Fighting Perfectionism - Teachings from Aseanté Renee

As we close out Women’s History Month, The One I Love NYC is exploring what it means to be a woman today, tapping into the wisdom and inspiration from women in our community. Women have faced immense challenges throughout history—our achievements are downplayed and our roles are often narrow. Coming together in community for support, action, and advice allows women to reclaim our space and set a new narrative together.

We recently sat down with Aseanté Renee, the Founder & Chief Wellness Officer of The Axon Group, a transformative coaching firm specializing in Recovering Perfectionists, Corporate Wellness, and High Performing Creatives. In practice, Aseanté is an executive and performance coach with over two decades of experience in trauma informed care. Much of her expertise lives at the intersection of healing, wellness, leadership, and career advancement. Learn more at axongroupinc.com.

Read more about Aseanté’s journey here.

In your experience, how does society's expectations of perfectionism impact women's ability to embrace vulnerability?

Perfectionism robs us of the permission we give ourselves to be messy. To be flawed. To embrace trial and error. To be human. Society tells us we must be Superwoman in order to deserve a break and even then, we shouldn’t take it because there’s always something else to do. This makes vulnerability a weakness rather than a strength. A strength that taps into one of our greatest gifts - our intuition. 

What strategies or coping mechanisms have you found effective in managing perfectionism and preventing burnout in your own life and in your work with clients?

If I’m honest, I don’t always prevent burnout in my life. I am a recovering perfectionist, meaning I’m still in recovery, still learning what tools work on a particular day, situation, or season of my life. And I think that’s the key for me. Releasing this one size fits all, prescriptive way of addressing my problems, my insecurities, my hard days doesn’t work. It can even start with acknowledging whatever feelings I’m trying to suppress, getting curious about why, and then seeing if I have capacity to explore solutions other than anxiously trying to “fix” everything. Perfectionism is like an anxiety accelerant - countering it requires slowing down. I know that’s not what people want to hear - I don’t even like to admit it, but it’s true. You don’t put out a fire with more fire. You use a different element. Our bodies tell us when our perfectionism is being activated long before our minds catch up.  Slowing down allows us to check in with our bodies and notice when something feels off, sounding the alarm to an unhealthy coping mechanism we may be susceptible to use. 

Can you discuss any cultural or societal factors that contribute to the prevalence of perfectionism among Black women, and how does it impact their mental health?

Since our enslavement in this country, our value has been synonymous with our labor. We were only as valuable as what we produced. Fast forward to now and many of us have understandably internalized that mentality. Think about it, often the acknowledgment of Black women comes from some problem we solved that we didn’t create, some resilience we exhibited that made others lives easier, or some mess we got people out of who still only see our value in our doing. Seldom do we see mainstream messaging around us being lifted up for anything other than labor. The phrase “if you want something done, get a Black woman to do it” is as insulting as it is telling of how we are perceived. And if this is our “role” in society, where is there space, where do we have permission to be human? Perfect is a standard placed upon us and when we fall short, the consequences are dire. Imagine always having to be on, to be ready, to be activated in anticipation of…well, everything. It's exhausting. It's unfair. And it’s detrimental to our mental and emotional health. 

What signs or symptoms should individuals be aware of that may indicate they are experiencing emotional burnout due to perfectionism?

Signs of burnout include, but are not limited to brain fog, making careless mistakes, compassion fatigue, increased cynicism or irritability, constant health issues, low to no energy, lack of motivation or enjoyment of things. And all of these things can trigger shame which activates more perfectionist behavior.

Looking back on your journey, what advice would you give to your younger self who may have been struggling with perfectionism and its consequences?

I don’t really have any advice because let's be honest, the perfectionist in me probably wouldn’t have listened anyway. I needed to go through what I’ve been through to appreciate the revelations and growth I have and am still experiencing. 

Corundum Conundrum: Rubies vs Sapphires

Corundum is one of the world’s most prized minerals but you likely know it by its more common name: ruby and sapphire. It turns out that rubies and sapphires have the same base mineral composition, corundum, which is aluminum oxide. Though corundum is colorless when pure, traces of other minerals lend extraordinary color that we see in the intense brilliance of rubies and the dashingly handsome blues of sapphires.

