Musing on living in a material worldSome designers are devoted to diamonds. Others mix and match a rainbow’s spectrum of colored stones. Still more are die-hard goldsmiths. Alishan Halebian, however, is tougher to characterize. His jewelry incorporates such materials as platinum, gold, sterling silver, ancient glass, and ebony wood. He’s not fickle; he’s simply looking to test his, ahem, mettle. “I think of my ­jewelry as a fusion of materials, color, texture, form—therefore when I embrace new material, I welcome the challenge,” says the Armenia-born, California-based Halebian. “Different characteristics of material bring a new approach to design. It brings new ideas and makes me think.” Take his wedding rings: exquisitely ornamental creations in colorless diamonds and 18k gold. Then look at his Edge line—contemporary tribal-inspired pieces in black patina sterling sil