Francois Xavier-Thiebaud

Carefree in the fabulous world of gemstones

Welcome to our blog about the world of gems!

Before I introduce myself, let’s talk a bit about this journal and about what will be written here. The world of gemstones can often appear complex and difficult to find where to begin. An unprepared ‘newcomer’ can quickly become discouraged by unfamiliar terms, and the sheer wealth of information available. One hears words such as Pleochroism, trigonal crystal systems, Rohrbach and spodumene. These terms sound miles away from the wonderful world of beautiful colours, jewellery of princesses and pirate treasures. Some say that the gemology is a science, reserved only for a chosen few.

History, Lore & Gemstones

Being new to this world of gems myself, I am embarking on a journey to discover the world of gems and invite you to accompany me. Along the way we will learn and discover new things about gems together. We will go step by step through common gemstone terms, marvel at the array of colours and their brilliance, visit all corners of the globe and take a look behind the scenes at the skills of our goldsmiths and gemstone cutters. This blog will talk about the history and mythology that surrounds many gems, famous jewellers who have made art out of their jewellery and mineralogists who travel the world in search of new specimens. Not to mention the world of the rich and famous and their truly magnificent jewellery.

History of precious gems

History of precious gems

I have worked for several years in Berlin as a photojournalist and covered events like Berlin fashion week since its inception, various fashion shows and I fought my way to the red carpet for the best spot when Hollywood stars came to movie premiers in Germany. Away from the catwalk, my passion is photo journalism, going to events, looking for unusual situations, extraordinary landscapes and unique stories. Having done some exhibitions, I am interested in art and I love to go to the latest exhibitions to see the work of a photographer or an unknown, alternative painter, who lives in the misery of his bohemian bedroom but is recognized worldwide. Berlin is a wonderful city for stories like that! And I see this art in jewellery, such talented jewellers and lapidary, these craftsmen love their work! Finally, one last thing dear to my heart, is the mythology and history surrounding gems; I have discovered with pleasure the lapis lazuli of ancient Egypt, cursed diamond and famous fashion houses that make jewellery to this day.

Gemstone jewellery blogger

From a photographer to an author about gems and jewellery, may seem like a strange path. I started working for Juwelo (the German sister company to Rocks & Co.) several years ago. As the life of an artist is not always easy, I often picked up extra jobs here and there. I appeared on Juwelo TV as Santa Claus, assembled furniture, worked alongside the directors, done some photography work for Juwelo and even worked in the shipping department. Juwelo is like family to me and I enjoy seeing our company grow alongside TV presenters, producers, storekeepers, technicians, development and technical services. It’s always nice to arrive in the morning and say hello to everyone before sitting down to write my next article.

World of Gemstones

World of Gemstones

Let’s start our journey together, discovering precious stones and jewellery. We will explore the history of gemstones and travel to the other end of the world to explore exotic countries from where our gems are sourced.