Editor’s Note
This article explores how the Gubelin Group’s 159-year legacy mirrors the qualities of fine gemstones—where meticulous detail, enduring craftsmanship, and timeless values converge to create pieces of lasting beauty and significance.
Perfection is in the details. As with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls and other precious gems, perfection also requires endurance – and can be priceless beyond any measure. Such is the craft that has been honed, faceted and polished by the Gubelin Group, whose passion for gemstones has remained lustrous for 159 years. Preserved with its expertise is the family-owned company’s values and philosophy, which are reflected in its luxurious jewellery, watches and gemstones.
Tracing back to the group’s humble beginnings as a watchmaker in 1854, Gubelin’s philosophy carried on as it expanded its range. The company’s fine gems and jewellery collections have found their way to Switzerland’s top sites including Lucerne, Zurich, Basel, Bern, Lugano, St Moritz and Geneva.
Quality and innovation are infused in the group’s focused segments: Gubelin Jewellery Atelier and an independent gemmological laboratory, Gubelin Gem Lab. The jewellery atelier designs, crafts, custom creates and maintains jewellery, while Gubelin Gem Lab produces reports, analyses and historic research on an array of gemstones, diamonds and pearls.
Each business segment has built a global reputation in its own right, fuelled by the group’s investments in state-of-the-art technologies. Gubelin’s 3D computer-aided design software and printer, for instance, enable customers to see and feel pieces before the company makes adjustments and finalises the masterpieces.
A crown to the company’s dedication is an array of international awards honouring the degree of quality that Gubelin’s generations of craft have achieved. This includes the industry’s most prestigious acclaim, the “Diamonds International Award”, which Gubelin has won five times in recognition of its exceptional creations.
Reinforcing the group’s commitment to a successful future is its bold and calculated expansion to make its sought-after jewellery collections and globally reputed gemmological laboratory services available in key locations. From serving a high-end clientele in Europe, Russia and the United States, it has now extended its reach to Asia’s growing fine jewellery aficionados.
Such promise has come to fruition with the opening of a Gubelin boutique in Kuala Lumpur’s Starhill Gallery in December last year. Featuring a luxurious collection of rare gemstones and signature pieces, the launch was highlighted by the display of Gubelin’s Madagaskar jewellery line in yellow, white and rose gold.
The boutique showcases the celebrated vintage Astroline necklace, which was designed with baguette and tapered coloured gemstones by Martha Widmer, one of Switzerland’s most successful and multi award-winning jewellery designers. Apart from the Madagaskar collection, it also carries a wide range of precious gemstones and jewellery from its equally dazzling Rainbow and Paris lines.
Combining a quiet environment with striking interiors, lavish feel and delicate atmosphere, the boutique’s location in the Starhill Gallery luxury retail mall of the Malaysian capital was carefully selected. As with all Gubelin jewellery boutiques throughout Switzerland, it reflects the discerning taste of its new set of customers.
As it was with the original company, Gubelin Gem Lab was born out of passion. Coming a long way from being a complementary segment to Gubelin’s jewellery production, it has risen as one of the world’s most trusted gemmological testing centres – and Gubelin’s most distinguished competitive advantage.
Laying the foundations to what would become the world’s most trusted gemmological laboratory is Raphael’s great-grand uncle and Gubelin Gem Lab founder Dr Eduard J. Gubelin. With a body of work contributing far beyond the success of Gubelin’s business, Dr Gubelin helped advance the science of gemmology with his lifetime’s worth of gem investigation.
As part of his research, Dr Gubelin designed and developed several gemmological instruments such as the colouriscope, gemmolux, fluoroscope and magnoscope. He has been reputed as a pioneer of modern gemmology and origin determination – fields of expertise where Gubelin Gem Lab is best known.