Romancing the stone

Alina Lebedeva is pretty, sedate and elegant - qualities that distinguish a Russian woman. She wears a unique ring with small demantoids, of authentic Russian design.

"I displayed a special love for gem stones and rings when I was very young. At that time, people in Soviet Union did not have much of a choice in terms of jewelry," she says. The lack inspired her to create her own designs.

Lebedeva mostly designs large stone rings. She believes that large pieces bring out the hidden facets in women, and represent a trend in jewelry design. She often works with semi-precious stones, for they come in a wide variety in colors, sizes and price ranges.

She prefers the yellow 18k gold, which, she notes, is more practical to wear and doesn't bend or scratch easily. White gold, she says, was more fashionable until recently but now it's back to yellow.

She would sometimes work with precious stones. "I like diamonds, though they are not as rare as emeralds, rubies and sapphires," she says.

Extensive travel has exposed her to a wide range of craft traditions. Her appreciation of different cultures and nature finds expression in her craft.

"The most difficult part of designing, for me, is that sometimes I have too many ideas," she says.

Her latest designs feature spindles and garnets, resembling birds and lotus, drawing upon her recent trip to Sri Lanka.

"Almost every woman likes jewelry. After she is all dressed up and has put on her make-up, the last touch she would add is the jewelry."

An exhibition and sales of Alina's jewelry is running at the Beijing Central Art Gallery.