Something borrowed, something blue...

As much experience as I have when it comes to manufacturing jewellery (since I was 15yrs old, am now 36yrs old - so round that off to an even 20 years), believe it or not, I seldom complete a job without having had to do the odd 'nip and tuck' or tweak, in order to get it juuuuust right. 

Murphy usually rears his ugly head and says, "Oh, you thought you'd just quickly solder that into position, and straight (no less) first time?  Well, watch this..." and so the cookie invariably crumbles a little through the very exacting process of making the perfect piece of jewellery.

That being said, this beautiful, double trillion tanzanite and diamond ring was constructed between 20h00 and 04h00 (weeeee hours of the morning) without a single glitch!  I know it looks easy, but believe me, when your eyesight's failing you and all you desire is to slip away into a 24hr coma, balancing two large triangular shapes on a narrow band, at just the right angle, ain't as simplistic as it looks!

Beautiful, cornflour blue sapphires, channel set into 18ct white gold with a central white diamond.  A somewhat more classical design for a very sophisticated lady.  One of those 'timeless' pieces that stands the test of fashion and fads, what's the latest craze and what's old hat, and still endures throughout, appearing just as 'new' as the day it was created.

I remodelled my aunt's engagement ring and matching wedding band into this combined ring not so long ago.  She'd originally had the stones set in claws, and they were starting to wear thin, losing her a diamond or two along the way.  So, it was high time for a revamp - something she'd been wanting to do for years.  Tube settings are by far the most secure of all the setting styles, as the metal envelopes the stone's circumference throughout.  So I reckon you're good to go for at least another 50 years of marriage, ay Louise!

The Jewels of January

Ladies, ladies ... if size really does matter, this one's got it all!  A whopping 11½ct crystal clear and pure white emerald cut diamond.  Well that's only the centre, not to mention the additional 'smalls' along the edges and down the sides.  Set in 9ct white gold with a 'cut out' filigree detail and scalloped top. Very, very va va voooooooom!!!

These two were made as a pair of wedding rings for friends of mine.  His was very much inspired and influenced by his spiritual beliefs, and hers by her love of all things flaura - specifically the blue Iris flower.  Very weighty 9ct white gold rings with 1.04ct brilliant cut and 3.21ct trillion cut tanzanites, respectively. 

A nicely balanced two-tone diamond ring, with clean lines and simplistic curves.  Sometimes less really is more.

They say in nature, things appear mostly in uneven numbers, and symmetry is not one of its visually aesthetic strengths.  The same, I'd say, is true for rings.  Three and five stone combinations are always very visually pleasing, whereas two and four stone arrangements less flowing and easy on the eye.