A Cut Above

The most important people in the jewellery business aren’t who you think they are.

- Herve Dewintre & Kenny Loh

Diamonds are deeply intriguing. It might be a bit of a stretch to say that they are magical, but the truth is, there is no better way to describe those marvellous works of nature. They take billions of years to form in Earth’s greatest depths; they appear delicate but are incredibly robust; and their colours, ranging from pink to yellow, are decided by unpredictable chemical or structural impurities.

There is a handful of highly knowledgeable individuals whose jobs are to seek out those fascinating stones – not just diamonds but emeralds, rubies and sapphires – for the most prestigious houses in the jewellery business. Every stone hunter’s modus operandi is interestingly unique. “When I buy a coloured stone, I appreciate it under three lights. I look at it in the morning, at noon and under evening lights, and it must keep the same colour at all different times,” reveals Boucheron’s Thierry Robert, who has spent more than 40 years sourcing for the Parisian brand. In his pocket is always a compass, which he uses to identify where the northern light is shining from. “Light coming from the north is clean and white. It is the best in which to value a gem.”

Are there any gems which Robert dreams of acquiring? “I’ve tried for years to get hold of a cushion-cut pink diamond bigger than 20cts,” he says. “There is also a Burmese sapphire and ruby, and a Colombian emerald which my father [who worked at Boucheron for 50 years] was extremely attached to. I would be overjoyed to see those again.”