Catherine and Orlov earrings in 18ct white gold set with fire opal and diamonds. Inside the Kremlin is a jewel house full of intoxicating treasures. I remember the darkness on entering and the almost firework like display of the jewels that Count Orlov gave to his lover Catherine the Great. There were necklaces, brooches and earrings set with colourful foil backings that glowed pink and green for Catherine's exotic costume balls. Inspired by a detail of crescents and trefoils I created the Catherine and Orlov design weaving quartets and quintets of pave set diamonds around a central oval stone. From the journey to Russia.
Opal
Opals with their play on colour are endlessly intriguing, especially the Australian opals from Coober Pedy in Australia. But opal also occurs in Peru in a soft almost turquoise blue and in Mexico in fiery oranges. Softer than other gemstones, they should be worn with care and kept in a moist atmosphere- it is a good idea to keep a glass of water in your safe if you have opals. Opals are the birthstone for October.
Craftsmanship and Sourcing
All Cassandra Goad jewellery is designed and made in the
workshops in London.
As a gemmologist, the chemical composition and properties of
gemstones have always fascinated Cassandra. Ever in search of the
unusual and rare, she travels the world to source beautiful
gemstones, either in the rough or cut form. The craftsman works as
an artist recreating the design in metal, his interpretation is
vital to the overall feel of the jewel. The jewel is then mounted,
assayed , polished and set. Many of Cassandra's jewels can be hand
engraved with a personal message to make a unique bespoke gift.
This year marks 35 years of Cassandra Goad and to celebrate Cassandra has delved deep into her jewellery archives to re-discover her most celebrated designs, to re-create each one into either its original form or re-imagined into unseen versions.
