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It is moderately affordable gemstone, however large stones can be highly priced if of exceptional quality. Amethyst is cut into various forms including faceted gems of all shapes, cabochons, beads and is carved into many shapes. Large natural crystals and geodes are often sold as ornamental and display pieces.

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The red garnets found in most jewellery usually consist of the Pyrope and Almandine  varieties, these range in colour from the darker reddish brown and brownish orange tones. The purplish red Rhodolite type has become more popular in recent years.

Other colours include the bright crisp orange to orange red Spessartite garnet also known as “mandarin garnets” which make a fine choice for someone wanting a gemstone that is a little different from the rest of the crowd.

One of the most exciting colours to come to the market in the last 40 years or so are the green Tsavorite garnets which were discovered in Kenya. These stones have a bright intense to vivid green colour with large stones being quite rare.

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“We had been going out for many years and I know she thought I was going to propose on a few occasions, so when I decided to pop the question, I knew I had to make it something really special for her.”

Arthur traveled all over the place looking for the perfect engagement ring and eventually found a really nice diamond ring at a jewellery shop in Sydney. His beloved Rachel loves pink so he wanted pink diamonds but unfortunately they wouldn’t modify their design.

“Finally, like most Greek men do, I asked for advice from my mum; and she said to go and see Tony at the Village Jewellers.

When I went in they asked what sort of diamonds I wanted and then the got some in for me to choose from. I had a photo of the ring I liked and they used that as the basis to make up one just the way I wanted it.

When I commissioned them to make the ring, I started paying it off straight away. It cost a small fortune and I think it took me six months to pay for it but it was worth very cent. I’m the type of person who makes his mind up and then just does it. The ring has 28 Argyle diamonds and one big white diamond. I think it is as good or better than the original design I saw.”

The proposal

“With the ring safely tucked away we went on a trip to New Zealand to celebrate eight years together. I took her to this really top quality resort called Blanket Bay Hotel near Queenstown, where I planned to make the proposal.

It was quite funny really, because all the staff there knew what I was going to do and every morning they’d walk past us eating our breakfast and look at her hand, then give me this look, like, ‘chicken!’ Finally on the last day we were there, the weather was perfect and I arranged for us to go on a helicopter joy flight.

We got this great pilot that had done a lot of flying for the filming of Lord of the Rings and he took us on a tour of places where he’d flown for the film crew, then eventually he took us to the top of Mt Tutoko, the highest peak in Fiordland National Park. We landed and it was −9C; he said we could only stay a few minutes or we’d freeze up.

The view was amazing. We got out and I gave the pilot my camera, then I got down on one knee behind her and said, ‘Rachel’ and she turned around. When she saw me on one knee, she thought I was pranking her, then I produced the ring.

The look on her face was priceless. And she’s the type of person who would settle for anything, so such a fabulous ring was beyond belief. She knew I was serious.”

The wedding

“Leading up to the wedding, we bought some nice earrings in the city but when she tried the dress on she realised she’d need a necklace but we couldn’t get one to match the earrings. So, again we went to the Village Jewellers and they made a matching necklace for her. Plus, I got them to make a wedding band with pink diamonds and I got each of the groomsmen custom cufflinks with a little blue stone in them.”

The wedding was held in Santorini and Arthur and Rachel flew a Canberra photographer over to take the photos. You can find more photos of the wedding on the photographer’s site.

Take note ladies, one day you too may be swept off your feet. If you can’t wait, why not come in and chat with Tony and the staff at Village Jewellers, where the magic begins.

Over the years, pollution and fishing have led to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef and have endangered the lives of many species that live there. A large part of the reef is now protected by a national park.

The Australian Marine conservation Society (AMCS) has a long history of working to protect the reef. Since it was established in 1965, AMCS has successfully fought to stop all oil and coral mining on the Great Barrier Reef undertaken ground breaking surveys of its marine life to prove its outstanding biodiversity.

