Kaitlyn Elizabeth’s new collection centering on paraiba tourmaline is an homage to founder Kaitlyn O’Neill’s family as well as a signal that this fine jewelry brand, which just released its first pieces last month, is one to watch.
O’Neill, who also founded the demi-fine and costume jewelry Honey by Kait, is debuting Kaitlyn Elizabeth’s Heritage collection today with four pieces featuring paraiba tourmalines. Three of them have natural diamonds as well.
Paraiba tourmalines are produced in only a couple of countries, and the most valuable come from Brazil, where the stone was first discovered (in the Paraíba state) in the 1980s.
“I have family roots in Brazil—my mother’s family is from there—and I wanted to make a collection with rare gemstones that honor my heritage,” says the Newport Beach, Calif.–based O’Neill. “It’s been so special working with this gemstone, and it’s a collection I plan to build onto in the future.”
O’Neill adapted one of her original Kaitlyn Elizabeth designs, the Motif diamond pavé bracelet, with paraiba tourmalines for the Heritage collection. She hopes clients will stack it with the all-gold or pavé diamond Motif bangle.
The hero pieces of Heritage are the necklaces showcasing a paraiba tourmaline—either pear-shape or oval—in a diamond halo, set in platinum. O’Neill’s commitment to the highest craftsmanship is evident in their delicate claw prongs and elegant basket setting on the back that complements the gemstone and style.
“There’s no detail I didn’t consider. Every angle is gorgeous,” she says. “The color of the stone is what inspired me the most. It’s like the color of the ocean—it reminds me of where I live, as well as my trips abroad to the Mediterranean.”
Heritage also includes a paraiba ring with diamond halo. This traditional style reflects the classic nature of the collection, says O’Neill.
She tells JCK that several clients who got an early preview of the Heritage jewelry purchased them. “My clients love these pieces, and they fulfill my vision for what I wanted Heritage to be.
“This [brand] may be new, but I’ve been ready to do this,” O’Neill says. “I’ve been working in this industry for so long and thinking about what I want Kaitlyn Elizabeth to be. It’s what I’ve been building toward.”
Paraiba tourmalines have always been prized, but they got some extra attention recently when the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) announced it had received five copper-bearing tourmalines for grading that could be from Ethiopia. Until now, the only countries known to produce paraibas—distinguished from other tourmalines by their copper content—are Brazil, Mozambique, and Nigeria.
Paraibas also made the news at Sotheby’s fine jewelry auction in New York last month, where five of the stones netted a combined $3.4 million (the presale high estimates for all totaled $1.2 million).
“Savvy collectors in the 1980s and 1990s bought [Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline] for a few thousand dollars per carat, sometimes for hundreds per carat,” Anna Ruzhnikov, head of high jewelry for Sotheby’s, tells JCK. “As the market has gained knowledge about this stone, buyers are becoming more aware of it. It’s its own separate asset class. Prices have really grown exponentially.”
Top: The Heritage pear paraiba and diamond necklace (photos courtesy of Kaitlyn Elizabeth)
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