"I love rough diamonds, each piece is like the promise of something magical waiting to be released. Sometimes I have an idea of what the finished diamond will look like but I am always guided by the stone, so each piece is completely unique and keeps the essence of the rough" - Ilana Belsky
Ilana Belsky began her journey into diamond cutting more than two decades ago under the guidance of her father, a renowned master diamond cutter.
Even though she rejects contemporary tooling whenever possible - selecting instead the traditional copper wire tools that have been employed for centuries - it is within the realm of diamond cutting that she truly started to veer away from established customs. Only by fully abandoning conventional guidelines did she uncover her genuine passion and fully embrace the freedom of artistic expression.
Ilana's cutting of diamonds draws inspiration from the organic beauty of nature and the inherent allure of raw diamonds themselves.
In the art of manipulating rough diamonds and sculpting them into freeform cuts, Ilana's approach is truly remarkable. With an artist's intuition, she carefully observes the diamond, seeking out the areas where light caresses its surface. Guided by this delicate interplay of light and form, Ilana masterfully cuts the diamond, transforming it into a unique masterpiece. This hands-on process is a far cry from the computer systems used by modern factories to analyse and plot for cutters to follow, often using automatic tools.
Ilana has spent many years working with other incredible jewellery designers, cutting diamonds for them to realise in their own design visions. However, in the process of sculpting each and every diamond, Ilana often visualises her own unique designs that would showcase the glorious nature of the precious stone.
Ilana’s artistic vision encompasses the diamond’s entire coming to be - from the inspiration drawn from its rough form, through to releasing its potential as it cuts, and finally celebrating its beauty as she turns each mini-sculpture into a wearable piece of fine jewellery.
Ilana's design philosophy revolves around capturing the essence of each diamond and unlocking its inner beauty. She seamlessly blends the high quality, attention to detail, and timeless aesthetics inherent in traditional fine jewellery, infusing them with a contemporary twist. The result is a collection of unique pieces that artfully accentuate the freeform diamonds she has sculpted. Quite simply, every diamond is set free for its beauty to be admired for generations to come.
