For centuries, green tourmaline stones carried the mistaken identity of precious emerald gems—their green hue fooling Spanish conquistadors who encountered them in the 1500s. Modern mineralogists in the 19th century classified them as distinct mineral species, and today, William Boyajian of Port Royal Jewelers recognizes their individuality and celebrates their rare beauty with one-of-one creations that honor that distinction.
Take, for example, the midcentury-modern deco-style ring he custom-designed, featuring a green tourmaline center stone weighing a whopping 15.34 carats. Rather than surround it with a predictable halo, he offset it with an asymmetrical arrangement of diamonds and cantilevered one of the stones off to the side. Elsewhere in his collection, natural Burma rubies, with their intense saturation, pair with diamonds in 18-karat white gold, while a custom-designed deco-style necklace drips with emeralds, paraiba stones and blue diamonds set in yellow gold. In a pair of one-of-a-kind irregular-shaped earrings, bi-colored tourmalines join multicolored natural sapphires and natural pink diamonds clustered onto a rose gold canvas along with chrysoberyl, precious imperial topaz and accents of natural sphene—a rare gemstone known for its dispersion of light that rivals that of diamonds.
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers
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In each case, their uniqueness creates heirloom-quality pieces and an artistic lean that earns the trust of repeat clients around the world who commission him for one-of-one creations. “Right now, there’s a client who is flying out to a wedding, and she wanted a suite for herself, a suite for her daughter, and one for her granddaughter,” Boyajian says. “These were all colored stone and diamond pieces, and they had to fit perfectly with their different skin tones.”
Boyajian’s quest to find people in the community who share his passion for jewelry has led him to create several pieces for local philanthropies, including a brooch for Opera Naples inspired by “The Starry Night,” complete with dark sapphires and white diamonds to mimic the swirly night sky in the famous Van Gogh painting. “That was one of the first pieces I did for them, and before I knew it, we were doing four or five years of Opera Naples, and that’s how I got involved in the community,” he recalls. “I love creating things for people who appreciate art. It’s not only the art of designing something on paper but bringing it to life for the client, and in that process, it is truly a labor of love.”
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers
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Diamond-encrusted panther bangles followed, along with golden giraffe earrings, crushed diamonds floating inside a petite perfume bottle, an adorably chic bear hugging a ring adorned in round brilliant cut chocolate diamonds, and a multicolored-sapphire and diamond butterfly ring that can also be worn as a pendant using the custom attachment and screwdriver that comes with the piece.
The client on her way to a wedding? Boyajian has made her a necklace that can be worn as a collar, a pendant, or a longer necklace, with matching earrings and a bracelet. He’s taken apart an entire estate of jewelry and turned it into one fabulous piece. And he’s custom-designed a completely new wedding ring rather than simply upgrading the wife’s smaller stone to a larger one, using all the design elements she likes, including her original diamond. “The design element is the most important to me,” he says. “When people come in, I ask them about their heart’s desire, not mine.”
With nearly 1,600 pieces custom-designed to date—each marked with unconventional silhouettes, multipurpose functions, and singular color and stone compositions—Boyajian has not only built a collection but a clientele. Conceived in conversation, and perhaps infused with a touch of the divine, every piece of jewelry is destined for its wearer.
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers