Sapphires and Diamonds

Sapphires and Diamonds are classic gemstones that always go well together. Like the classic couples of the 1930s and 40s - remember Astaire and Rogers ... Bogart and Bacall - they are striking and always make a statement. Here are a few of my favorite Sapphire and Diamond rings.

The bold look and elegant lines of this beautiful emerald-cut Sapphire begged for an Art Deco design. To complement the Sapphire I selected two elongated obelisk-shape diamonds (bullet cuts) and bezel set them in platinum. The unusual cut of the diamonds is echoed in the tapered prongs securing the Sapphire and the raised center-line of the platinum band. The ring is an homage to Egyptian Revival and Art Deco eras, two of my favorite sources of design inspiration.

While Art Deco design emphasizes the beauty of geometric lines and dramatic angles, the above cushion-cut Sapphire suggests other possibilities. Accented with trilliant cut diamonds, the gently curved edges and softened corners of the rich blue Sapphire invite the viewer to get lost in a deep pool of cool crystalline water. The beautiful Sapphire is set in an example of our Sapphire Delight design.

This ring is named Sapphire Luminosity. It incorporates a clear, steely blue Sapphire that luminesces with a shimmering cool blue light. Accenting the oval Sapphire are six baguette diamonds dramatically set into the shoulders of the ring. In the gallery we call this staggered arrangement of the diamonds a "Rockefeller". The name is inspired by the soaring skyscrapers of Rockefeller Center, the Art Deco icon in New York City.

Hand engraving is a classic technique that beautifully complements Sapphires and diamonds. This hand-crafted platinum ring has a wonderful late Edwardian/early Art Deco feel that captures the elegance of a bygone era. Note the gentle millgraining that highlights the edges of the setting and band. When creating a ring there are many varieties of hand engraving from which to choose.

Not all Sapphire rings wear their diamonds on the side. This striking ring features a round Sapphire set in a variation of our Hidden Treasures design. The Sapphire is set with a prong style known as "French Double prongs". The up sweeping shoulders of the platinum ring are creased with a gentle valley and the edges accented with milgraining. As can be seen in the picture below, two diamonds are nestled between the upper and lower gallery of the setting, hence the name "Hidden Treasures".

On either side of the hidden diamonds, small circlets of yellow gold are set in the split shoulders of the upswept band. The golden accents offer a striking contrast to the cool white and blue of the diamonds, Sapphire and platinum. It is these little touches that really make a ring pop.

Our Breathless Rings are a contemporary take on a classic design ... our interpretation of a traditional three-stone ring set with beautiful gemstones and diamonds. This example showcases a soft cushion-shape royal blue Sapphire and round colorless diamonds. The platinum band is gently tapered as it approaches the gemstones. The style is a timeless classic that will surely be enjoyed for many generations. Often when creating a new ring, we like to start with the classics and add a little pizzazz !

These are just a few of my favorite Sapphire and diamond rings. Please visit our Sapphire Ring Gallery to see more of my designs.

If you have any questions about the above Sapphire rings or our other custom designs, please send me an email or give me a call (603 624-8672).

Tantalizing Tanzanite!

I have always loved designing with Tanzanite. The gemstone's rich, velvety blue/violet color with flashes of red is reminiscent of lightning in a late evening sky.

Ever since Tanzanite was first discovered in the 1960s, this exotic gemstone has tantalized with its incredibly beautiful colors. To help you decide if Tanzanite is a good choice for your next custom jewel, I answer the following commonly asked questions about this wonderful gemstone.

Are Tanzanites a "soft" gemstone?

Although not as hard as Sapphires and Diamonds, Tanzanites are fine when properly set in jewelry. Because it is not as hard, Tanzanite is more susceptible to scratches, but common sense precautions will protect and preserve the beauty of this striking gemstone.

For example, you should not wear your Tanzanite ring while working in the garden. Of course, you should also remove your Sapphire and Diamond rings when engaged in activities that might lead to a nick or scratch. When not being worn Tanzanite and other jewelry should be stored in individual cloth pouches, so that the gemstones do not inadvertently abraded each other.

