Katherine Jetter, Ltd.
She’s not your grandmother’s jewelry
designer. And these are not your
grandmother’s opals.
Katherine Jetter, who has been Santa Fe-based
for four years, pushes the envelope when she
designs around the opal, the national gemstone
of Australia.
We caught up with Jetter when she visited
Neiman Marcus in Scottsdale in late April.
Born in Australia, Jetter grew up in Europe and began designing jewelry when she was 18. While she works with stones of all kinds, the opal holds special fascination for her because of its connection to her homeland, and it inspired her to launch her own jewelry brand, Katherine Jetter, Ltd.
Her work has credibility behind it. She was awarded the top International Baccalaureate Art Prize for the Northern Hemisphere in 2001 while attending Sevenoaks School in Kent, UK, and later acquired a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from University College of London. But her passion is for design, stones and fine jewelry, and she later attended the Gemological Institute of America and became certified as a graduate gemologist and jewelry designer.
Jetter is interested in both designing jewelry and the gemology behind the stone. She has been going into the mines since she was 18, and has helped boost the sales of the miners, who trust her to protect the integrity of their treasures. Hence, she has been given access to some of the most remarkable opals to come out of Australian mines in recent years.
Jetter’s designs are fanciful and in some ways outrageous. Her first collection, the Daintree Rainforest, was based on the rainforest in northern Queensland. “I wanted to create my magical rainforest,” Jetter says.
Left, Queen Ruby II ring: 14-carat handcarved opal flower petals set in 18-karat yellow gold, 2-carat diamond pave, 1.07 carat orange sapphire.
Right, Poison Berry ring: 15-carat handcarved opal flower petal set in 18-karat white gold, 2-carat diamond pave, 1.22-carat faceted rubellite and .88-carat Tsavorite garnet
Flower rings in the Rainforest collection are inspired by the Venus flytrap, with a central stone “captured” in a cut opal. Traditional cutters of the 1920s favored simple cuts because opals were so rare. Jetter’s mentality has been to re-educate the cutters to give the stone even more value.
Left, Hanging Vine Earrings: 25 x 11mm Fern Earring, 18-karat white gold, 2.96ct Tsavorite garnet on leaves, 7 x 9mm blue opal cabochons, 15-carat Orange Carnelian briolettes, post studs.
In the Fern Series, rings, pendants and earrings feature fronds in white or yellow gold, encrusted with colorful opals, diamonds or colored gemstones. In the Turtle Series, large opals play the part of the shell, with the head and legs in gold, often set with diamonds.
From the Bronze Collection
Roman Perfume Bottle Pendant: Bronze bottle with 24-karat yellow gold collar, stopper dotted with 0.1-carat round brown diamonds. 32-inch 24-karat gold round rolo chain.
Aquamarine and Bronze Earrings: 16.40-carat emerald-cut aquamarines bezel set in 22-karat yellow gold with patinated bronze, 18-karat gold grills with clip backs.
Aquamarine Ring: 18-karat yellow gold, patinated bronze and 9.29ct aquamarine ring.
Jetter’s clients aren’t necessarily mainstream, she says. Most are women who buy the pieces for themselves, and then return and buy – or commission – more. Men, she says, are often less daring when they purchase expensive jewelry.
Jetter also designs bridal jewelry and most recently has formed a partnership with an Argyle Pink diamond company, L.J. West Diamonds, in south Australia, to create a Haute Couture collection incorporating the rare natural pink diamond. These are collectors’ items, she notes, with a maximum of 11 to 20 stones of one carat or greater coming out of the mines each year. The projection is that the mine will be complete by 2020, further raising the stone’s value.
Katherine Jetter, Ltd. collections are featured in select high-end jewelry stores worldwide, including several Neiman Marcus stores.
