Dehres celebrates a passion for colour and creativity with Masterpieces collection
EVERYBODY WHO KNOWS EPHRAIM ZION KNOWS THAT HE IS A PERFECTIONIST. A visionary and a trained master diamond-cutter with a keen eye for finding beauty in the rough, he founded the House of Dehres in a very early stage of his life — one of Asia’s prominent jewellery brands for timeless and elegant fine jewellery creations. Anchored on the Zion family’s long history of integrity, trust, and expertise in diamonds and precious gems, Dehres has grown into an international brand with a global appeal.
From a young age of 13 in his hometown in Israel, apprenticing as a diamond-cutter, Zion has come a long way to become one of the industry’s respected diamond and precious gems experts. His background, which has since extended into 50 years in the jewellery trade, has given him a sharp eye for stone setting and jewellery design. “Nothing goes to the factory without my approval,” says Zion.
This high standard is manifested in Dehres’ creations, most especially in its Masterpieces collection — one-of-a-kind pieces that feature white and fancy coloured diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Among the highlights in the collection is a ring with a 6ct emerald-cut fancy vivid blue diamond — quite a rare find for an exquisite fancy coloured diamond.
Another unique stone is a pear-shaped fancy intense pink diamond weighing more than sevem carats. It is the centrepiece of a ring that features 443 pieces of small round diamonds. Zion confirmed that the prices of blue and pink fancy coloured diamonds have been increasing over the last few years, and 2018 prices for fancy coloured diamonds have been performing quite strongly.
“I observe and appreciate the beauty of the design, and I make it a point to create functional pieces that jewellery aficionados will not only enjoy for their aesthetic beauty but also for their wearability”
The Masterpieces collection also features a diamond necklace featuring a non-heated royal blue, emerald-cut Burmese sapphire pendant weighing 52 carats, adorned by 14 pieces of pear- and marquise-shaped white diamonds.
Despite the number of unique pieces Dehres has owned over the years, a couple of stones stand out for Zion. One was a round vivid pink diamond over 10 carats, which was found in Tanzania, and which Zion describes as the type that comes along once in a generation or two. Adding to its value is the fact that, according to reliable market resources, round shape fancy coloured brilliant-cut diamonds tend to achieve the highest price per carat. Dehres sold it as a loose diamond to an Asian collector.
Dehres’ extensive global clientele, especially those in Asia, know and appreciate the value of precious gems, according to Zion. When Asians buy jewellery and gems, they consider financial security, future appreciation, and ease of portability. In recent years, this has meant investing in fancy coloured diamonds and certain precious gemstones, particularly rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, given their finite supply.
Choosing jewellery is more than just about the value and rarity. There’s a strong intuitive aspect behind it, and Zion recognises this early on in the designing stage. “I observe and appreciate the beauty of the design, and I make it a point to create functional pieces that jewellery aficionados will not only enjoy for their aesthetic beauty but also for their wearability,” he says.
“Nothing goes to the factory without my approval”
The fine jewellery brand has a distinct advantage in having been among the first Western designers to put down roots in Asia. It has headquarters in Hong Kong and a strong client base in China, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
In his more than 50 years in the industry, Zion has seen it all. Design trends and financial value of the stones may vary, and technology behind jewellery creations may change, but his passion and motivation to find rare and precious gems and turn them into one-of-a-kind masterpieces will always remain constant — something that a Dehres collector can always count on.
