swirling in ocean swells. Diamonds are a common feature of this season’s new pieces, too, especially round brilliant and marquise-cut diamonds for a softer, more curvaceous finish. Something I also love about Sunita’s approach is her mix of large, statement pieces and daintier designs, typically with gems in the five to ten-carat weight range. Interestingly, she notes that maintaining the blue intensity of aquamarines is more difficult in smaller sizes – a perfect reminder that smaller certainly does not mean lesser than. 

Red Dragon Rubellites

Achieving the most delicious ruby red was the driving force behind this new collection – Red Dragon. Rather than relying upon corundum, Sunita has chosen to pursue the finest possible rubellites as they’re the “hot stone selling the market” and are continuing to quadruple in price! “If anyone is looking for an investment in coloured gemstones, rubellite should be on their list,” she says. Sunita is always searching for true ruby red, neither too light nor too concentrated, dark, and verging on muddy. Her Red Dragon pieces showcase this colour perfectly, especially when combined with fantastic lustre and clarity. She tells me: “The depth of red depicts a very powerful energy. Rubellite is something that every woman wants to possess to reflect her inner self, passion and strength.” 

Let’s start with a pear-shaped rubellite necklace weighing 11.7 carats, surrounded by a halo of baguette-, princess- and round brilliant-cut diamonds in 18k yellow gold. This pendant is hung on a delicate golden chain with diamond stations – a more delicate approach considering the heft of the central gem. Sunita comments: “Right now, I am discovering that people prefer to see more gold. That’s why we chose a lighter gold chain for this Red Dragon piece rather than full diamonds encircling the neck. This is a new generation, and their preference is to wear less while still allowing the beauty of the centre stone to shine through.”

Elsewhere in this collection, there’s a matching ring with a 6.79-carat pear-shaped rubellite, surrounded by more than a carat of baguette- and round-cut diamonds. My favourites are the earrings, with two perfectly symmetrical rubellites of 8.24 carats each, set alongside roughly three carats of diamonds. In terms of design style, Sunita Nahata’s signature Art Deco elements peek through, especially in the belt-buckle-style diamond element that sits on the earlobe and connects the rubellite pendant to its golden chain. It will be exciting to see how this collection develops. 

Blush Pink Tourmalines

Another new launch is the Blush collection, powered by a very specific shade of pink tourmaline. It’s not pastel ‘baby’ pink or punchy bubble gum, but something soft and warm that sits right in the middle. A kind of ‘adult’ Barbie Pink is how one might describe it! Sunita tells me that there is a shortage of large pink gemstones on the market and, while pink tourmaline is accessible, “most of what you will see is more intense in colour,” and this “Barbie blush colour is more desirable”. I can completely understand why this colour captured her heart; when I was wearing these jewels, I could feel the quietly confident, soothing, romantic vibes radiating from each cushion-cut gem. 

This pink tourmaline is something new and has recently been trending in the market. I decided to create the Blush collection with a very neat, clean and classical design to depict the soft and natural nature of women. – Sunita Nahata

One of the first things I noticed about the Blush collection is its refinement. The ring is bursting with a 23.13-carat cushion-cut pink tourmaline, surrounded at its top and bottom by sweeping curves of round brilliant-cut diamonds. On either side, princess-cut diamonds are set in geometric channels (another nod to Art Deco sensibilities) that fall away into micro-set diamond shoulders. The finishing touch is a pair of earrings with two cushion-cut tourmalines totalling 33.67 carats, which descend from subtly convex diamond-set studs and a neat bezel-set diamond drop.

Ivy Green Tourmaline

One of the remarkable things about tourmaline is its chromatic variety. Sunita is tapping into this for another new collection – Ivy – that capitalises on intense ‘bottle green’ tourmaline that’s deep, rich and saturated. Here, we can really see her Art Deco inspirations at play, largely due to the use of step-cut, octagonal-shaped minerals and baguette-cut diamonds in 18k white gold. “Green is a jewellery trend that is effortlessly growing right now,” Sunita shares. “These beautiful green tourmalines can be passed from generation to generation, which is why I chose a twist on a classic design and just the right amount of modernity.” I can attest that in the daylight, these tourmalines really sing with an attention-grabbing intensity. The ring, especially, is set with an almost glowing 15.67-carat tourmaline, surrounded by round brilliant-cut diamonds and channel-set baguette cuts. 

Green tourmaline is available on the market in a vast range of qualities. The exceptional material, like the unusually shaped drops in the Ivy earrings, are hard to come by. – Sunita Nahata 

The Ivy collection also boasts two pairs of earrings. The first pair is set with a duo of green tourmaline drops – a hybrid between a sugarloaf cabochon and a bead – totalling 27.83 carats. These are capped with diamonds and suspended by an Art Deco ‘U’ shape with baguette- and round brilliant-cut diamonds. The second pair, my personal favourites, are a lovely blend of channel-set baguette-cut diamonds, round brilliant-cut diamonds, and an octagonal-shaped, emerald-cut green tourmaline of 13.13 carats, with each corner capped in white gold. Both pairs contain hidden links, ensuring the mineral focus falls straight and can’t twist and turn as the wearer moves. It is small but important details like this that really help to set Sunita Nahata apart. 

So, what have we learned? Santa Maria-colour aquamarines are rare and hard to find in today’s market. Quintessentially red rubellites, neither too bright nor too dark, are in high demand, and nuanced shades of pure pink tourmaline and bottle green tourmaline are gaining a stellar reputation. The epitome of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’! I trust Sunita Nahata to have her finger on the pulse of minerals worthy of special attention. The fact she places these in classically wearable, Art Deco-inspired creations that are imbued with thoughtful details, as evidenced by these new collections, is simply the icing on the cake.