Canto Goldsmith & Jeweller

Diamond – the unconquerable

Text Marita van Rooyen

A fascinating little occurrence of nature, the diamond represents a beautiful playfulness of light, a spiritual fantasy made stronger by the indestructibility and hardness of the stone known to be unconquerable.

Canto Goldsmith & Jeweller focusses on modern individual designs produced to standards of the highest quality. At Canto every piece tells a story.

“Buying diamonds is all about expressing emotions. The diamond is formed in the darkest depths of the earth over millions of years, capturing the most elusive rays of light and spectral colours. The stone is made even more precious by being an integral part of evolution and allowing the wearer to be a link in the cycle of life.”

Spirit diamond, 18 carat ring

The majority of diamonds used in Canto’s designs are locally sourced, mined and cut, effecting a complete circle within the borders of Namibia. All stones are certified by international diamond laboratories created for grading and certifying diamonds in accordance with the four Cs – carat, cut, colour, and clarity.

The word diamond is derived from the Greek adamas – the unalterable stone. These enduring gems are becoming increasingly more interesting to investors in times of unstable financial markets.

Produced solely by Canto Goldsmith & Jeweller are the spectacular round Spirit and square Context diamond cuts.

The Context cut is the closest possible to the natural diamond crystal shape. Only one among 100 000 rough diamonds found has the perfect octahedron shape, which is changed only minimally so that the highest possible reflection of light is achieved.   

Context diamond, gents ring.

The Spirit cut is round with 32 facets. These resemble sunrays that meet in a point on top and at the bottom of the stone. Spirits are not cut merely for their dazzling glitter effect, but specifically to reflect the highest degree of light possible. The brilliant light emanated by the Spirit cut overshadows that of all standard cuts.

Jeweller’s profile

Canto Goldsmith & Jeweller was founded in 1955 by Jürgen and Dorothee Canto. Trained in Germany, Jürgen passed his love for the remarkable work he does down to his son André, with whom wife Simone took over the reigns in 2003. Although André and Simone have their own individual ideas of jewellery design, they complement each other by both creating ‘jewellery with a meaning’.

Spirit diamond ring.

Canto Jeweller produces its pieces in all yellow and white gold alloys, platinum and palladium, stainless steel and silver. Besides featuring diamonds of all cuts and natural colours, Canto’s designs also include a large variety of precious coloured stones. The distinctive designs are inspired by the stories of their clients, and by the beauty of Namibia’s cultures and landscapes.

Having walked away as the overall winner at the NDTC Shining Light Diamond Design Awards in 2008/2009, André Canto proved that his Diamond Tattoo symbolised the contrasting emotions and cultures of the African continent.

Diamond Tatoo

“The beauty of the profession is about transforming an idea into a design; making it technically possible by converting feeling into a shape, and being inspired by the influence of life around you.”

Contact Canto Goldsmith & Jeweller

• Tel/Fax: +264 61 22 2894
• Email: andreds@mweb.com.na
• Mutual Towers, Independence avenue