JEWELRY DESIGNER

Lydia Courteille is a Parisian born gemologist and antique jewelry expert. She started to create more than ten years ago, conjuring up more than thirty collections.

HOW TO WEAR IT

A free-spirit woman with humor and audacity knows no limits; provocation is never far away from a woman\’s extraordinary imagination. Mysterious symbols, archaeology from the distant past, flora, and fauna are all part of her intoxicating mix of an adventurous personality.

ADDED VALUE

The Rhodochrosite or \”Rosa del Inca\” is the Argentine national stone. It owes its name to its characteristic color (from Greek ῥόδον, ródon, pink color). It has a lot of history because it was found by the Incas and, from that moment, it has been present in the Argentine culture. The old stories say that forbidden love was the origin of this mineral. One day the invincible warrior Tupac Canquí dared to enter the sacred temple of the Acllas, challenging the Inca tradition of not trespassing these rooms. There he discovered and fell in love with the priestess Ñusta Aclla (virgin girl consecrated to the Sun God, priestess of the Inti). Together, they escaped to the south. The imperial power roared and destined unfortunate armed groups to punish those guilty of the transgression. Tupac Canquí and Ñusta Aclla settled near the Salar de Pipando, where they had many children descendants of the Aymara, who founded the village Diaguita. But they never managed to get rid of the spell of the Inca shamans. She died and her body was buried on the top of a mountain, he died a short time later, drowned in his sad loneliness. One afternoon, the Andalgalá Chasqui discovered the tomb of the Ñusta Aclla, impressed to see how blooming petals on the stone covered her with blood, clustered like roses, and plucked one of the roses to offer the Inca king as a symbol of peace. The head of the empire, accepting with emotion the flower of Rhodochrosite, pardoned those ancient furtive lovers. Henceforth, the princesses of Tiahuanaco proudly displayed pieces of the Rosa del Inca stone, as a sign of forgiveness, reconciliation, fidelity, sacrifice, and adherence to great and true love. I love jewelry and when the artist put in the creation the most beautiful part: The Meaning, The Symbol, The Heritage of a History…… And it’s something different for Valentine\’s Day.