But when stacked up head-to-head, which stone takes the cake? Who is the king of the corundum? Which is the undisputed gem de la creme?

Rubies vs. Sapphires: Color

The Red Ruby Ring from the One I Love NYC’s Vintage and Contemporary Collection. Approx. 4.5ct ruby with pave sapphires and diamonds.

Rubies boast a ravishing red color. Red has many associations, evoking emotions such as strength, lust, love, and power. A 2012 study showed that waitresses wearing red made over 25% more in tips from male customers and soccer teams donning the color have better track records than teams wearing any other color. Archeologists have found that the earliest instances of dyed cloth are, indeed, red.

There are many shades of ruby, from lighter jammy reds to deep brooding reds. The value of a ruby is often based on its color, with the most valuable striking a medium tone—not too pale and not too dark. Burmese rubies are known for hitting this delicate balance just so. In Burma, now called Myanmar, locals termed the most vivid, beautifully colored rubies “ko-twe” meaning pigeon's blood, which is still today the most sought-after shade of ruby.

It wasn't until the twelfth century that the world began to embrace blue. In France, the color began to pop up in church stained glass, and the Virgin Mary’s robes shifted from the black of mourning to blue, a color that had been reborn to represent purity and holiness. Ever since, the color has skyrocketed into our hearts; researchers find that blue is the world’s favorite color.

Sapphires come in a striking array of wondrous colors. Credit: Robert Weldon/GIA, Dr. Eduard J. Gübelin Collection.

Blue sapphires are a remarkable sight to behold. From light and airy, sky blues, to the most saturated, velvety shades. But where sapphires really take it up a notch is when it comes to fancy color sapphires, which run the gamut of color. In fact, just about the only color you won’t find in the sapphire diaries is red because those would be called rubies. Pink, yellow, and orange sapphires are especially valuable. Golden mandarin orangey stones, bright and joyful canary yellow specimens, even a verdant green breath of springtime sapphire. They are a veritable rainbow of delightful glamor.

This one is close but as lovers of variety we have to call it for sapphire.

Rubies vs. Sapphires: Origins

The Ruby & Diamond Gypsy Band from The One I Love NYC’s Edwardian Collection. A fantastic Ruby Cabochon, possibly Burmese in origin, nestled between two Mine Cut Diamonds (Approx. .55ctw / H SI1.

Legend has it that rubies come from fire. Some even believed that casting a ruby into water would make it boil, and Greeks thought that these stones could melt wax. One Bengalese tale features a dashing young man who traversed foreign seas seeking a home. During his journey, glowing red balls swirling under the sea enchanted him. He fished them out of the water and brandished these glowing orbs in the next city he found. This earned the attention of a vain princess who offered him 1,000 rupees for his treasure. Not knowing their true value, he agreed. But the princess’s lust for jewels couldn’t be sated with a few rubies. The young man was forced back to the whirlpool where he originally found the stones. There he saw the god Shiva meditating in a palace with a headless woman floating above him. Her seeping blood, it turned out, created the wondrous rubies floating to the surface. Quickly, he gathered the rubies and woke the woman. They fell in love and escaped together, along with thousands of rubies.

The Folie à Deux from The One I Love NYC boasts 2.53ct Natural Sapphire alongside a 1.70ct Cushion Cut, H VS2 GIA in remarkable, buttery 22K gold.

Sapphires have a more tortured origin story. Prometheus, a Greek titan who molded humans from clay, watched his creations struggle each day on earth. Hoping to help out, he implored the gods to gift mortals with the magic of fire. When his proposal was rejected, he stole fire from Mount Olympus. A furious Zeus chained Prometheus to a rock for visits from an angry eagle that came by each day to eat his liver. A few decades later, demi-god and hero Hercules slayed the eagle and broke Prometheus's chains. But one link from the chain remained on his finger as did a chunk of his rock. This eternal ring was beautiful, blue, and immensely strong: the very first sapphire.

We’re suckers for a good love story so this one goes to ruby.

