Sitting at ifc’s Le Salon de thé de Joël Robuchon, Rahila Refaaq is on her way to the workshop where the bespoke jewellery she creates is completed – but there’s very little in the way of bling on the forty-something gemologist herself. You’d think she’d look as sparkly as a Desperate Housewife, but her skin reacts poorly to metals and leather. Her ears aren’t pierced and she only occasionally wears a pendant. She does sport a pale green beryl, her favourite stone, and she will cop to owning an impressive collection of gems, even if she doesn’t wear them every day.