By Maria Doulton
A fine jewellery bracelet shining and sparkling with coloured gemstones adds a touch of brightness to any outfit. And unlike earrings or a necklace, you get the pleasure of seeing it with every little movement of your wrist.
Here is my selection of the best bracelets featuring coloured gemstones. And as you may expect, there is nothing traditional about these, which all feature unusual hues and daring design. All three bracelets are a far cry from the timeless diamond bracelet - dubbed the tennis bracelet after, back in the 1980s, Chris Evert broke hers and stopped the match so she could find it. What is clear is that jewellers are being more experimental with the whole spectrum of coloured gemstones and hunting down the most vibrant and unusual gems to make bracelets like these stand out from the crowd.
Find out more about tennis bracelets
It has to be recognised that warmer climes are more in tune with the allure of a bracelet since, in chilly Europe, our arms are covered up for a good part of the year. So it is not surprising that at the Couture Show Las Vegas, I was taken aback by the bountiful display of beautiful bracelets, two of which came from jewellers from sun-drenched countries.
From sizzling-hot Beirut, the Sunset cuffs from Selim Mouzannar jewellery are more than just pretty bracelets. The simple geometric gold bangles with a sizeable blue or green turquoise disc at the centre, are so very clever. Each has a semi-circle that can be flipped over to create a circle of gold and diamonds around the turquoise, or returned to its original position for a more compact bracelet, mimicking the setting sun, which you can wear individually or shoulder to shoulder with a second bracelet. Versatile, chic and very contemporary, these bracelets are certainly on my wish list.
View more Selim Mouzannar jewellery
New York-based Lynn Ban jewellery knows how to make a dramatic, look-at-me statement, with edgy designs that have captured the attention of the likes of Madonna and Rihanna. The Sirene bracelet with its graduated ripples of green and yellow sapphires and diamonds brings the magic of a shimmering mermaid’s tail to the wrist.
The warm weather of Los Angeles is perfect to show off Arunashi’s spectacular cuff featuring an electric blue 23ct Paraíba tourmaline. Surrounded by hundreds of diamonds set into ultra-light titanium and a galaxy of pastel-hued opals, the effect is hazy and mesmerisingly beautiful.
