ISABELLE LANGLOIS

18K Gold Earrings with Diamonds, Tsavorites, Sapphires,
Amethyst, Rhodolite and Pink Quartz

You will find a little bit of Rome in France via the Nimes Amphitheatre.

Originally used as a fortress, the marble and limestone structure is now the location for rousing international festivals, circuses and bull fights.  France is also home to featured jewelry designer Isabelle Langlois.

If precious metals are the equivalent of a painter’s canvas then precious or semi-precious gemstones are the oil paints of the jeweler’s palette.

A descendant of stone cutters from Jura, France Langlois incorporates an array of gemstones—many in remarkable pavé settings—as the focal points of her exquisite luxury jewelry collections.

There is no shortage of color: pink sapphire, peridot, iolite, citrine and garnet.  The jewelry designs are literal explosions of vibrant hues.  Step cuts, cabochons, buff tops, and princess cuts are among the stunning facets Langlois implements into 18-karat gold pendants and cocktail rings.

18K White Gold Pendant Necklace with Diamonds, Amethyst, Tsavorite,
Pink Sapphires, Tsavorite, and Pink Quartz

Langlois’ cocktail ring designs in particular are sublime in their delicate arrangement of complex pavé sets.  Stone settings resemble small berries or tiny flowers accented with a thin strip of 18-karat yellow or white gold.  It is incredible to me that so much color and detail can be applied on a jewelry piece as diminutive as a ring. 

“My prime source of inspiration is color:  the colors that glint from the feathers of tropical birds or that escapes from fleeting butterflies,” she acknowledges. 

“The art of faceting is very important to my designs.  These techniques enable a gemstone to acquire a spirit of its own.

18K Gold Rings with Diamonds,
Pink Sapphires and Green Quartz

The combination of gemstones, shapes and facets allow me to play with innumerable possibilities.  I love the colors of life.  It brings with it strong emotions.”

A selection of items from Langlois' fine jewelry collection is available to buy  at McKinneys.com.