The Nigel O’Reilly Pitilie Burn Ring and the Aberfeldy 25-year-old Scotch

Irish high jeweler, Nigel O’Reilly, has joined hands with Scottish whiskey brand, Aberfeldy, to launch two exclusive pieces of jewelry. This was done to mark the 125th anniversary of the company, and its new 25-year Scotch whiskey.

Nigel O’Reilly is renowned for creating exceptional jewels using premium gemstones of unique cuts, and fashioning them into expertly crafted settings. O’Reilly crafts every single piece personally in his workshop located in the rural part of County Mayo, Ireland. This makes his work distinguishable from a lot of high-end and designer jewelers, who usually design the drawings and then pass them to artisans to bring them to life. His exclusive pieces have garnered a following among dedicated jewelry collectors in the U.S. and Europe.

High jewelry artist, Nigel O’Reilly and the Aberfeldy dram

Aberfeldy, named after the village in the Scottish Highlands where the distillery is found, is commonly referred to as the “golden dram.” This nickname not only stems from the golden, honeyed shade of its Scotch whiskey but also because of the gold deposits discovered in the Pitilie Burn, the vast stream that constitutes the water source. Aberfeldy’s single malt whiskeys, which are aged, are celebrated for their fruity character and smooth, easy-to-like flavor.

An event was hosted recently in New York by O’Reilly and Aberfeldy’s U.S. delegates, where attendees had the opportunity to peruse O’Reilly’s pair of jewels, which form part of a larger seven-piece collection, as well as sample Aberfeldy’s Scotch, including the 25-year anniversary edition. Several showcases were arranged, featuring O’Reilly’s jewels and bottles of Aberfeldy.

Aberfeldy Cufflinks by Nigel O’Reilly

At first glance, one might not draw parallels between an Irish jeweler and a Scottish whiskey vendor, but according to O’Reilly, both place significant value on superior craftsmanship and allocation of ample time to craft top-of-the-line artisan products. The most formidable challenge he encountered was in locating gems that perfectly matched the unique color of the 25-year edition, which has a distinct hue compared to the company’s other scotches. He decided on the madeira citrine, a quartz gemstone that varies in color from deep yellow to reddish.

“It took a while to find the gemstone that matched its unique color,” he said. “We found a match with madeira citrine which complements the slight citrine notes in the whiskey. I love the way the madeira citrine reflects light like it does in the glass as you’re spinning it around.”

The Nigel O’Reilly Pitilie Burn Ring

As he learned more about the company and where it is located, he chose additional gems to reflect these colors. For example, the Pitilie Burn Ring is inspired by the river Aberfeldy uses as its water source.

“When I found out more about the water they use, the Pitilie Burn river, I chose ice-blue diamonds at the bottom. They graduate up along the ring into the more earthy richer tones of the Scottish Highlands. This leads up to a honeycomb pattern, inspired by the honey notes of the whiskey.”

Pitilie Burn ring and Aberfeldy cufflinks in their uniquely designed boxes with the 25-year…Aberfeldy Scotch

The Aberfeldy cufflinks incorporate 18k rose gold in a shape inspired by the whisky glass you might sip Aberfeldy from. Madeira citrines are in the center of each cufflink, with burnt orange diamonds along the rim, a nod to Aberfeldy’s rich hues. They are engraved with “125” to honor Aberfeldy’s anniversary.

“At different angles you can always see the light shining within the piece.” O’Reilly said.

The Nigel O’Reilly Talisman pendant necklace

One of the remarkable items O’Reilly brought was a breathtaking Talisman pendant necklace. The centerpiece, a 69-carat morganite in the shade of salmon pink, was designed uniquely by the late, expert gem cutter, Erwin Springrunn. He was a close friend and neighbor of O’Reilly.

Resting in the heart of an 18k pink gold structure designed like a flower, the gem is accentuated with 201 elegant champagne and white diamonds. Attached to it is a collar, its links carefully crafted from 18k rose gold. Each link features a single navette-shaped diamond.

An unexpected collaboration between a Scotch whiskey brand and an Irish jeweler that initially seemed unusual, concluded in perfect harmony.