Holiday season is quickly approaching and at Omi Privé we believe in celebrating with color! Check out some of the newest pieces in the collection and the inspiration behind them. We’ve included style numbers so you can include them on your holiday wish list and view the piece in person at an Omi Privé retailer near you.

At the center of this statement ring is a lovely lavender spinel, its color does not appear fixed as is mirrors the multicolor round spinels set in its halo.

Style R2334-RC1650-SPOV

 

The gemstones in this ring design celebrate the color blue! Its halo and side stones are comprised of Paraíba-type tourmalines, while the center displays a rich steely blue spinel.

Style R2336-RC1055-SPCU

 

At Omi we love designing with rose gold, and these extremely vibrant examples of pink spinels and purple garnets together just shine while surrounded by a halo of diamonds.

Style E1275-EC1750-RGCU

 

Sapphires dazzle at the center of both of these pendants; with an inner halo of rose-cut diamonds for a statement making look.

Styles P1415-PC1615-SAPS & P1434-PC1300-SACU

 

This incredibly fine example of a rainbow moonstone is complimented by a scalloped halo of alexandrites that almost mimic the billowing, rolling nature of the moonstone’s adularescence.

Style P1432-PC1150-MSPS

 

This pendant features a unique and elongated pear-shape tourmaline which is striking in its size and shape. Complimented by subtle detailing throughout, including an alexandrite set “spine” running the length of the back of the stone for a complete look.

Style P1435-PC1250-TOPS

 

A marvelous blue zircon sits at the center of this ring, its doubling clearly evident in this image and its pavilion well protected in this bezel style ring. Blue zircons are notably brittle, but their sparkle is scintillating.

Style R2320-RC1755-BZOV

 

In both blue and pink, these sapphire three-stone rings are a classic design reimagined with a monochromatic burst of color.

Styles R2326-RC1350-SAEC & R2327-RC1350-PSEC

 

 

 

At Omi Privé we covet black opal from the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia. As gemologists we are taught never to identify gemstones by sight alone, but when it comes to natural opals, there’s nothing that quite compares and there are no two opals that are exactly alike. There are certain patterns that appear more often than others in the play-of-color seen in opals.

Opal is a non-crystalline form of the mineral silica. It is formed when tiny spheres of silica solidify and stack on top of one another. The uniformity of size of these spheres helps determine how the opal diffracts light and what color appears. Generally, when the spheres are more uniform in size and arrangement, the opal will produce more intense and defined play of color. We love to design with a variety of patterns and colors; here we will take a closer look at some of these pattern names as seen in Omi Privé pieces:

Pinfire: Seen in these opal rings – pinfire patterned opals can be described as having small bright spots of different colors that punctuate the stone and are visible in all directions.

Sheen: & Moss: Sheen and moss patterns can be observed in this opal pendant. Sheen is considered as an overly similar, matching color pattern with diffuse, undefined flashes. It would also classify as a moss pattern which is just as it sounds; the play of color resembles scrawling moss.

Flash: The flash pattern in opals can appear in different ways. A broad flash pattern will cover a substantial part of the face of the opal, usually as a single color. Rolling flash patterns will roll across the face of the stone as it’s moved. Below are two examples of flash pattern opals.

Flagstone Harlequin: Harlequin patterns are often the most rare and valuable of all opal patterns, and are defined by a pattern of repeating squares of color. There are varieties of this pattern, and one is the flagstone harlequin, which contains patches of color that are more irregular in shape and fit together in a mosaic style similar to flagstone paving.

Clover Harlequin: Similar to the above flagstone harlequin pattern, clover harlequin opals will display units of color that form in a clover leaf-like design.

Chaff: Opals with chaff patterns will often display other patterns as well, but the chaff pattern is observed when randomly oriented patches of color are broken by fine lines or brushstrokes crosshatching in different directions.

Ribbon: Seen below in this exquisite opal, this pattern is observed as “ribbons” of color that will run across the opal, generally parallel from one another.