Proper jewelry design can also mitigate the risk to your Tanzanite. Tanzanite is often set in less exposed, less active, pieces of jewelry, like earrings and pendants. When setting Tanzanite in a ring it is best to choose a low setting that will help protect the gemstone while showing off its brilliant color. Bezel settings are a wonderful option for setting Tanzanites.

Are Tanzanites becoming rarer?

For all its beauty fine Tanzanite is found in only one place in the world - an inaccessible mine lying in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. Over-mining, flooding and cave-ins at the mine site have limited the supply of higher quality, larger gems. As the popularity of Tanzanite has increased, the scarcity and cost of finer Tanzanites has risen. But, be aware that not all Tanzanites are equally fine or scarce.

There is an abundant supply of lower quality Tanzanites, often with pale or grayish color and small in size. Commonly offered on home shopping channels and at discount jewelers, these lesser Tanzanites lack the beauty and pizzazz of the finer stones. Be careful! I have seen lower quality Tanzanites offered at the same price as finer gemstones.

Are the striking colors of Tanzanite natural?

Tanzanite is a natural gemstone whose color is enhanced during cutting by a process called "heat treating". When found in nature, Tanzanite crystals are usually a reddish-brown color. The gemstone crystals are heated in order to bring out the rich blue, purple and violet colors we love. The color change is permanent.

A similar heat-treating process has been used for thousands of years to enhance the color of Rubies and Sapphires. If a jeweler or salesperson does not inform you about the heat treatment of Tanzanites and other gemstones, you should probably not be working with them.

There are several man-made and natural materials that simulate the appearance of Tanzanite. One, known as synthetic Fosterite, is grown in a lab and is worth significantly less than Tanzanite. Other gemstones may be treated with films or other agents in an effort approximate the beautiful color of fine Tanzanite. Because these materials may be misrepresented as Tanzanite, it is best to only work with a knowledgeable, reputable seller with a background in gemology. You may want to have your Tanzanite evaluated by a qualified independent gemologist.

Please visit our Tanzanite Ring Gallery where we feature
more of the Tanzanite jewels we have created.

The Great Ruby Hunt - Part III

The Great Ruby Hunt

Part III - Crafting the Ring

In The Great Ruby Hunt I and II, the focus was on how I helped a client find the perfect Ruby for her custom engagement ring. Once the Ruby had been found, the next steps were to finalize the design and craft the ring.

When custom designing a jewel the best place to start is with jewels and design elements you already admire. After reviewing our design portfolios and the rings at our gallery, the client identified three elements that she particularly liked.

1. Engraving - She was drawn to the rich elegance and intricate patterns of our hand-engraved rings She admired the the flowing Flowers and Scrolls pattern and our dramatic Engraved Elegance design, but she absolutely fell in love with the cascading richness of our Regal Elegance design.

2. Side Stones - She also admired the way the trilliant diamonds were set flush with the shoulders in our Cool Ice ring. She liked how the trilliants were tucked slightly beneath the center diamond and appeared to flow into the platinum band of the ring.

3. Ring Shape - Last but not least, she loved the low profile of the gemstones in our Cool Blue Design as well as the tapered width of the band. She enjoys outside activities and felt the low profile of the ring would be perfect for her active life style.

We discussed these and other elements and came up with a ring design inspired by the elegant, dramatic rings of the Art Deco era. The resulting ring is pictured above.

Once the design had been finalized, the next step was to find the perfect pair of trilliant-cut diamonds. I examined about twenty pairs of trilliants. The diamonds needed to complement one another, and also the center Ruby.

I wanted the trilliants to fit within the beveled corners of the Ruby. The goal was to create a continuous line from the slanted corners of the Ruby, along the straight edges of the trilliants, to the outer points of the diamonds burnish set in the band of the ring. This would create a dramatic tapered look which would perfectly accent the elegant shape of the Ruby.

