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Fire
and Ice
Paula Crevoshay’s rare hot-hued-gem-and-diamond
creations. |
By
Romy de Courtay |
Crevoshay has exceeded standards with this glorious
green beryl, which recently came off loan from
a prominent museum. A variation on her signature
fleur de lis, from the perspective Earthly Mortals
collection, this piece holds a lot of symbolism.
The large beryl represents Mother Earth; the petals,
the flowering of life made possible by the tourmaline
sun; and the diamond, the Creator of the universe.
$33,300. |
18K-gold rubellite-and-diamond earrings are quintessentially
Crevoshay at her best. The feminine fleur de lis
in diamond and rubellite with delicate dangling
leaves can be worn with or without the detachable,
very large rubellite drops. In true Crevoshay
form, these earrings shine with vibrant colors
and eye-catching details. $16,500. |
“Ethena,” a sublime Crevoshay piece,
represents the female aspect of “Spirit”
and is an excellent example of the heights reached
in modern gem carving in North America. Made of
quartz, pearl and diamond. $29,900. |
Paula Crevoshay. |
Fifteen
years of living and traveling in Southeast Asia left
jeweler Paula Crevoshay with the indelible stamp of
the region’s cultures and a deep appreciation
for the exquisite artistry of its craftsmen. “I
studied gold and silver work with local craftsmen in
India and Nepal,” she says, “and learned
the gem trade and ancient metalworking techniques in
Thailand and Sri Lanka.”
That Asian influence has pervaded her work. But since
settling on a New Mexico mountaintop in 1999, Crevoshay
has also drawn inspiration from nature and the seasons.
“Moving here radically changed my palate, my sense
of light and my sense of scale,” she exclaims.
“The geography opens you so widely!”
Born and bred in Baton Rouge, LA, Crevoshay holds a
master’s degree in painting and sculpture from
the University of Wisconsin and an undergraduate degree
in fine arts from Virginia Commonwealth University.
At age 23, after marrying the late Fulbright and Institute
of Indian Studies Scholar George Crevoshay, she moved
to India.
Rich with the beauty of the lands she visited for many
years, Crevoshay creates opulent jewels that explode
with color-drenched fire or simmer with wintry coolness.
“There’s a spicing of influences in my work,”
she says. “It’s a kind of fusion cuisine.
I combine and synthesize culture and time periods, mix
science and art, and create a new statement.”
Since founding her eponymous company in 1981, Crevoshay
has become a celebrity in her field. Her uniquely imaginative
creations hold pride of place in the permanent collections
of the Smithsonian, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
and the museum of the Gemological Institute of America,
as well as in the homes of a coterie of loyal collectors
(including celebrities such as Carly Simon, Naomi Campbell,
Joan Lunden and Paula Zahn) whom she calls her “angels.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without them,”
says the grateful artist, whose work has been compared
to Fabergé and Lalique.
Known as the “queen of color,” Crevoshay
uses rare stones (she admits to a passion for tourmaline,
opals, moonstones, and copper silicates such as smithsonite
and chrysocolla) handset in 18K gold, employing labor-intensive
techniques. A large green beryl is the striking centerpiece
of a pendant topped by a tourmaline sun surrounded with
garnet petals and surmounted by a diamond. Sensuous
18K-gold earrings harken to the days of the Raj, thanks
to Crevoshay’s signature fleur-de-lis motif in
exquisite rubellite and diamonds adorned with delicate
dangling leaves. “I’ve always been very
sensitive to the human form and where the pieces fit,”
says Crevoshay, who claims that she can “lift
a cheekbone with the slant of an earring.”
Crevoshay’s collections (the Museum collection,
featuring rare stones and retailing for $30,000 to $250,000
and higher for custom pieces; the Gallery collection,
offering entry-level pieces from $800 to $7,000; and
the Couture collection, which proposes fashion-forward
jewels ranging from $5,000 to $30,000) are sold at select
retailers nationwide (visit www.crevoshay.com
for more information). Each piece is unique and entirely
handcrafted at one of Crevoshay’s workshops in
the U.S. or Thailand. “I have to do originals,”
she asserts, “or it’s not a Crevoshay.”
(In fact, major auction houses are said to be studying
her work in readiness for its second market.)
The exception to the one-of-a-kind rule is Splash!,
a line created after the designer and her partner Martin
Bell (who calls himself her impresario and dream-maker)
survived the 2004 tsunami while vacationing on Thailand’s
Khao Lak beach. Comprised of reverse intaglio carvings
of marine creatures on natural quartz crystal, aquamarine,
peridot, rose quartz and pearls, the collection retails
for $800 to $5,000, ten percent of which goes to the
tsunami relief fund.
“I’m fond of saying that I want to set as
many gemstones known to mankind as I can,” states
the artist. “There’s not a gemstone that
I don’t love!” To date, between 5,000 and
7,000 Crevoshay pieces are in private and public hands,
and the best is perhaps yet to come. Despite 24 years
in the field, Crevoshay has lost none of her passion,
her confidence or her sense of purpose. “My work,”
she states, “is destined for connoisseurs, museums
and history books.” |
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Romy
de Courtay is a New York-based fashion, travel and lifestyle
writer whose articles have appeared in U.S. and European
publications, including Town & Country, Elle
Décor, Athens Insider and Elite Traveler.
Photo credit:
Image 4: Kyle Zimmerman. |
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