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Yianni Melas & the Remarkable Discovery of Aquadité™

14TH OCTOBER 2023 | 3 MIN READ Share This Story:   

Above image courtesy of Rapaport and Yianni Melas

With his new discoveries and fascinating stories, gem explorer Yianni Melas has

been in our studio multiple times before. He's always got wondrous tales to tell,

and he’s one of our most treasured guests.

Yianni is responsible for our beautiful collection of Aquaprase™ jewellery, having

made its groundbreaking discovery in 2013. But Yianni’s upcoming visit is a truly

special one, because he’s bringing us a gemstone found even more recently that

is just as remarkable: Aquadité™.

Aquadité™ was an incredible discovery made in April 2022 and has since retained

a huge amount of success, and Yianni Melas has been a huge part of its journey

to fruition. So, allow us to explain the story of Yianni and the wonderful

Aquadité™, as well as exactly when you'll be able to see this brand-new find for

yourself.

THE DISCOVERY
Last spring, a group of local miners were working in Indonesia’s Maluka islands

when a bulldozer accidentally hit a rock. The rock split open, and a new variety of

Chalcedony complete with a fascinating array of copper minerals was suddenly

revealed.
The gemstone was something that took Yianni’s eye soon after its discovery, and

after coming across an image of it on a dealer’s Instagram account, he asked for

more samples to take to a gemstone lab for proper testing.

THE GEMSTONE
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) eventually confirmed that it was in fact

a new variety, complete with crystals of Cuprite, Chrysocolla, Malachite and native

copper. However, the most eye-catching feature is by far the copper inclusions. In

fact, due to the appearance of copper, the GIA has referred to the stone as having

‘confetti’ inclusions.

Following the surprise discovery of Aquadité™, two more deposits of the

gemstone were found in the same area, with each find displaying some truly

mesmerising patterns throughout. Due to its stunning colours and remarkable

copper artistry, Yianni decided to name and trademark the stone Aquadité™ -

‘aqua’ referring to the blue of the ocean, and ‘dité’ paying tribute to the goddess

Aphrodite. As it happens, Aphrodite is not only the goddess of love and beauty,

but also the goddess of copper.

Talking to Rapaport after the discovery, Yianni explained that the diverse array of

colours and patterns present in Aquadité™ only strengthens its desirability. He

also believes that a gemstone’s name should have just as much of an impact as its
appearance.

Speaking to Rapaport about the Aquadité™ name, Yianni said it is “extremely

important to the retailer, consumer, and also the investor...and even the miners

themselves. If the name doesn’t do the gemstone justice and doesn’t have

marketability, the sales are far less, and everybody in the supply chain suffers.”

The term ‘happy accident’ is often thrown around in a variety of contexts.

However, the discovery of Aquadité™ is that and then some. The stone exudes

flecks of colour that could only be created by nature, and its beauty only

continues to prove the intrinsic value of Mother Nature and her abilities.
 To see Yianni Melas showcase his stunning Aquadité™ collections, watch us live

on Friday 17th May at 8pm and Saturday 18th May at 4pm.

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