After matching up a stunning pair of D-color trilliant-cut diamonds, it was time to begin crafting the ring.

When creating a special ring the quality of the workmanship is as important as the beauty of the gemstones and the design. In creating this ring we worked with three different craftsmen - a master platinum smith to build the ring, a talented hand engraver and an experienced gem setter. Each is a master of their craft and a talented artist in their own right.

Our platinum smith crafted the ring in three steps:

First, he took a small solid block of platinum and, like a sculptor, carved out the upper and lower galleries of the mounting. By carving the setting from a single piece of platinum our platinum smith was able to shape and adjust the mounting so that it perfectly matched the shape and size of the Ruby. This approach assured that the mounting is sturdy and securely protects the gemstone.

Next, the platinum smith crafted the prongs from flat-edge platinum stock. He polished the prongs along their length to create a narrow taper towards the base. We then asked the platinum smith to add a slight crease or recess along the outer surface of the prongs. This added a little contrast to the bright surfaces of the prongs and emphasized the linear design.

Finally, our platinum smith crafted the band (or "shank") of the ring. He hand built the band with flat surfaces and slightly rounded edges to give the engraver a good working surface. At the slightly flared shoulders of the band, he carved triangular recesses for the trilliant diamonds. The recesses were shaped so the diamonds would angle slightly downward and flow into the pattern of the engraving. Because the ring was hand-crafted we were able to adapt the design to the specific size and shape of the gemstones and pay close attention to the small details.

Our client also wanted to create a wedding band in the same style. So, our platinum smith crafted a platinum band that matched the flat surfaces and profile of the ring. Then he carefully carved out a section at the top of the band, so that the engagement ring would nestle up closely against the band. The best time to create a contoured wedding band is when the engagement ring is being crafted. This assures the best fit between the two rings.

When wearing a straight band against an engagement ring, there is often friction between the two rings resulting in possible wear to the setting. A custom-fit contoured band greatly reduces the friction between the rings.

Notice how closely fitted the two rings rest against each other. This creates a more comfortable wearing ensemble, but it also helps to minimize the wear and tear on the two rings.

Hand crafting a ring is an "old school" technique that requires exceptional (the finest) craftsmanship and patience. The time it takes to create a truly custom ring from scratch is rewarded in the final jewel.

If you have any questions about how we work with clients on custom projects, please send me an email.

The Great Ruby Hunt - Part II

The Great Ruby Hunt

Part II - The Hunt Continues

We were working with a client who wanted to create a striking Ruby and Diamond engagement ring. After evaluating a number of beautiful Rubies and assembling a strong grouping, the next step was to review the gemstones with the client and help her select the best Ruby for the ring.

The color of a gemstone can be described in terms of Hue, Tone and Saturation. Part of my task is to evaluate these components of color and help client's understand the subtle differences. My goal is to make sure that the client can make an educated, informed decision when purchasing a gemstone.

The human eye has difficulty seeing and remembering subtle differences in color, especially if you are looking at only one or two gemstones at a time. The best way is to examine and compare a number of gemstones all at once .... the more gems the better! Below is the dazzling array of Rubies I assembled for my client to review.

With a large number of gemstones the initial lineup can be overwhelming. After all, each of the gems is beautiful ... just in different ways.

The client was looking for a Ruby with a classic pure Red color. So, first I helped the client identify the Ruby that was the purest Red. Then we identified the Rubies with the strongest orangy Red and purplish Red hues. With these three gems as color benchmarks, we compared the remaining Rubies to determine where they fell on the color spectrum from orangy Red to Red to purplish Red.

By comparing a large number of Rubies all at once, my client was able to see how varying amounts of orange and purple affect a Ruby's color. Even more important she was able to decide which shade of red appealed to her most.

We used a similar technique to evaluate and compare the Saturation and Tone of each of the Rubies, creating benchmarks with the least and most saturated (intense) stones and then the stones with the lightest and darkest tones. This allowed our client to see how subtle differences in Saturation and Tone would affect the beauty of her Ruby.

