The Lagoon earrings by French designer Emmanuel Tarpin. Photo: Emmanuel Tarpin
The Lagoon earrings by French designer Emmanuel Tarpin. Photo: Emmanuel Tarpin
The Lagoon earrings by French designer Emmanuel Tarpin. Photo: Emmanuel Tarpin
The Lagoon earrings by French designer Emmanuel Tarpin. Photo: Emmanuel Tarpin

On the trail of the Paraiba tourmaline: In search of one of the world's rarest gemstones


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In Boghossian’s Palace Voyages collection, inspired by the palaces of the Silk Road, there is a stunning suite of necklaces and earrings of electrifying turquoise-coloured Paraiba tourmalines that draws inspiration from the 18th-century gardens of Taman Sari in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is an exceptional masterpiece with the large pear-shaped Paraibas from Mozambique and cabochons from Brazil, which took the Swiss jeweller years to collect.

In London, David Morris has presented two high jewellery collections this year, Skye and Mystic Cove, to express the chief executive and creative director Jeremy Morris’s passion for this extraordinary gemstone, which in recent years has become synonymous with the brand. His Starburst cuff from the Skye collection features 59 carats of neon turquoise Paraiba stones, while the Mystic Cove collection, features cocktail rings and necklaces with lagoon-blue Paraibas paired with diamonds.

“One of the first qualities I look for in a gemstone is the intensity of its colour, and Paraiba tourmalines truly embody that,” says Morris. “Their unique turquoise blue-green hue, paired with an unmatched vividness, sets them apart from any other gemstone.”

The Flowing Droplets set evokes the unique shade of the sacred pools of Indonesia's Taman Sari through the use of diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines. Photo: Boghossian
The Flowing Droplets set evokes the unique shade of the sacred pools of Indonesia's Taman Sari through the use of diamonds and Paraiba tourmalines. Photo: Boghossian

The history of this rare stone is documented in Paraiba: The Legacy of a Colour, written by Kevin Ferreira, a gemmologist and specialist in this specific tourmaline through his family’s involvement in mining the gem in Brazil and Africa, as well as jewellery journalist and influencer Katerina Perez.

They chart how the mesmerising beauty of the Paraiba has made it the rising star of the gem world. It is rare for new gemstones to be discovered. In the 20th century, kunzite, tanzanite and Paraiba tourmalines are the noted few, but the scarcity, vibrant colour and ever-increasing demand for the Paraiba has caused its value to rise incredibly quickly.

The tourmaline’s name is derived from the Brazilian state of Paraiba, where small deposits were discovered in the late 1980s. Its vivacious colour is a result of trace elements of copper and manganese that cannot be replicated by any other mineral species.

The history of this rare stone is documented in Paraiba: The Legacy of a Color. Photo: The Paraiba Book/Kevin Ferreira
The history of this rare stone is documented in Paraiba: The Legacy of a Color. Photo: The Paraiba Book/Kevin Ferreira

Highly prized for its lagoon blue colour rather than its clarity, demand for the stone sent prices escalating to $2,000 per carat at gem shows around the world when it was introduced in the late 1980s, and by 1998, prices were $50,000 per carat because so few could be found.

Concurrently, in Mozambique and Nigeria in Africa, similar tourmalines were being unearthed, generally larger, clean and neon coloured, but not of the same intensity of hue as those from Paraiba.

“African Paraibas are equally stunning, but they possess distinct qualities that set them apart from the Brazilian stones,” explains Morris. “Brazilian Paraibas often have more inclusions and tend to display a more electric blue hue, though they are typically smaller in size. African Paraibas can present a softer, washed-out blue-green colour and usually have fewer inclusions.”

Brazilian Paraiba in its rough state. Photo: Kevin Ferreira
Brazilian Paraiba in its rough state. Photo: Kevin Ferreira

The discovery of a new gemstone excites jewellers around the world, and in the past 10 years designers have become fascinated by the Paraiba, with Chopard, Bvlgari, Moussaieff and Pomellato among those championing the stones in their high jewellery collections.

“New precious materials create excitement for designers, because working with unconventional metals or gems allows them to broaden their creative horizons, try something different and have an opportunity to experiment,” says Perez. “Paraiba allows jewellers to come up with new colour combinations and play on contrasts, mix materials in unconventional ways and explore Paraiba’s beauty in its faceted, cabochon, carved and even rough form.” More importantly, Perez explains, “this gem is so rare that every jewel embellished with a high-quality Paraiba tourmaline is unique and can never be repeated”.

Their reception in the Middle East was initially greeted with some scepticism “as there was little awareness about the stone”, says Morris. “Over time, however, as these gems have become more fashionable, our clients have begun to recognise their beauty and rarity. With a growing understanding of how scarce they are, we’ve seen a noticeable surge in demand and desirability among our Middle Eastern clientele,” he adds.

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

HEADLINE HERE
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About Takalam

Date started: early 2020

Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech and wellness

Number of staff: 4

Funding to date: Bootstrapped

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter

1. Dubai silk road

2.  A geo-economic map for Dubai

3. First virtual commercial city

4. A central education file for every citizen

5. A doctor to every citizen

6. Free economic and creative zones in universities

7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes

8. Co-operative companies in various sectors

­9: Annual growth in philanthropy

The past Palme d'Or winners

2018 Shoplifters, Hirokazu Kore-eda

2017 The Square, Ruben Ostlund

2016 I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach

2015 DheepanJacques Audiard

2014 Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu), Nuri Bilge Ceylan

2013 Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle: Chapitres 1 et 2), Abdellatif Kechiche, Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

2012 Amour, Michael Haneke

2011 The Tree of LifeTerrence Malick

2010 Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Bunmi Raluek Chat), Apichatpong Weerasethakul

2009 The White Ribbon (Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke

2008 The Class (Entre les murs), Laurent Cantet

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

Results

Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.

Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.

Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.

Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.

Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.

Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.

Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.

Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.

Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.

Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

UAE tour of the Netherlands

UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match

UAE squad

Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)

RESULTS
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Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Cairo Statement

 1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations

2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

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RESULT

Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United:
 Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')

Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)

Updated: October 18, 2024, 6:00 AM