Katherine Jetter is among the talented jewelry designers who helped put black opal back on the fine-jewelry map, but it’s her present-day passion for select gemstones that may be earning her the most praise. From a 17.32-carat bicolor imperial topaz to a 53-carat Santa Maria aquamarine, Jetter has sold her share of drool-worthy gems to discerning patrons at her four-year-old shop in Nantucket, Massachusetts, as well as at her newer Boston salon and wholesale around the globe.
It’s this passion for rare gems that keeps collectors and fellow merchants coming back.
Around the world
Jetter left her home country of Australia at age nine, traveling the world with her parents while letting an underlying love of art simmer. She was so gifted that she earned a full scholarship to attend Central Saint Martins University of the Arts in London — an offer she turned down, thinking a more conventional line of work would be more secure. Still, to commemorate the accomplishment, Jetter’s parents bought her a loose opal, for which she designed a contemporary-looking ring.
She ended up pursuing a degree in clinical psychology, after which she worked in private banking. During her education, she also went to Italy to study Italian, striking up a deal with a local bench jeweler: The jeweler would speak the language to her, and she would do jewelry renderings in return. The move got Jetter reminiscing about her past artistic ambitions and prompted her to shift gears to a career in fine jewelry, this time with her parents’ blessing.
“It was a real industry, as opposed to painting,” she explains, a whisper of an Australian accent still present. “There’s so much value to gemstones.”
Creating her niche
In 2008, she debuted her eponymous design firm. At the time, she wanted to honor her Aussie roots by making black opal the focus of her designs. Iconic pieces like carved opal flower rings earned her accolades and recognition for her devotion to fine colored stones.
Her aesthetic evolved from designs like her whimsical oversized flowers to more sophisticated looks. Today, Australian black opals (and some fiery Mexican ones) maintain a presence in her work, but so do Malaya garnets, purple sapphires, peach tourmalines, spinels of all colors, and exceptional cuts of morganite. One discerning client grilled her on a choice cut of that orange-pink beryl to be sure he was getting the highest quality possible.
“I’m dealing with a whole other spectrum of color,” Jetter says of the $45,000 sale. “You can find gems for less, but my morganite is precious and has a depth of color, versus some of the whitish stones on the market.”
It’s this drive to source the best stones that keeps Jetter going.
“I live and breathe jewelry design, and I’m happy to share that space with my peers,” she says.
That’s why she unveiled a retail store in Nantucket, complete with couture-level designers like Victor Velyan and Stephen Webster, to fuel her own passion while inspiring collectors to find theirs. “The Nantucket showroom is an homage to jewelry design,” she states.
Covid-19 led her to create yet another space, an appointment-only salon in Boston. That space is “a bit more personal,” she says, and she plans to collaborate with fashion and spirits brands on fun in-store events once coronavirus restrictions lift.
Both of the spaces feature thoughtfully designed pieces and impressive-quality gems that grow rarer by the day. She chooses only the best designers to showcase, explaining that “being a jeweler is the lens through which I find others.”
Exploring enamel
Jetter’s latest line should have been unveiled at Couture 2020, but the pandemic came calling and put the kibosh on shows. Still, the artist went forward with her work. “Some [jewelers] were canceling orders in March, and I said, ‘I’m making this,’” she recalls.
The direction? More color, but this time in enamel form. Her enamel comes in custom hues, including an electric blue and a gemmy rubellite.
“I think enamel is having a moment now because of advances in technology,” she says. But don’t expect her to tell you what type she’s using; that’s proprietary. “I spent 18 months in product development. It was a lot of trial and error.”
Do, however, expect to see more signature elements of hers, like large stones set askew. Is this Jetter coming full circle to her fanciful origins, or a premonition of lighter times ahead? Maybe a little of both.
“When this pandemic is over, there’ll be a lot of celebrating,” she predicts. “When we finally have somewhere to go, who won’t want to go out in a gown and jewels?”
katherinejetter.com
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - January 2021. To subscribe click here.