G E M S  O F  L E G E N D 

It's our honor to introduce you to the Spinelli Kilcollin Astral Collection: a cluster of cocktail ring stars comprised of colored gemstones: sapphires, opals, aquamarines, morganites, emeralds, moonstones, and rubies, set in crowns of 18k gold. 

Precious gemstones, mined and derived from across the world, have long been favored by royalty. This is in response, of course, to their stellar beauty and rarity—but also to their symbolic value.

Gemstones have been given as gifts for winning battles, have served as the tablets into which ancient religious scripts have been inscribed, and have long served as the focal fixtures of the turbans, crowns, and tiaras held sacred by the royalty of numerous cultures.

The emblematic value of these treasures are as high as—though much more potent than—their monetary value. Read along to learn of the origins of the precious gemstones featured in the Spinelli Kilcollin Astral Collection, as well as their ties to royalty and the illustrious, and their allusive meanings. 

To view and select from the Astral Collection, please click here. Note that we will be continuing to add styles to the collection, and that not all are available online—but can become yours by contacting us here.

The Midnight Tiara belonged to the third Princess Mary of Denmark—it was just one fixture of her tiara wardrobe. The wreath-like tiara is comprised of branches and leaves of rose and white gold and blackened silver, dotted with one thousand, three hundred diamonds and moonstones. 

Moonstones were first used in Roman jewelry since the year 100 AD. They and the Ancient Greeks associated the stone with their moon deities. They remained popular, and were especially prevalent in the Art Nouveau jewelry of the early 20th century.

In Eastern Cultures, Moonstones have long been considered to bring luck—in Asia they were thought to contain live spirits, which could "move." They were often placed beneath pillows while their guardians slept to ensure that they'd have dreams of the future.

The stone, often exchanged for thirteenth anniversaries, is regarded as a gift that arouses love and passion. 

M O R G A N I T E

Queen Elisa wears her morganite on a stream of pearls

Kate Middleton accessorizes her Morganite earrings with an outfit of Morganite pink. 

Due to its delicate, blush pink color and referred to as being a crystal of Divine Love, morganite is often associated with the first, pale rays on the morning sun: a sentiment that evokes feelings of warmness of the heart. 

Morganite is associated with the Heart Chakra and with divine compassion.

It's believed to attract love into its wearers life, and to ensure that the love is maintained. For those seeking a "soulmate," Morganite is considered to to be an impactful gemstone to own and, carry, and wear. 

Wearing Morganite also, it's believed, ensures a sense of peace, joy, and inner strength. 

Hailing from numerous locales including Brazil and Madagascar, Morganite was named for collector JP Morgan, who was drawn the the magical qualities of the world.

 E M E R A L D

Derived from the French word 'esmeralde,' which came from the Greek word for 'green stone,' the saturated green color of emeralds is unparalleled. First found in Ancient Egypt, they're considered to be one of the precious four gemstones—as well as being a holy gemstone—and the stone that's often exchanged for thirty-fifth marriage anniversaries.

According to the ancient, holy Hindu scriptures, emeralds are believed to bring good luck and to provide its wearers with a sense of well being.

There are a number of famous private and public collections of the green stone: emeralds are crucial to the Iranian National Jewelry Treasury, were adored kept by Turkish sultans, and are on exhibit, in items like daggers and jewelry, at Istanbul's Topkapi Palace. The Viennese treasury owns what is considered to be one of the finest emeralds in the world, of 2205 carats. 

Elizabeth Taylor, who famously had one of the most elaborate, tasteful, and exquisite personal collections of jewelry of anyone in history, was given an emerald and diamond brooch, emerald necklace, earrings, a bracelet, and a ring by Richard Burton.

Josephine de Beauharnais in black opals

Opals, often exchanged for fourteenth marriage anniversaries, are known for the color-shifting fire. 

The name 'opal' translates to the Sanskrit 'upala,' or precious stone, and from the Ancient Greek 'Opallios,' or "to see a change of color."

For many centuries, opals have been associated with royalty and good luck. Queen Victoria wore and collected opals throughout her reign; the finest opal in the world was given to Queen Elizabeth II when she first visited Australia. 

The Ancient Romans believed that the stones displayed the beauty of all precious gemstones, and Caesars would present their wives opal for good luck—the gemstones were considered to represent hope and purity.

Opals have also been called the “Cupid Stone": representations of the clear complexion of love and the God of love.

P E A R L 

For thousands of years, across the world, pearls have been associated with royalty and nobility in every culture.

In China, crowns of emperors, the robes of noblewomen, and statues of the Buddha were all adorned with pearls.

In ancient Rome and medieval France, only the aristocracy were allowed to wear pearls and during the Elizabethan reign in England, only royalty could wear them. 

Ancient Egyptians were buried with them, and it's said that Cleopatra dissolved a single pearl into a glass of wine and drank it to prove to Marc Anthony that she could consume the wealth of an entire country in just one meal. 

In Ancient Hebrew legend, God decorated the Garden of Eden with pearls.

 R U B Y 

Mellerio Ruby Parure of the Netherlands 

 Indian Tiara of Ruby, Diamond, and Pearl

A Burmese ruby tiara commissioned by the queen

 

For thousands of years they’ve also been understood to promote and symbolize energy, passion, power, and courage— legend tells us that a person who possesses or wears a ruby can walk through life without fear of evil or misfortune.

A Q U A M A R I N E

Grand Duchess Vladmir in an aquamarine set

Brazilian aquamarine tiara and necklace which belongs to the British 

Prized for their oceanic color and tendency to lack inclusions (the elements considered to be the "flaws" of gemstones which produce cloudiness), aquamarine takes its name from the Latin words for 'water' and 'of the sea' and have been carried and worn in numerous cultures.

The Ancient Romans believed that if a frog was carved on an aquamarine, it could reconcile disturbances between enemies and make them friends. They also believed that the gemstone absorbs the atmosphere of young love, and thus the stone was considered to be the most appropriate morning gift for a groom to give to his bride following their marriage. In Medieval times, aquamarine was thought to have the power reawaken love between married couples.

The Sumerians, Egyptians, and Hebrews believed it to be a symbol of happiness and everlasting youth.

T O U R M A L I N E

Estelle Bernadotte

Pink tourmaline tiara from the nineteenth century

According to ancient legend, tourmaline—which can naturally be found in numerous bright colors—traveled along a rainbow as a means of gathering all of its colors.

In the eighteenth century, perhaps due to its range of tone, tourmaline was considered to be helpful stone for artists, authors, actors, and others in creative professions.

In Africa, tourmaline was used as a stone to awaken one from “the dream of illusion." In India, tourmalines were included during ceremonies because they were thought to provide insight and help people discover that which is pure and good.

The stones have also historically been valued by alchemists, who believed that it was related to the philosopher’s stone—it could allow for enlightenment and connect people to their spiritual awakenings.