Rubies vs. Sapphires: Modern Lore

With its rich red color and well-defined star, the 138.72ct Rosser Reeves Star Ruby might be the largest and finest star ruby in the world. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Rosser Reeves to the Smithsonian Museum in 1965. Credit: The Smithsonian Museum.

Rosser Reeves was an original Mad Man, famous for helping found the Ted Bates advertising agency in 1940. Known as “The King of the Hard Sell”, Reeves was an adamant gem collector. He caught wind of a 138-carat Sri Lankan star ruby that he purchased at auction in 1953. Though its earlier origins were shrouded in mystery, the stone was deemed “the largest and finest in the world” by the Smithsonian’s gem curator, George Switzer.

Reeves may have been the King of the Hard Sell but some believe Switzer sold even harder. Over the course of a few months, many letters, and one critical meeting, Switzer convinced Reeves to donate the gem to the Smithsonian museum. According to Switzer, Reeves became compelled to secure the stone’s place in history and cement its name as the “Rosser Reeves Ruby” for generations of curious eyes to behold. Ever the adman, Reeves spun a tale or two around the already famous ruby, saying that he was woken up during a trip to the Middle East to learn of a “great ruby” that he just had to have. He immediately flew to Istanbul just in the nick of time to swipe the stone at auction. Ever sharp and witty, Rosser Reeves once levied this quip when asked his net worth: “You don’t give away a million-dollar ruby if you’re impoverished.”

The Star of India is 563 carats, making it the world's largest gem-quality blue star sapphire. Some 2 billion years old, it is also one of the most well-known objects in the world. Credit: American Museum of Natural History.

Of course, there is an equally amazing sapphire story to match. When J.P. Morgan asked George Frederick Kunz to find the world’s most spectacular gems for the Paris Exposition of 1900 he didn’t disappoint. He sourced the Star of India, a 563-carat star sapphire, which drew much attention at the Exposition. Later the world-famous stone was donated to the American Museum of Natural History, on display for admirers from near and far. But one chilly fall night in 1964, a group of gem thieves—led by Jack ‘Murph the Surf’ Murphy—stole the Star of India. They’d unlocked a window in the bathroom during the museum’s opening hours. With this easy access point, the daring lot made a beeline to the coveted Star of India. Thanks to a dead battery in the priceless gem’s alarm system, they made out with millions. But they didn’t get too far. Tracked down within days, the stone was found in a bus station locker in Miami and returned to the museum.

This one, clearly, is a tie.

Rubies vs Sapphires: Stones of healing

Both rubies and sapphires are deeply enchanting and meaningful. And they both impact the gift of healing, inner wisdom, and divine sight. Kunz once noted that rubies could remedy hemorrhages and abate inflammation, and found records showing that this wonderful stone acted as a salve for anger and discord throughout history.

Sapphires have been known as sacred healers, powerful enough to counteract poisons and cure eye disease. Kings often wore sapphires around their necks to protect them from harm as far back as the 2nd century AD.

Both stones are absolute winners in our book. We’d always choose one of each.

Ancient Revivals: Egyptomania, Etruscan & Renaissance

Sometimes those who study history don’t seek to avoid repeating the past but rather strive to improve and relive it. To perfect and refine it. To give it another life, another chance at the spotlight.

Ancient revivals in the jewelry world are a way to honor ancient artists who crafted adornment from civilizations and cultures long past. The nineteenth century was an especially exciting time for revival jewelry. Inspiration came flying in from across eras. The mystical, advanced age of Ancient Egypt. The gilded Etruscan villages dotting the Italian peninsula circa 800 B.C. And the intellectually extravagant days of the European Renaissance.

Ancient Egypt

Possibly the most popular and beloved revival period was that of Ancient Egypt. Back then, jewelry reflected priorities, including the sanctity of plants and animals and passage to the afterlife. Cats, scarabs and lotus flowers were popular jewelry motifs with important meanings around rebirth and religion. Charms and talismans were buried with people, as these small signifiers were thought to help identify souls and help them gain passage to the afterlife.

