2026 Oct 12
Designer Natharlea Yahampath’s collar, inspired by a drop of water on a butterfly’s wing, is an all-sapphire piece featuring a 28-carat Padparadscha surrounded by a spectrum of Sri Lankan multi-coloured sapphires.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — 11 October 2026
Sri Lankan designer Natharlea Yahampath unveiled a one-of-a-kind collar featuring a stunning 28-carat Padparadscha sapphire, surrounded by Sri Lankan multi-coloured sapphires, at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2026. The piece was the centrepiece of her showcase, putting the island’s gem heritage at the heart of her design.
The collar takes its inspiration from a fleeting moment in nature: a single droplet of water resting on a butterfly’s wing. When sunlight strikes the droplet, it breaks into a burst of rainbow colour. Natharlea has translated that moment into gemstones, using sapphires in a spectrum of hues to recreate the shimmer of light passing through water.
The showpiece of the collar is the 28-carat Padparadscha, a trillion-cut stone and one of the rarest and most coveted gems in the world. Its name comes from the Sinhala word for the lotus blossom, and its delicate blend of pink and orange recalls a tropical sunset. Sri Lanka is the classic source of Padparadscha, and a stone of this size is exceptionally rare.
Sri Lanka has been celebrated for its sapphires for more than two thousand years. While blue sapphires are the best known, the island’s gem fields also yield pink, yellow, purple, orange and green stones. By choosing locally sourced multi-coloured sapphires, Natharlea brings that lesser-seen side of Ceylon’s gem story to an international audience.
“I have always found my inspiration in nature’s smallest details. A drop of water on a butterfly’s wing lasts only a moment, but when the sun touches it, it holds every colour of the rainbow. Sri Lanka’s sapphires carry that same light. With this collar, I wanted to capture that moment and share the beauty of our gems with the world,” said Natharlea Yahampath.
About Natharlea
Natharlea is the label of Sri Lankan fashion designer Natharlea Yahampath, known for handmade knitwear and designs inspired by nature. A graduate of the Academy of Design in Fashion Design and Textiles, she has shown at Krakow Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka and Colombo Fashion Week, and has exhibited in London. Her work champions Sri Lankan artisans, including a team of women who hand-knit her pieces. She is also co-creative director of LOVI.
Follow her on Instagram at @natharlea.
