Maya Gemstones: Pioneers of the triangular gem cut

“I wanted to have my ears pierced since I was about six years old. One day, while walking on the street, I saw two small pieces of glass on the ground – glittering in the summer sun. I brought them home, washed them and glued them to my ears – those were my first diamonds. It was then that I thought: ‘when I grow up, I will have many diamonds.’”

Over time, that little girl grew to become Olya Pekarevskaia, a successful director of highly exclusive events, and founded her own jewellery brand in 2016. Called Maya Gemstones, it is the only company which offers jewellery with gemstones of unique patented triangular cut.

When we met, Olga recalled a conversation with a friend in which she had mentioned that she wanted to create something innovative, and was looking for an idea that would capture people’s imagination. Her friend then suggested she thought back to when she was a 16-year-old girl – what was it that she wanted then? Olga replied that she wanted to become a director – this, of course, was a goal that had already achieved. Then, the friend shrugged and said merely: “dig further.” At that point, nothing sprung to mind, but the friend’s advice struck a chord. The next day Olga remembered that summer day that I described in the beginning of the article.

Why did Olga decide to focus on creating jewellery with an unconventional triangular stone shape? Two years ago, she took to studying the gem market, and realised that the representation of this gem cut was virtually non-existent in jewellery. It was at that moment that Olga realized that these triangular gems were the most enchanting in her eyes.

If one looks at the world around, triangles are ubiquitous: in architecture (the Louvre), in fashion (don’t a-line skirts look so good on a figure?), in food (the food pyramid!) and perhaps most conspicuously – in symbolism. The triangle is the first geometrical shape to appear in ancient ornaments, and Olga sees this shape as a symbol of love. Here is how she describes her vision: “In Maya’s unique triangular cut, love itself is enclosed. The top corner symbolizes the divine spirit, the two corners at the base are the male and the female, and where all of these points intersect we find an allegory for unconditional love.”

After speaking with Olga, I realized that the founding of Maya Gemstones had become the fulfilment of a deeply personal need for creative self-expression. Everything she did on the path to creating her brand was so personal that Olga named the brand after her eldest daughter – Maya – and the first collection (released in Italy) after her youngest daughter, Sonya. The debut collection includes earrings, sautoirs, a pendant on a chain and rings, all in a soothing white-grey-pink colour scheme. Diamonds, rose quartz and pearls are set in white, yellow or pink gold.

The laconic design of much of the jewellery works to ensure that the gaze rushes towards the diamonds or pink sapphires in their patented triangular cut. Having made the gems the centrepiece of each design, Olga then proceeded to give herself complete freedom as to the form of the jewellery. In ‘Sonya’ you will find snakes, beetles, a rocket with a globe, and solitaires adorned a single stone. The second collection – ‘Atlántida’ – is out too, and is dedicated to the lost continent, which is symbolized by the key gem – a triangular blue sapphire.

I set myself the task of making triangular stones the central element of each piece of jewellery. It was therefore of primary importance to find a good cutter, says Olga.

This turned out to be easier said than done! Olga travelled to four countries, and it was only in the fifth that she was able to find a master who was willing and able to create exactly the form she had envisaged – a perfect triangle with 28 facets. The cutter needed to find the precise balance between the depth of the stone and the precision of facet dimensions in order to find the delicate point at which the gem will sparkle more intensely than the current stones available in a trillion cut. 

Having spent a lot of time and effort in developing her innovative approach to jewellery, Olga decided to patent the result that emerged: now the unique cut is officially owned by the Maya brand.