Depictions of Ancient Egyptian jewelry found in King Tut’s tomb in the early 1920’s. The discovery of these treasures kicked off a deep interest in and love of Ancient Egyptian aesthetics among the jewelry loving set. Multiple rounds of Ancient Egyptian revival took place across the 19th and 20th century. The Illustrated London News, February 26, 1927.

The beauty of life permeated social classes, and historic reports show that nearly everyone felt a high standard of living. Life was so wonderful in Ancient Egypt that people saw the afterlife as a continuation of their lovely earthly existence. The laboring classes created all the goods for trade, including metalwork and jewelry. Master craftsmen churned out delicate, ornate treasures with precious stones and enameling. Many famous techniques or styles have their roots in Egyptian industry.

A Tiffany & Co. Necklace (left) and Castellani Micromosaic Brooch (right). These beautiful items were auctioned around the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. Credit: Sotheby’s.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Europe caught a taste of the fabulous designs and luxuriously detailed craftsmanship common in Ancient Egypt. A few important events of the day can take credit for “Egyptomania”, as it came to be know, including the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, thrilling discovery of King Tut’s tomb, and the construction of the Suez Canal, which linked the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

In November 1922, archeologists discovered the entrance to the tomb of King Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings. King Tut died at age 18 but his tomb had been filled to the brim with unbelievable treasures that should take several lifetimes to acquire. Thousands of objects were unearthed over several years from the four room tomb. One of the lead archeologists, Lord Carnavon, died in 1923 further deepening the mystery and mythology around the mummy’s power. At this time, most people could not afford to go to ancient Egypt themselves so depictions of the era’s grandeur and magnificence via jewelry was the primary way to engage. And engage they did—the jewelry world could not get enough and Art Deco style often incorporated Ancient Egyptian imagery and influence.

Rare Art Deco set from Lacloche Frères with Egyptian-Revival imagery in diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald and onyx. Credit: Sotheby’s.

Etruscan

Intricate detailing, high-karat blazing yellow gold, fine filigree, large format pieces, and semi-precious stones. The signature Etruscan jewelry style, which emerged on the Italian peninsula around 800 B.C., was not only noteworthy but worthy of replication many centuries later.

The Etruscans ruled coastal Italy and placed a primacy on craftsmanship and fine arts. Like their Egyptian counterparts, they buried the dead in enormous tombs with finery and goods to facilitate a lovely afterlife. Also, like Egypt, the discovery of these tombs sparked the imagination of the Victorian public, unleashing an obsession with all things Etruscan. Since these tombs were located around Rome, Europeans had an even more up close and personal perspective.

Fortunato Pio Castellani opened a jewelry shop in Rome in 1814. The Castellani were influenced by archaeological discoveries, coining the term “Italian archaeological jewelry.” They were well known for exquisite jewelry in the Etruscan, ancient Roman, early Christian, Byzantine, and medieval styles. This bracelet from 1860 is the Etruscan style. Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The father-son duo of Fortunato and Augusto Castellani rose to prominence as the best Etruscan revival jewelers of the time. They made everything from earrings and brooches to lockets and bracelets; from tiny mosaics to long granulated earrings that were among the most opulent looking adornment. The pair even used ancient methods to perfect their highly sought after replicas. As mass produced jewelry became easier to come by, though, these ancient arts grew more obsolete. This democratized access to wonderful jewelry, especially with the American market opening up around this time and consumers’ high demand for these types of pieces.

Renaissance

The Renaissance was a time of enlightenment and progress. Technology was crystallizing and people started to keep better records. Fashion sensibilities expanded as craft and capability improved. Colored gems were in and pearls were seen as sweet centerpieces, especially when they were surrounded by smaller gems. The wealthy loved pendants, brooches and earrings with enamel to lend colorful accents.

Most interestingly, art became a form of intelligence and knowledge, virtues that were highly praised during this era. Artists of the day provided more insight into the lived human experience and leading scholars paid homage to nature. Jewelry was seen as part and parcel of not only the wonder of nature but man’s ability to shape and transform the raw materials Mother Nature bestowed.

