Green Sapphire, Vintage Diamonds & 18ct Yellow Gold Engagement Ring
Old cut diamonds, sentimental yellow gold and a brand new, traceable 2.6ct sapphire come together to make this statement engagement ring
I designed this ring with a couple, after he'd asked the all important question. It seemed best to collaborate on the design so this spring they came to the workshop to work out exactly what they would like.
Vintage Materials
Some of the materials we used for this engagement ring came from the client's family jewellery. I carefully dismantled two inherited rings to re-use all of the 18ct Yellow Gold alongside two of the larger, old cut diamonds.
The two diamonds I used for the new ring once sat either side of a pretty, pinky red ruby. They're an unusual pair: there are a some small, dark speckles below the surface, inside the body of the diamonds themselves. These carbon inclusions are a natural feature which, I think, make the stones truly individual. It's lovely that they were matched as a pair a long time ago and are still together, albeit with a different centre stone.
Selecting the Centre Stone
The client knew that she wanted a green stone for her ring, with a lot of impact. I've talked about which green stones are the most suitable for engagement rings before (over on this blog) so I sourced a selection of green sapphires and green tourmalines for them to view. It's incredible how many different shades of green there are out there in the mineral world.
I don't think there's any substitute for seeing gemstones in person so I'm always happy to organise a 'line up', giving you time to look at the stones in different lights and in combination with different metals. These green tones really sang when matched with buttery yellow gold.
After some careful consideration the clients selected a 2.6ct olive green, cushion cut sapphire. Traceably sourced from Thailand the stone is a softly elongated square shape with rounded corners.
Cushion cut stones are a lovely alternative to harsher, square princess cuts. They're that little bit more organic feeling and this one sat beautifully with those old cut diamonds.
Drawing the Design:
By the time the green sapphire was chosen we had a pretty clear idea of how I would set it. It needed to sit high, to allow a straight wedding ring to sit next to it one day. The wide head would need some support so I split the shoulders to smoothly lead the band up to the edge of the diamonds.
It's traditional to cut holes in the side to stone setting to allow the colour of the stone to show through. I made these cut outs softly petal shaped, for a feminine touch. Here's how the digital drawing came together:
Procreate iPad App, pencil and watercolour brushes
Making the Ring:
I cast the pieces for this ring from a mixture of the clients own 18ct yellow gold and new metal. After some careful clean up I soldered the setting into place on the band, being sure to position it perfectly. Getting the setting straight on a ring, before you solder it, might be one of the most time consuming bits of jewellery making! I spend ages looking at it from all sorts of angles until I know I’m happy.
After being hallmarked the ring was set, polished and ready to be handed over to the couple who'd waited so patiently for it.
Green Sapphire, Vintage Diamonds &
18ct Yellow Gold Engagement Ring
There's so much colour and life in this sapphire, it looks incredible in day light. I photographed it on the beach, just below Pendennis Castle in Falmouth where the colours really glowed among the rock pools.
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