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Award-winning designer of original and unique pieces of colorful gemstone jewelry, Caroline Chartouni sits down with GemScene to explain her philosophy of using color in her creations.
"Gemstones are the twinkle of Nature's eye," muses Caroline, whose creations are sold under the Caroline C brand. "Each stone has its own soul. It beats to its own rhythm. Its character and charisma are expressed softly yet vibrantly in a splendid spectrum of color. Each has a magnificence and magnetism that gives it a distinctive personality." And, it is the distinctive personality of Caroline C designs that have garnered this young designer four prestigious Spectrum Awards in a row—in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. For Caroline—whose career encompasses art forms as diverse as interior design, painting, and fashion—designing jewelry is also a form of art. "It is quite a lot like painting, sculpture or music," she explains. Because Caroline draws a great deal of inspiration from the world around her, she creates jewelry to be "more like music with a sense of movement, flowing lines, and bold color, but with hints of whimsy to evoke the feeling of a symphony." This symphony not only includes a concerto of color but also a sonata of sources around the world where she finds the precious gems for both her retail collections and her private clients. "I travel frequently in order to find just the right gems, and even go directly to the mines to find the perfect stones for special custom pieces. We have a wide range of gems in a multitude of sizes, from those used in casual jewelry to very rare gems destined for gemstone collectors." Caroline goes on to say that finding special stones is not easy, nor is trying to perfectly match 10 or 15-carat stones, for example. "But, when I come across a particularly interesting stone, I let its personality dictate the design in order to showcase its unique qualities." And, of course, one of its unique qualities is color. "I use a lot of color because it gives depth to design. It can make it soft and subtle or exuberant and bold. Color expresses—and creates—feelings. When light hits a gemstone, it makes it come alive."Caroline confides that she appreciates all gemstones, from the "glimmer of tourmaline to the sparkle of diamond, from the radiance of sapphire to the fire of an orange spessartite, passing by the shimmering rainbows of opal." A stone that holds a special place in her heart, though, is Paraiba tourmaline. "The neon blue color is incomparable and offers infinite design possibilities," she adds. And, as far as design possibilities go, the award-winning creator insists that a design should never scream, "Look at me." Rather, the artist explains, "It should beckon you to explore every nuance, to feel a sense of magic and joy. A perfect piece of jewelry is much more than the mere value of the gemstone or the metal. It has a symbolic essence." "Whether a gift of romance or parental love, or something that a woman purchases for herself, jewelry is personal and must connect to the wearer. A part of this connection is ensuring that our designs never overpower the personality of the wearer." Clearly, the exquisite and original jewelry created by Caroline C connects to many people around the world, people who appreciate the brand’s homage to the beauty of gemstones. (carolinec.com) |