Above image courtesy of Rapaport and Yianni Melas
With his new discoveries and fascinating stories, gem explorer Yianni Melas has been in our studio multiple times before. He's always got wondrous tales to tell, and he’s one of our most treasured guests.
Yianni is responsible for our beautiful collection of Aquaprase™ jewellery, having made its groundbreaking discovery in 2013. But 2022 is also a special year for Yianni, because he first introduced us to a gemstone found even more recently that is just as remarkable: Aquadité.
Aquadité was an incredible discovery made in April 2022 and has since retained a huge amount of success, and Yianni Melas has been a huge part of its journey to fruition. So, allow us to explain the story of Yianni and the wonderful Aquadité, as well as exactly where you'll be able to see this brand-new find for yourself.
THE DISCOVERY
Last spring, a group of local miners were working in Indonesia’s Maluka islands when a bulldozer accidentally hit a rock. The rock split open, and a new variety of Chalcedony complete with a fascinating array of copper minerals was suddenly revealed.
The gemstone was something that took Yianni’s eye soon after its discovery, and after coming across an image of it on a dealer’s Instagram account, he asked for more samples to take to a gemstone lab for proper testing.
THE GEMSTONE
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) eventually confirmed that it was in fact a new variety, complete with crystals of Cuprite, Chrysocolla, Malachite and native copper. However, the most eye-catching feature is by far the copper inclusions. In fact, due to the appearance of copper, the GIA has referred to the stone as having ‘confetti’ inclusions.
Following the surprise discovery of Aquadité, two more deposits of the gemstone were found in the same area, with each find displaying some truly mesmerising patterns throughout. Due to its stunning colours and remarkable copper artistry, Yianni decided to name and trademark the stone Aquadité - ‘aqua’ referring to the blue of the ocean, and ‘dité’ paying tribute to the goddess Aphrodite. As it happens, Aphrodite is not only the goddess of love and beauty, but also the goddess of copper.
Talking to Rapaport after the discovery, Yianni explained that the diverse array of colours and patterns present in Aquadité only strengthens its desirability. He also believes that a gemstone’s name should have just as much of an impact as its appearance.
Speaking to Rapaport about the Aquadité name, Yianni said it is “extremely important to the retailer, consumer, and also the investor...and even the miners themselves. If the name doesn’t do the gemstone justice and doesn’t have marketability, the sales are far less, and everybody in the supply chain suffers.”
The term ‘happy accident’ is often thrown around in a variety of contexts. However, the discovery of Aquadité is that and then some. The stone exudes flecks of colour that could only be created by nature, and its beauty only continues to prove the intrinsic value of Mother Nature and her abilities.
To shop this fascinating and unique gemstone for yourself, explore our Aquadité jewellery range.