After reviewing the Hue, Saturation and Tone of each Ruby, the client narrowed the initial field of nineteen Rubies to the following seven. These are the Rubies with color that really grabbed her!

The next step was to consider the Cut and Clarity of each of the Rubies. When evaluating a Ruby, Color is the most important factor. The Cut and Clarity are not insignificant, but they are less important than Color in determining value.

Rubies are often native cuts. This means the gems were cut at the source and tend to be cut more for weight and size than beauty. Some gemstone dealers will re-cut the stones they import; however, this is not the norm as it can be risky and costly. When judging the cut of a Ruby you want to note and avoid obvious windows, areas of extinction, misaligned facets, significantly asymmetrical shaped stones, and poor polishing. Improper cutting can affect the value, as well as durability of a gem.

Our client desired an emerald-cut Ruby, but would also consider an oval or cushion-shape stone if it was just the right color. After considering the cut characteristics of each of the remaining Rubies, our client narrowed the field to the following four - two emerald cuts and two oval brilliant-cuts.

The last factor to consider in evaluating Rubies is Clarity. Rubies are in the Type II Clarity Classification which means they typically occur with inclusions. Nearly flawless Rubies are extremely rare and expensive. A flawless Ruby can be rarer than a flawless diamond. Stones with inclusions that are very easy to see under 10x magnification and possibly visible to the naked eye are graded Very Slightly Included (VS) provided the inclusions are not too numerous and do not affect transparency or durability of the stone.

As with Cut, the Clarity grade does not appreciably affect the value of a stone except for flawless and heavily included examples. It is important to analyze the Clarity grade for several reasons:

1. It helps rate the relative quality and value of stones in a group.

2. Inclusions help confirm that a stone is natural and not synthetic. We only work with natural gems.

3. Inclusions can provide evidence of fracture-filling and heat treatment, which in turn affect rarity and value.

After reviewing all of the features of the remaining four Rubies, our client made the final choice. So which Ruby did she select? You may have already guessed, from the several hints I dropped.

................(drum roll).................

The winner is a 1.58 carat emerald cut with distinctively beveled corners. She loved the nearly pure Red hue of this Ruby, combined with the dramatic geometry of the cut and the stones silky appearance.

We started with 19 beautiful Rubies and through a process of careful elimination found the Ruby that best matched our client's desires. When hunting for an important gemstone it is worth taking the time to view and closely examine an array of gems. In this way you can find the best stone for your custom ring or jewel.

Now that our client has found the perfect Ruby, what's next? The whole process began with our client's desire for a rich red Ruby set in an engraved ring like the ones she had admired on our web site. We still needed to finalize the design, select the side diamonds and hand craft the ring. But that is the discussion for next time. Not to worry ..... I will not leave you hanging too long. Please check back soon for the rest of the story.

Egyptian Lotus of the Nile Ring Design

This is my Lotus of the Nile Ring design which features a vibrant turquoise colored natural Gem Silica cabochon and two small round colorless diamonds. I have long admired ancient Egyptian motifs as well as Egyptian Revival designs of the Victorian and Art Deco eras. So naturally I was inspired by this love of Egyptian motifs and incorporated a stylized lotus blossom in this ring.

The feature gem (Gem Silica) is cradled within two stylized palmettes that are formed from the ribbed band. The vibrant color of the Gem Silica is reminiscent of turquoise that was used in ancient Egypt.

The ribbed band, stylized lotus blossoms, palmettes and cross-bars at the shoulders are elements that are seen in ancient Egyptian art and design.

To learn more about my designs and jewelry creations, please visit my website JewelryExpert.com

Recent Designs by Judith Anderson and The Jewelry Experts

Here are some of my recent designs. Each of these pieces is hand crafted and/or custom made from scratch with a variety of fabulous and exciting colored gemstones. I work mainly in platinum, 18kt yellow gold and 18kt rose gold.

To see more of my creations, please visit my website