Oris has entered into a partnership with AMCS to support the work they do to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

At home in the sea: The Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition was developed in cooperation experienced divers and the AMCS. For each of the 1000 limited pieces sold Oris will make a donation to AMCS to support the work they do in protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

The Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition features a helium release valve. Underwater helium particles become smaller as they are compressed and can enter the watch through the protective sapphire crystal. However when the diver returns to the surface the helium particles return to their natural size and are unable to escape through the glass without damaging it. Releasing the helium valve allows the helium to escape and prevent damage.

The blue dial with its wave pattern calls to mind the waters of the ocean. The hands and indices are filled with orange superluminova- making it highly visible, both in the dark and underwater.

The case back of the Oris Great Barrier Reef Limited Edition carries the logo of AMCS. Each piece is individually numbered from 0001/1000 to 1000/1000. This number guarantees the authenticity of the watch and secures a donation to support the work of AMCS.

Timing, technical brilliance and precision are essential in watchmaking and also characteristics of the jazz greats who have inspired the limited editions Oris has produced.

2010 saw a new tribute to jazz great Oscar Peterson. The legendary pianist won eight Gammy Awards during his illustrious career and is one of the great artists to inspire an Oris Limited edition.

Oscar Peterson was born in Canada in August 1925, he began composing at a early age writing more than 400 pieces during his career many of which are still played today. Highlights include his “Hymn to Freedom” which became the unofficial anthem of Martin Luther King’s Civil Rights Movement; music for the feature film “The Silent Partner” for which he won the Canadian Genie Award. He recorded with many jazz great including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and many others. Oscar Peterson died in 2007 in Canada, however his legacy lives on through his music.

The Oris Oscar Peterson Limited Edition watch includes a number of subtle design features linked to Oscar Peterson’s life and works. Each element tells a story and makes this watch a true collector’s item.

The number 8 or VIII in Roman numerals is highlighted in rose gold plate: a reference to the eight Grammy Awards he won.

The inner dial ring carries a pattern like the grooves on a vinyl LP. This refers to the more than 400 recordings Oscar Peterson made. His signature appears below the centre of the dial.

The case back carries his lion logo- he was born in August and was a Leo. The watch is limited to 1925 pieces as Oscar Peterson was born in 1925.

The most striking design feature of the Oscar Peterson Limited Edition is the set of piano key indices. These were painstakingly created during a lengthy design process, but are an essential tribute to a man whose life was defined by his ability as a pianist.

The Oscar Peterson Limited Edition is presented in a luxury wooden box with a piano lacquer finish and lockable lid. Included in the set are a certificate and an exclusive DVD with never-before-seen performances.

Initially, the Col Moschin (9^th Italian Parachute Assault Regiment) commandoes wore ProDiver Chronographs as they jumped out of an aeroplane at 9000m and during diving exercises where they reached depth of over 40m. The watches were subjected to low temperatures during alpine treks and endurance exercises. At the end of the testing they met with the technical and design teams at Oris HQ in Holstein to present their findings.

The Oris design team looked at their wish list and worked to modify the Pro Diver into the ultimate all terrain watch. Several prototypes of the new watch were produced and sent back to Italy for testing by the group from the regiment. In every situation the watch was equal to the challenge. After a few modifications, the soldiers were happy.

The commandoes were keen to incorporate something Italian and the Oris designers proposed a power reserve in the red, white and green of the Italian flag.

Oris Col Moschin Limited Edition Key Design Features

Tungsten Top Ring

Tungsten was chosen for its durability, ability to withstand extreme temperatures and non-reflecting matt finish. It is a material that can withstand the demands of the regiment during their missions.

Crown Protection

The Oris Col Moschin Limited Edition is water resistant to 100bar/1000m. The crown can be screwed down to ensure it is not released in the water. It is protected by a stainless steel DLC coated safety barrier.

Helium Valve

The Oris Col Moschin Limited Edition has an automatic, self regulating helium valve. This allows for the release of helium particles and prevents damage to the watch by decompressing after the dive.