Carlo Giuliano crafted many archaeological-revival jewelry pieces in the late 1800’s. Here, his use of semi-precious materials—in this case amethyst, pearl and enamel—is typical of Giuliano’s work in the Renaissance style. Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Renaissance was an important time and about 300 years later, intellectuals were keen to relive the excitement. Renaissance-themed costume balls were popular throughout the 1800’s and great effort was taken to recreate period costumes and jewelry worn at lavish events.

A German artist, Hans Holbein the Younger, was an early instigator of Renaissance revival. His famous paintings showed royalty and others in high-society wearing jewelry of the era. In London, his paintings catalyzed the re-emergence of this fashion in the 19th century. Carlo Guiliano was a famous jeweler in the latter part of the 1800’s who not only crafted beautiful Renaissance pieces but also borrowed ancient techniques to give birth to his remarkable creations, making them all the more authentic and sought after.

These three revival periods are clear evidence that great craftsmanship and gorgeous adornment are the trademarks of timeless styles. When fantastic jewelry eras are revived, new aesthetics are born and each of these three moments gave rise to new and wonderful with deep historic significance.

From Bones to Stones: How Humans Have Adorned Themselves Throughout History

A foggy morning near a cave on the coast of southern Spain about 120,000 years ago. The first known Neanderthal jewelers honed their primitive craft in a makeshift workshop. Many millennia later, archeologists would discover the site, uncovering many clues as to the very first instance of adornment ever found.

In the Murcia region of southeastern Spain, archaeologists found evidence of a jewelry workshop dating back 115,000 to 120,000 years. The discovery in the Cueva de los Aviones cave provided the earliest evidence of human personal adornment in Europe. Several perforated marine shells, likely used as beads, were found as pictured above. Credit: J. Zilhão

While no intact jewelry artifacts have been discovered at the site, archeologists know these workshops produced necklaces, bracelets, and basic clothing decoration. Pieces of white shells and colorful shells from nearby beaches lay scattered around the back walls of the cave. Remains of ochre pigments derived from clay sit at another end of the ancient dwelling. We know that shells are remarkable blank canvases for these kinds of pigments, affording artistic expression and whimsy well before recorded history.

Though it was a rudimentary endeavor to say the least, Neanderthal civilizations enjoyed a few technological advancements. One that catalyzed the birth of jewelry occurred when Neanderthal toolmakers found that hard stones can shape softer materials. Eureka! New techniques emerged, allowing these pre-human folk to cut stones, bones, and shells into wearable shapes with holes.

This means that jewelry is older than humans themselves, extending back to a time before language was written, or even spoken. The act of gifting and personal adornment were pre-verbal means of communication. Archaeological finds such as those in Spain underscore the importance of symbolic representation for our early ancestors. We can only guess the meaning ascribed to these objects, but they certainly held deep social and emotional value.

Made of dark-green mineral called chloritolite, this bracelet is believed to be the world’s oldest stone bracelet. It was found in 2021 in Denisova cave in the mountains of Siberia. Archeologists believe that this bracelet was only worn for exceptional occasions, such as marriages and other major milestones. Credit: Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, The Siberian Times

Skip ahead about 80,000 years and homo sapiens are on the scene to join in the jewelry fun, fashioning colored beads out of perforated ostrich egg shells. These beads, the earliest known jewelry created by humans, were found at Enkapune Ya Muto in Kenya. Around the same time, stone bracelets and marble rings were found in the Denisova Cave in Siberia. Early humans were getting fancy, my friends.

And the creativity exploded from there. Shells, animal bones, teeth, dried berries, and colored stones were used by our ancient ancestors who were deeply in tune with the Earth and her natural gifts. Animal bones in particular functioned as clasps on clothing, while stones and berries with fanciful hues were often strung together to create decorative adornments of the day.

A child’s bracelet from Northern Egypt, circa 2650 B.C. Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Copper and gold were incorporated into jewelry making around 7,000 years ago, as cultures around the world developed methods of smelting and casting metal. Twine and dried animal sinew, which were commonly used to string together beads and other objects, were replaced with wire or chain for those who could afford it.