This is just a small sampling of some of the recognizable patterns seen in opal. No two opals are alike, which is why developing a catalogue of patterns to help gemstone dealers and jewelers more accurately describe the stone is important. It’s common for opals to display one or more of these patterns throughout the stone, but generally, those with larger, more saturated and distinct patterns throughout will be more valuable. At Omi Privé we love celebrating this magnificent gemstone with vibrant and unusual color combinations and accents that emphasize the phenomenal nature of the opal.

Shop our opal designs at your local retailer!

At Omi Privé, the beauty is definitely in the details. When designing our pieces, first and foremost, it is about the gemstone. Niveet, President and Lead Designer, believes that the mounting each Omi Gem is placed into should reflect the time and attention to detail that nature took to produce such gorgeous gemstones. Omi Privé’s pieces are meticulously handcrafted in southern California where the company first began selling loose gemstones nearly forty years ago. Using a combination of classic techniques and modern technology, we achieve a level of craftsmanship that is not easily duplicated.

For example – in this close up of one of our popular styles, the sapphire is supported by a double wire basket. To set the stones, each setting is hand-drilled on individual wires and then hand assembled to form the basket. This subtle detailing is oftentimes known only to the wearer, but that is ok by us!  Our desire is that every owner of an Omi Privé piece recognizes the care we put into all aspects of our designs.

As another example – Notice the stones set between the split in the ring’s shank. On first glance, you might not even know it is there. But the construction of each piece, through pulled wire technique allows for all metal surfaces to be polished, and just as importantly, this technique ensures that the metal is denser and less porous than if cast. All these elements make certain that your jewelry will stand the test of time!

Taking a closer look at our French pavé, again you will notice Omi’s superior craftsmanship. Treating each piece of jewelry like its own mini-sculpture, each pavé prong is carved by hand. This ensures their strength and allows our master jewelers more control, which is why very little metal can often be seen when our French pavé halos are complete.

For our Vault-worthy rings, we also like to add the tiny detail of a small round alexandrite set inside the bottom of shank. Alexandrite is Niveet’s favorite stone to design with, it is a signature that speaks to rarity and value, and also a gift to the wearer.

Grandidierite is one of the rarest minerals on earth. It was first discovered in 1902 in southern Madagascar and named in honor of French explorer Alfred Grandidier (1836–1912) who studied the natural history of Madagascar. The original discovery of the stone was located in a small pegmatite outcrop in the cliffs of Andrahomana, which is on the southern coast of Madagascar. Since its initial discovery, specimens of grandidierite have been found in select locations around the world, including Malawi, Namibia and Sri Lanka. In 2014, about 35 miles northwest of the original deposit find, in the Amboasary district of southern Madagascar’s Anosy region gem quality rough was discovered. With very few exceptions, the only location where gem quality material has been discovered is Southern Madagascar. Most faceted stones have been under 1 carat in size with obvious inclusions; in very rare finds 3 to 5 carats or slightly larger have been produced. It is strongly trichroic, meaning it appears as different shades of color from different angles, but it is often cut so that when facing up it has a blue to bluish green color.

Something we value here at Omi Privé is process. We have close relationships with miners and generations of industry partnerships in the loose colored gemstone business. These partnerships allow us to acquire gemstones that others don’t have access to.⁠ ⁠We specialize in sourcing because we see each gemstone as true artistic works of nature. For this three-stone ring, we combined another favorite gemstone of ours; alexandrite. Alexandrite is one of the most unique and rare gemstones ever discovered. Naturally, it changes colors in different lighting, from hues of greens and blues in daylight to reds and purples in incandescent light. Alexandrite was discovered in April of 1834 in the Ural Mountains of Russia. It was named after Tsar Alexander II since it was discovered around the time of the future Tsar’s coming of age. Since red and green were the colors of Imperial Russia it quickly became the national stone of Russia, worn by royalty and nobility. We felt alexandrite was the perfect compliment to the center grandidierite of this ring. An exceptionally rare combination of gemstones, both grandidierite and alexandrite are two of the rarest gemstones in the world making this ring a true one-of-a-kind collector’s piece.

