osa del Inca R

From the great African continent, Lydia made her way across the Atlantic Ocean to the ‘New World’ of South America, just as Italian merchant and explorer Amerigo Vespucci had done between 1497 and 1504 before Spanish navigators Juan Diaz de Solis and Sebastian Cabot also found their way across (in 1516 and 1526 respectively). Inspired by her own trips to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, Courteille went in search of exciting gemstones for a new project: the Rosa del Inca collection.

The Spanish name ‘Rosa del Inca’ originated from a South American legend told by the indigenous Diaguita people. It is also the poetic name given to Argentina’s national stone and the starting point for this collection.

The Rosa del Inca legend:

One day a young warrior, Tupac Canqui, dared to walk by a sacred lake, climbing up to a temple protected by the surrounding mountains. Coming across the priestess of the temple, the beautiful

Courteille’s most elaborate jewel in this collection is her Aztec Three Stages of Life cuff. She was inspired by the pottery that she saw on her travels to Bolivia, and the three stages which were a feature of the pottery.

Right and centre: Ovoid Skull à la Courteille ring, ‘Rosa del Inca’ collection, 2016 – purple, pink and orange sapphires, black diamond, 18k rose gold. This was a practice which occurred at birth, changing the shape of the head. Similar rites have been practised in other civilisations throughout the world.

Below, left: Pendant/brooch, ‘Rosa del Inca’ collection, 2016 –rhodochrosite, pink, purple and orange sapphires, ruby, brown diamonds, 18k rose gold. Once sacrificed, the body of the victim was often positioned in a sitting foetal position in its final resting place.