Natharlea turns Sri Lankan sapphires into wearable art

Sri Lankan designer Natharlea Yahampath has presented a detachable sapphire collar at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2026, combining gemstones with a design inspired by light refracting through a water droplet on a butterfly’s wing.

The collar features a trillion-cut Padparadscha sapphire surrounded by sapphires in several colours. The designer describes the stones as Ceylon sapphires and presents the piece as an interpretation of Sri Lanka’s gemstone heritage.

Yahampath’s stated inspiration centres on the brief appearance of rainbow colours when sunlight passes through water. The arrangement of coloured stones translates that effect into a collar intended to connect clothing design with jewellery.

The central stone is described as a Padparadscha sapphire, a variety associated with pink and orange colouring. Its use provides the focal point for the surrounding gemstones and the wider nature-inspired design.

The collar belongs to a collection incorporating handloom textiles, hand-knitted garments and hand-crocheted details. Blue, pink and yellow sapphires feature alongside stones described as Padparadscha sapphires.

Yahampath works with a team of women who hand-knit pieces for her label. The collection places those handmade techniques alongside gemstone work, linking textile production and jewellery within the same fashion presentation.

The designer identifies collaboration with local craftspeople and an emphasis on handmade production as central elements of her practice. Her label also promotes sustainability and ethical fashion as objectives of that approach.

A graduate of the Academy of Design, where she studied fashion design and textiles, Yahampath has participated in local and overseas fashion events. Her supplied biography lists Kraków Fashion Week in Poland in 2022, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka, Colombo Fashion Week and an exhibition in London.

The latest collection brings together gemstone decoration and textile techniques, with the detachable collar serving as its principal example of translating a natural visual effect into an accessory.