Ruth Tomlinson X Gemfields: The New Montepuez Collection

Set with grey and white diamonds and made with 18ct yellow gold, the rings feature rubies sourced from Gemfields’ Montepuez ruby mine in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. Ruth’s latest collection is inspired by the imperfect yet beautiful contemporary objects she discovered during her travels and also by the medieval associations of rubies.

Montepuez Ruby Mining’s site in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province covers 33,600 hectares of one of the most productive ruby deposits in the world. Operated by Gemfields, the mine has provided reliable employment for over 1,400 people in the local area and proudly contributes to Mozambique’s economic development.

With this collection, Ruth focussed on her unique interpretation of the traditional filigree technique to create delicate details in yellow gold. “Filigree is an ancient technique used to create beautiful, ornamental details in precious metals which gives highly detailed lace-like patterns. My interpretation of the technique results in details that are intricate yet identifiably hand made, an ode to the craftsperson.”

When visualising how she would set these rubies, Ruth went back to her personal ‘treasure box’, housing a collection of inspirational found objects discovered over the years during her travels to far-flung destinations.  She focussed her inspiration on several contemporary man-made objects which many would disregard as worthless. Ruth used these items as references to design seemingly deconstructed jewellery that is purposefully imperfect, resembling an object found during an archaeological dig.

Fascinated by the miniature and overlooked items she has discovered, Ruth often turns to imperfect yet beautiful natural and man-made objects when designing her collections. This imperfect and raw quality is central to Ruth’s new Montepuez collection, which is designed to appear both ancient and modern, interesting and intriguing, by blending organic details with precious rubies, diamonds and yellow gold. Ruth hopes that people will question whether the rings are old or modern and take a closer look to explore their provenance and see the harmony of beautiful stones shaped with charming inconsistencies.

Ruth was also influenced by the historical associations of rubies. During medieval times, rubies represented health, wealth, passion, wisdom and success in life and so Ruth wanted to reflect these attributes in the rings. The deep red colouring of the rubies Ruth has used in the Montepuez collection emphasises their emotional power and connects the wearer to a strong sense of intention and meaning.

Ruth Tomlinson, “I am delighted to have worked with Gemfields to source rubies for my latest collection. Knowing that the gemstones have been responsibly mined reassures our clients of the provenance of their Ruth Tomlinson jewellery and the positive impact these gemstones have to their place of origin. Our new collection connects the wearer to a deep emotional power and showcases the inherent beauty within man-made imperfections.”

The Ruth Tomlinson Montepuez collection includes 4 one-of-a-kind rings. Available from Ruth’s London Atelier or online www.ruthtomlinson.com