Dinny Hall’s Gemstone Masterclass
The legendary jewellery designer shares her guide to the finest jewels and gemstones
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Dinny Hall’s Gemstone Masterclass
The legendary jewellery designer shares her guide to the finest jewels and gemstones
For 40 years, the name Dinny Hall has been synonymous with refined, elegant jewellery design. A Liberty favourite since its earliest days, the brand’s timeless appeal is, in part, thanks to its eponymous founder’s fascination with, and expertise in, jewels and gemstones.
As the festive season draws near, and all that glitters dances at the forefront of many gift lists – Dinny shared her expertise with Liberty, giving a behind the scenes glimpse into her world of jewellery and gemology, giving us a masterclass in the gemstones she loves the most.
A World of Gems and Jewels
Do you have a personal favourite gemstone?
It has to be the emerald, though I do have a soft spot for sapphires and their vast spectrum of colour. To me, emeralds represent the life force of our planet Earth, with their luminous green light unlike any other precious gemstone. I fell completely in love with them when I saw the Topkapi emeralds at the Imperial Treasury in Istanbul, they were utterly mesmerising
What is it about colourful gemstones that appeals most when designing?
I never tire of choosing colour combinations and gem cuts for our jewellery. Whether a gem is precious or semi-precious doesn’t matter to me - it’s all about the harmony of shades and shapes. It feels a bit like painting; when you get the juxtaposition of colour just right, the finished piece feels complete. And there’s always someone who falls in love with that particular piece of jewellery.
Real love, care and connection go into choosing the gems for my designs. It’s not always easy… but it’s always deeply rewarding.
It truly takes a village to bring a gemstone to life… from finding and mining the gems, to cutting, grading, valuing, designing and setting them...
Is there anything you wish more people knew about gemstones and gemology?
There’s so much, I hardly know where to begin! You know the saying, “it takes a village”? Well, it truly takes a village to bring a gemstone to life… from finding and mining the gems, to cutting, grading, valuing, designing and setting them, before they finally reach the customer. The cutting, alone, is an art form.
What I really wish people understood is the importance of trust - trust in the jeweller you’re buying from. A jeweller can only be truly trusted if they understand every stage a gemstone goes through before it reaches the shop floor.
Sustainable sourcing is very important to you – can you tell us about this?
Our first priority is trust - trusting who we buy our gems from. We tend to work with the same dealers, who in turn trust their sources. There has to be a clear chain of trust connecting those “villages.”
All our suppliers hold accreditations such as RJC (The Responsible Jewellery Council), among others, but that’s only part of the picture. You have to stay informed… continually looking into what’s happening in the world to make ethical and environmentally sound decisions.
For example, many people choose not to buy gemstones from Burma because of the political situation. But when a devastating earthquake recently struck the region, I found myself questioning that approach. Would a boycott actually punish the miners, cutters and their families even further? The landscape of gemstone sourcing is constantly changing and it’s our responsibility to keep reassessing and making thoughtful, informed choices.
Dinny's Gemstone Masterclass
London & Swiss Blue Topaz
"Our Trinny ring, featuring London Blue and Swiss Blue topaz sourced from Africa, has become one of our absolute bestsellers. She is a bold, colourful cocktail ring featuring large baguette-cut stones, each one hand-cut exclusively for us.
Achieving the perfect blue was essential, we had to consider exactly how the stone would look once cut to that size and depth, to capture the right balance of shades. Different cuts and settings can completely change the colour, so it’s a bit of a magic recipe: knowing precisely how to cut and how to set the gem to bring out the most captivating blue.
We designed the stones to sit low, making this bestselling cocktail ring comfortable enough to wear every day. Because you should be able to wear a big, glamorous ring every day, and do it effortlessly. By setting the London and Swiss Blue Topaz in silver or gold vermeil, we were able to keep the price under £1,000 while making sure they still looked absolutely incredible. A lifelong, affordable statement piece."
Emerald with Tsavorite
"For our green precious gemstone tennis bracelet, we carefully selected three harmonious shades of green, each chosen to complement the others without any one stone overpowering the design. We used emerald for its rich luminosity, a vibrant deep-green tsavorite (a variety of green garnet) and a paler tsavorite to bring balance and lightness.
Each stone is hand-cut and hand-set, with the tsavorite shades framing and enhancing the natural beauty of the emeralds. By combining the depth of Zambian emeralds with two tones of gem-quality tsavorite from Tanzania, the bracelet achieves a stunning play of green hues… full of life, light and dimension.
This thoughtful mix allows us to create a piece that looks exquisite and luxurious, yet remains accessible, keeping the price under five figures while maintaining exceptional quality and craftsmanship."
Emerald with Diamond
"Our Emerald Carmen Ring is the queen of all our ring designs, a true symphony of gemstones. Emeralds and natural diamonds come together in perfect harmony, set in radiant 18k gold. Each stone is hand-cut, featuring chamfered baguette diamonds and emeralds alongside a myriad of complementary cuts that make this a real show-stopper. The craftsmanship is exceptional, every detail considered to achieve balance and brilliance. It’s an incredible showcase of emeralds and diamonds, their colours working together beautifully to create a truly special piece. The emeralds, sourced from both Brazil and Zambia, have been carefully colour-matched to ensure perfect cohesion and depth.
A personal favourite, the Carmen Ring, embodies everything we love about fine jewellery: artistry, precision and timeless beauty."
Birthstones
"Our twelve Birthstone Charm Necklaces feature delicate 4mm rose-cut gemstones, each one painstakingly sourced to achieve the perfect shade of colour in such a petite form.
Beneath many of the stones, we apply a natural tree lacquer to enhance and preserve the vibrancy of the semi-precious gems, allowing their natural beauty to shine through. For others, including garnet for January, we add a subtle layer of rose gold beneath the stone to bring out its rich undertones, a technique originally used by the Victorians to enrich a gem’s natural hue.
The key lies in understanding each gemstone and the complementary techniques that bring out its most vivid, luminous colour. Every charm is then meticulously hand-set, ensuring each stone retains its brilliance without the need for artificial treatments. The result is a collection of precious, perfectly formed birthstone charms. Each one radiant, refined and full of meaning."
Dinny Hall
Gold Plated Vermeil Silver Trinny Trilogy Blue Topaz Ring
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
22ct Gold-Plated Vermeil Silver November Lemon Quartz Birthstone Pendant Necklace
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
18ct Gold Carmen Emerald and Diamond Ring
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
14ct Gold Shuga 4mm Green Precious Gemstone Tennis Bracelet
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
22ct Gold-Plated Vermeil Silver January Garnet Birthstone Pendant Necklace
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
9ct Gold Green Amethyst and Pink Sapphire Ring
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
14ct Gold Shuga 3mm Pink Precious Gemstone Tennis Bracelet
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
Dinny Hall
22ct Gold-Plated Vermeil Silver December Blue Topaz Birthstone Pendant Necklace
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
*Duties and Taxes will be added at checkout
*Allow 3 additional working days for delivery of The Liberty Beauty and Men's Advent Calendar
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