Other cultures have an even clearer record of the symbolic use of jewelry. Around 5,000 years ago, in Egypt, there was a strong preference for gold since it is workable, rare, and down right luxurious. Egyptian lapidarists used emery, flint, and bow-driven drills to shape and carve stones like lapis lazuli, jasper, carnelian, and turquoise. These gem carvings, known as ‘glyptic art’, took the form of anthropomorphic religious symbols—often a scarab—and have been found in excavated burial tombs of ancient royals. Though Egyptians had the tools and artisans to work with softer stones, it was still a risky process that could end in the total destruction of a precious gem.

A spectacular Victorian Amethyst kept in its original bezel and re-imagined from a bracelet into a ring, by The One I Love NYC. Ancient Greek artisans were using amethyst as early as the third millennium BC.

Getting a bit more modern, the Greeks and Romans developed their own jewelry traditions and practices. The combination of technology and trade led to a flood of new stones and techniques. By 300 BC, the Greeks had mastered gold working and incorporated amethyst, pearl, and emerald into their designs.

Greeks gave birth to the first cameo design, carving visages into striped agate stone sourced from India. Similarly, the Romans wore rings with engraved gemstones, which functioned as a personalized wax seal. Both cultures believed that wearing jewelry was especially necessary in public to ward off ‘Evil Eye’ curses from any malevolent foe.

The love of jewelry is embedded deep in our DNA. Not only have humans been using organic materials for thousands of years to create beautiful adornment, they have always sought to imbue deep significance and meaning into jewelry. Even during a time when survival was the name of the game, our earliest ancestors took the precious time to craft incredible ornamentation. No wonder we’ll never be able to resist the deep-seated human need for expression, beauty, and adornment.

The Anatomy of a Stone: The Art and Science of Stonecutting

Prehistoric humans didn’t have a lot of options when it came to selecting adornment. But it’s human nature to beautify ourselves and our surroundings. Bones, shells and rocks were available in abundant supply and used liberally even before recorded history.

Early humans did not have the technology to make diamonds look how they look today. Yet diamonds were still popular. They were loved not only for their beauty but also because they are the strongest natural mineral found on Earth. Diamonds are so hard that only other diamonds can cut them. Their utility would have been undeniable and, especially for those that were polished, their rugged beauty would have been beloved. 

While rough or polished diamonds have long been used as talismans and adornment, a big turning point came in the 14th century. This is when the “point cut” emerged. Craftsmen would shape a stone into a simple faceted form that would retain the stone’s original octahedral shape. One end forms a clear point, while the opposite end forms the table, a large flat surface. Other facets are triangular or kite-shaped, with a few on each of the four sides.

Gem cutting has come a long way since then but basically all faceted stones share a similar anatomical structure. The number and arrangement of facets–those flat surfaces designed to reflect light–are what make diamonds look so different from one anotherSo let’s break down the elements of a faceted stone. 

The very tip top of a diamond is called the table. Often, it has a big, flat facet. While it can seem one-dimensional, the table dictates a lot about how a diamond looks, including the amount of light it reflects and the overall proportions of the resulting stone.

The crown sits exactly where you might expect a crown to go–around and slightly below the table on a slope. Despite not making up a significant proportion of the stone, it usually contains a great many of the stone's facets. This allows the stone to disburse light so that colors dance and play, shooting out in all directions. The girdle is a relatively thin, vertical portion of the stone that connects the crown and the lower portion of the stone. This is, invariably, the widest part of the stone itself and what it looks like is often dictated by the stonecutter and the predominant style of the time period. 

The bottom sloped portion of the diamond is the pavilion. This is the part of the diamond that makes it all work. The part that determines how much light is reflected and the level of brilliance and dispersion a stone has. Those things directly impact what we see when a stone twinkles about. The rapid rise in stone cutting technology often had major implications on the pavilion, allowing for more faceting and, critically, more precise faceting.

Finally, a culet is a diamond’s lowest point. More modern stones tend to have a pointy cutlet while older cuts, like Old European cuts and Old Mine cuts, have a bigger cutlet, which can be seen through the table and looks like a small, dark dot.

The art and science of stone cutting is phenomenal and fascinating. We are in awe of the skill and expertise needed to make these amazing stones stand out. They are a testament to how the smallest decisions and improvements can completely change perception and reality.