Power Reserve Indicator

The double power reserve indicator reflects the partnership with Col Moschin. The indicator shows how much power the watch has left and the display also indicates the colour of the Italian flag: a tribute to these elite troops from Italy.

The Hands & Indices

Are inlaid with white superluminova. This luminescent material is one of the longest lasting colours when there is no daylight to recharge it. It offers excellent visibility in the dark.

Strap

The Oris Col Moschin Limited Edition uses a innovative safety clasp with a sliding sledge construction. This allows the strap to be rapidly shortened or extended without having to remove the watch.

Just as Bob Dylan is renowned for being a man who defined existing pop music conventions, Oris has produced a unique timepiece to honour the artist whose name it bears.

The dial of the Oris Bob Dylan limited edition is presented in a subtle black with a printed pattern and applied numerals. Bob Dylan’s signature appears in white below the centre of the dial. The “sun” pattern on the dial was inspired by the 1960s posters, which were extremely popular when Dylan’s music first captured the imagination of a generation.

`With a history of producing limited edition watches for music legends, Oris has created this special edition rectangular model, which is limited to just 3000 pieces worldwide. The individual numbering from 0001/3000 to 3000/3000 is engraved on the case back.

The Bob Dylan Oris watch comes in this lovely presentation case with a harmonica

An engraved portrait of Bob Dylan and the name or the special edition are also featured on the case back. A small glass window offers a glimpse of the complex mechanical movement with the famous Oris red rotor.

Encores after the concert, naturally, Dylan like. A Hohner harmonica like the one Dylan plays and a Greatest Hits CD comes with the Oris Bob Dylan Limited Edition. It’s the special singer songwriter set.

The Bob Dylan Limited Edition consists of a multi-piece stainless steel case (37.8mm x 39mm), water resistant to 3 bar, is presented in a refined clean rectangle.

The elegant black dial with its applied Arabic numerals and fine nickel Superluminova hands is enclosed by the double domed sapphire glass, which has anti-reflective coating on both sides.

The date window is at the 6 o’clock under the signature. The black leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp has a natural pattern.

To many mums, Rachael McLaren is a magician… at least it would seem that way! Not only is she a full time solicitor, but she simultaneously raises seven boisterous young children.

Rachael with photos of her seven children

She seems to make getting the kids off to school with their lunches everyday look like a breeze.

“The trick is in the organisation and orchestration,” she says. “They all have a time and a place for everything. If they didn’t put their shoes in the same place every night I’d have little chance of knowing whose was whose. Having said that, kids will be kids, so we do regularly have a few missing items.

It is really the logistics that are the most challenging, like getting each of them and us off to soccer in the season, because we all play on different teams at different times and often in different locations.”

What part does the Village Jewellers play in your life?

“The Village Jewellers is symbolic of our family’s relationship together.”

“My husband bought my engagement ring there 16 years ago, and we’ve bought everything there since. It seems that whenever something significant happens in our lives, we are back at Tony’s store for a commemorative piece.”

“One of the things I love about the store is the friendly family atmosphere. I’ve got seven kids and Tony always asks about how they are going. He really takes a genuine interest in our family and that is unique.

We discuss schools and soccer and whenever I go to the store, it is like a long conversation that just seems to pick up where we left off months or years before.”

Imagine how hard it must be to remember all your customers? And then imagine what an achievement it is to remember all their children? This is especially impressive if some of your customers have a lot of children!

“When we have anything significant to talk about, I find we’ll tend to pop into the jewellers and talk with Tony. He always goes to a lot of effort to explain exactly what you get for your money and he’s not just flogging stuff. It’s not all about the sale with them.”

“Literally their number is on my mobile.”

It is a yellow form of quartz whose colour varies from pale yellow through dark yellow to yellow- brown. It is an affordable gemstone that can be purchased in large sizes lending itself to bolder jewellery including large rings, enhancer pendants and earrings.

In recent years Citrine has become more popular perhaps due to the affordability of larger stones and the great variety of cuts available.

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