Grandidierites over 1 carat are highly valuable and coveted, particularly one like the center stone of this ring displaying characteristic blue-green color with little to no eye visible inclusions.

Grandidierite is strongly trichroic so its colors appear to shift when looking at it under different lighting or angles; this characteristic plays off the naturally color changing alexandrites set on the sides and outer halo of the ring.

The lovely side details and black rhodium surrounding the alexandrite melee down the shank and around the crown make the ring gorgeous from all angles.

The platinum ring accented with black rhodium features over a 2 carat oval grandidierite stone and two oval alexandrites on each side. The ring is further complimented by round alexandrites and diamonds.

 

Watch the color change phenomena of this ring!

 

Refresh any wardrobe by adorning your ears with style and color! This season the runway is seeing earrings that are more colorful, bold and downright statement making. Celebrate your personal style with the gemstone that speaks to you. Which pair of earrings is your favorite?

Alexandrite & Diamond Platinum Earrings

Rainbow Moonstone, Purple Spinel, Fancy Sapphire, Alexandrite & Diamond Rose Gold Earrings

Paraíba-Type Tourmaline, Purple Sapphire, Paraíba Tourmaline & Diamond Earrings

Sapphire & Diamond Platinum Earrings

Paraíba-type Tourmaline, Paraíba Tourmaline & Diamond Platinum Earrings

 

 

Omi Privé takes First Place in the Luxury Debut Category with Purple Sapphire and Paraíba Tourmaline-Type Ring

With a unique passion for high-quality gemstone and fine jewelry design, Omi Privé was awarded first place honor in the Luxury Debut Category at the 2019 Luxury Design Awards, adding to their further recognition for creating the finest colored gemstone jewelry.

“Being a part of the esteemed LUXURY show during their 20^th Anniversary celebrations was a true honor,” said Niveet Nagpal, Omi Privé President and Head Designer. “Thank you to our industry partners and Loretta Gordon Block from Gordons Gold Jewellers for bestowing such an honor upon our purple sapphire three stone ring.”

Chosen as a contender by Gordons Gold Jewellers, the Luxury Debut Category saw an Omi Privé Platinum ring with a 4.03-carat purple sapphire as the center gemstone, flanked by 2 Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Pear Shape side stones (1.03 ctw) for a harmonious pastel color palette. Color is what inspires many Omi Privé designs, and the colors in this unheated purple sapphire and the pear-shape Paraíba-type tourmalines tonally were a perfect complement. Relinquishing the idea of pairing “traditional” gemstones and colors allows Omi Privé to create unique designs and deliver to their customers something they might not have ever considered.

Further details of our award-winning rings may be found online at OmiPrivé.com.

 

Loretta from Gordons Gold Jewellers visits Omi Privé to view the ring she nominated for the LUXURY award during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

Designer Niveet Nagpal accepts the LUXURY Design Award at the annual awards presentation.

Niveet Nagpal and Loretta Gordon Block during the awards celebrations.

The award winning purple sapphire and cuprian tourmaline ring.

 

18K rose gold pendant accented by black rhodium featuring a 7.10 carat pear-shape rainbow moonstone accented by a 0.51 carat pear-shape orange topaz, 0.40 carat total weight of round alexandrites and 0.08 carat total weight of round diamonds.

Platinum ring accented with black rhodium featuring a 11.17 carat oval moonstone accented by 5.40 carat total weight of oval buff-top sapphires, 0.40 carat total weight of round sapphires and 0.18 carat total weight of round diamonds.

Platinum ring accented by black rhodium featuring a 1.35 carat oval alexandrite accented by 1.29 carat total weight of oval alexandrites, 0.76 carat total weight of round alexandrites and 0.87 carat total weight of round diamonds.

Platinum earrings featuring 4.85 carat total weight of oval Paraiba-type tourmalines accented by 1.01 carat total weight of round Paraiba tourmalines and 1.20 carat total weight of round diamonds.