Celestial Adornment: Gems from Outer Space

The Earth sure gives us some gorgeous gemstones. Deep red rubies, sultry sapphires, ethereal emeralds, and those disco ball diamond dreamboats. 

But where can a gal (or guy) turn when they want something more than Mother Earth has to offer? Friends, feast your eyes on the skies. Those twinkling starry night skies. And get ready because we are coming at you with something extra. 

Extraterrestrial, that is. 

But first, let us tell you a story that no one was there to see. Take your imagination back in time about 15 million years ago or so to the Middle Miocene Epoch. You’d recognize a lot of the animals roaming around but the flora would be a bit foreign. Somewhere in Central Europe one dewey day, animals start to stir and a ferocious noise comes out of nowhere. Suddenly, a massive meteor blasts into the atmosphere and slams into the ground creating a gaping crater and blasting mineral matter for hundreds of miles. 

Libyan Desert Glass | When An Asteroid And The Earth Collide. Courtesy of Sothebys.

Now let’s skip ahead to the Stone Age. Humans have shown up and we’re getting the hang of these new fangled things called tools. Tektite, an amazing green glass-like stone, happens to be a useful material to make tools and weapons. It’s used extensively throughout the area that would eventually become the Czech Republic.

Much later, farmers in this same region happen upon Tektite in their fields, brought to the surface as a result of plowing, heavy rains, and general movement of the earth. Early humans also revered the stone, regarding it as a talisman of good fortune associated with fertility and safety. It has been found in archeological digs dating back to the Paleolithic era, and Czech lore mentions Tektite as a betrothal gift that brings harmony to a relationship. 

Gem grade Tektite is rare. Today, collectors scour the regions of Bohemia and Moravia, seeking Tektite in loose sands and gravel. Becuase the stone was created when a meteorite struck the Earth, only 275 tons of Tektite will ever exist in this particular region.

Thanks to its meteoric inception, this rad gem has some extraterrestrial vibes. But it has an earthly essence too, embodying an intense cosmic bond between the heavens and Earth. Some say you can even feel the heated traces of the stone’s fiery origins in your hand, with elements of the stone’s energy able to reverberate throughout the body.

These interplanetary wonders bear the markings of their dramatic births; bubbly inclusions formed as the stone cooled down and air in the midst of escaping became trapped. We love this star-born stone, which comes in forest green and gorgeous olive green. We love it the most when it is fancifully faceted and set in buttery yellow gold. It serves as a constant reminder of the vastness and beauty of the universe and our small but mighty place in it.

Figure 4. Typical bubbles and inclusions of lechatelierite in natural moldavite; image width 5 mm. Photomicrograph by Jaroslav Hyršl. Courtesy of gia

A partial slice of Esquel pallasite. Courtesy of Christies Inc.

But Tektite is not the only extraterrestrial mineral that we have gotten our hands on lately. 

Even more rare and esoteric is pallasite peridot, which originates from pallasite meteorites. According to the Meteoritical Society's meteor database, there have less than 100 recorded pallasites that have ever been found. For comparison, there are tens of thousands of other meteorite types on record. Pallasite meteorites were named after Prussian zoologist and botanist Peter Simon Pallas who also has 18 animals named after him, such as the Pallas tube-nosed bat and the Pallas sandgrouse. Can you tell he was into the esoteric?

Some of the most incredible pallasite peridots come from the Jepara meteorite in Indonesia, well known for its superb gems. Pallasite peridot is not only the rarest form of peridot, but we have managed to source some eye-clean specimens with an unusually gorgeous color and expert cutting that makes the gem especially impressive, even without its super special origin.

Though eye-clean, magnified 10x you would be able to see the tiny needle-like inclusions typical of pallasite peridot. These are known as acicular inclusions, which are composed of an “unknown material” according to geologists. This is the major difference between terrestrial peridot and their alien cousins and serves as a mark of their interstellar origin.

We’ve whipped up some gorgeous rings with this remarkable mineral. A conversation starter, signature jewel, and statement piece all in one, fabricated in our signature setting that makes it a truly timeless piece of extraterrestrial adornment.