In October, Holloway Diamonds hosted a special showcase that brought the creations of one of the world’s most sought-after jewellery designers back to Australia.
Across two evenings at the Holloway Diamonds store in Canterbury (Melbourne), budding jewellery collectors were introduced to the work of Robert Procop Exceptional Jewels.
Two additional evenings were hosted at the Melbourne Museum under cover of night, during which established jewellery collectors were shown the latest rings, bracelets, pendants, and earrings from the Los Angeles ‘jeweller to the stars’ amid a backdrop of dinosaur fossils.
Procop has little interest in the spotlight despite having every reason to live in its warm glow. He’s perhaps best known for his work with Angelina Jolie and Brooke Shields; however, those are just two items on a seemingly never-ending curriculum vitae.
Among his many accomplishments are working hand-in-hand with several US presidents and receiving personal instruction from Queen Elizabeth II on the restoration of the English Crown Jewels.
Who is Robert Procop?
Introducing people to Procop and his work is an unenviable task — knowing where to begin can be difficult. Garry Holloway says that telling stories is the key.
“Storytelling is the only way to explain how significant this jewellery is and how unique of a person Robert is,” he explains.
“He’s a self-made man who became fascinated with jewellery while working at his brother-in-law’s pawn shop in Beverley Hills. Pawnbrokers in Los Angeles aren’t like ordinary pawnbrokers – people quickly cycle between wealthy and poor in Hollywood.”
He continues: “Robert would watch the pawnbrokers remove gemstones from all types of trophies and awards – Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, and so on – so the gold could be melted and sold, and noticed that the gemstones would chip and shatter. He asked the pawnbroker what became of the leftover gemstones, and from there, a business was born.”
Procop was informed that chipped and broken gemstones were sold in parcels once or twice a year. He asked if he could purchase a handful and then visited a gemstone cutter who taught him how to cut, polish, and repair the gemstones.
His early development was aided by a strong understanding of lighting, which came from working closely with his father, a General Electric engineer.
From there, he was taught the disciplines of gemstone cutting and jewellery design. He soon found himself travelling from California to Las Vegas with his own collections to sell to retailers.
He later opened a store called Diamonds on Rodeo, where he created jewellery for influential figures, including President Ronald Reagan.
These were merely the opening stepping stones on Procop’s journey, which eventually took him to the UK. There, he was appointed CEO of Asprey & Garrard, leading the company through a high-profile restructuring and a return to its beginnings as two separate companies.
Class of its own
Even the most oblivious layperson – this author included – is immediately aware that Procop’s jewellery is in a class of its own. He specialises in large untreated, rare, natural colour gemstones and uses an expansive network to ascertain these stones.
Beyond the value and rarity of these gemstones is the intricacy and sophistication of the jewellery itself.
A single bracelet can feature hundreds of hinged joints, meticulously crafted to maximise flexibility and comfort.
Platinum earrings featuring dozens and dozens of gemstones are intricately constructed to dramatically minimise weight, creating a practical piece that can be worn like any other.
Procop is even a devotee of ‘surprise diamonds’ – concealing stones beneath settings and under bands that won’t be visible when the jewellery is worn. They serve as a hidden complement to any already remarkable piece. It’s a secret ‘cherry on top’.
Among the many fantastical tales of Procop is the suggestion that he sleeps with a gemstone in each pocket at night – waiting for each stone to tell him where it belongs.
“Robert is remarkable in the way that he can seemingly ‘break all the rules’ in terms of practical jewellery design while refusing to cut a single corner,” Holloway explains.
“He has a remarkable team of craftsmen in exotic cities in every corner of the planet. There are former Van Cleef & Arpels people in Paris who work with Robert to create specific pieces, while in Bangkok, setters sit side-by-side with gemstone cutters to ensure that each gemstone is trimmed to be the perfect size.”
“He will use 20 different torches with varying colour temperatures to ensure that each stone in a piece will always match under differing light sources.
“It’s a level of attention to detail and sophistication that most jewellers can only dream of – and even if it were achievable, most people simply don’t have the patience and commitment to work to this standard of perfection.”
It’s a description reminiscent of the best-selling book Mastery by US author Robert Greene, published in 2012.
The central finding is as follows: Mastery is not a function of any innate genius or God-given talent. It’s a function of time and intense focus applied to any particular field of knowledge.
Procop visited Australia in person for the first time in 2019, and his work is supplied to Holloway Diamonds every two years for these types of unique displays.
It resulted from an unlikely friendship that began in 2018 at a Las Vegas trade show. Holloway laughingly recalls the first time he saw Procop’s work in person.
“I was nagged by a friend for several years to travel to the US and meet Robert, and when I finally found the time and sat down and looked at his jewellery, I started weeping,” Holloway remembers.
“My wife asked me what on Earth was wrong and I said that I had never felt like such an amateur before.
“It’s not just about the gemstones and how beautiful they are; all these incredibly talented people from around the world are tasked by Robert to create jewellery that is the best of the best.”
Psyche of a collector
Holloway describes Procop as the ‘penultimate collector’ and believes this passion plays a large role in his ability to appeal to collectors.
Tucked away in Beverley Hills – not far from the pawn shop where this story began - Procop’s home sounds like a boyhood dream realised.
Film memorabilia, religious artifacts, spacecraft, and dinosaur fossils are meticulously placed throughout the property and more than 50 tonnes of quartz crystal line the walls. Oh, and his next-door neighbour is actor Johnny Depp.
“If I had to describe Robert’s collecting, I would have to say obsessive,” jokes Holloway.
“He collects everything and anything he’s passionate about, but it’s very focused, and there’s always a good reason or motivation to own something. He has a great understanding of the psyche of collectors, and I’ve got no doubt that plays a key part in his jewellery being so widely sought.”
Among his collection is a time capsule with replacement gemstones for many of his pieces that have long since sold. With the exception of feature stones, Procop maintains this cache of replacement gemstones if his pieces are damaged today or in the decades to follow.
It’s a rare dedication that ensures the jewellery remains ‘as it should be’ even after the sale is finalised and a new owner is found.
“When you tell people these stories, it doesn’t take them long to get the idea that Robert is not a normal jeweller,” Holloway explains.
“These are exceptional practices, and how fitting it is that he would call his business Robert Procop Exceptional Jewels.”
Procop was unable to make the journey to Australia this year; however, he was represented by Tina Herman, who led the sessions and story-telling alongside Holloway.
Robert Procop Exceptional Jewels
More reading
Jeweller to the stars shines in Australia
Angelina gets dazzling diamond
The World's Most Famous Diamonds
Mythbusters: Aussie diamond expert publishes new book
Aussie inventors: IGI introduces new light performance grading reports
The Fancy Colour Diamond War of Words: Science or Romance?