Peridot. August's extraterrestrial birthstone. Interestingly samples of which have been found in meteorites. Finer quality peridots are in the shade of grass green as shown above. Inset are earrings with a detachable diamond collar.
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Here's a recent project involving this gorgeous pair of pear shaped diamonds. The instruction was to set these into interesting studs; normally gems of this shape end up being drops or danglers. I didn't want to put too much around it as I wanted to still highlight the diamonds. So I encircled and encased them in gold and custom cut onyx. Like stones embedded in stones. The outer part we had just put some fine detail of smaller diamonds and gold beading. And, I must say, they turned out quite nice.
Here's a redesign project from a client's old ring. I failed to record the old setting, but it was more in the baroque style. Not really anything unattractive, but tastes will change over time and so I was tasked to come up with this more modern inspired piece. Again, with Deco influences. With layers and steps of pave set diamonds flanking the sides of the stunning natural pink tourmaline center stone. Such an intense color with shades of fuchsia.
Here is a past project making use of multi-colored diamonds strewn across a ring's curved lines. The shanks overlap and goes over a few fingers. Asymmetrical and dynamic even if it's just a static piece. And all these just reworked from older, unworn pieces.
This ring was commissioned by someone younger than me but definitely wiser than her years. She’s a person devoted to her call and shares her gifts and passions with many less fortunate. As an educator of sorts, she was advised by one of her mentors to wear a yellow sapphire ring on her right forefinger so as to heighten intellect, merit and wisdom.
And so we set her pale yellow sapphire ring in a gold setting. With provision of the stone touching her skin underneath when worn, similar to a previous piece we made. I put in some gold bead details and contrasts of textures to make things interesting; but letting the focus of the piece still be on the stone itself. Sometimes, or most times, the simplest designs are best.
I love emerald cut diamonds. Round brilliant ones are always nice but step cut diamonds and their parallel facets allow for more broader, softer reflection of light. As opposed to the sharp sparkle brilliant cut diamonds provide. But it's just preference; nothing really right or wrong about being partial to a style of cutting over another.
Bigger examples of emerald cuts (as well as Asscher and baguette cuts) have this tantalizing appearance of ice cubes. But a slight difficulty happens when these are set in engagement rings. They look great as is; but gets tricky when pairing with wedding bands as the elongated sides protrude. Making the most common option of providing clearance underneath the stone setting so the wedding band goes under. Which also ends up partially hiding a portion of the band beneath the center stone. Which, again, is ok with some and not ok with others.
So a client comes up with a project to make curved eternity bands to go on opposite sides of her emerald cut engagement ring. When worn together, looked really nice like a cocktail ring of sorts. And when she opts to not wear her engagement ring, the wedding bands stack up together quite nicely on her finger. A simple idea with elegant results.
A throwback from the past. Well, not that far back. I made this last year for a client and somehow the picture got lost in my files. But great to have found it since emeralds seem to be the stone of the year. And yes those green pebble-like things are emeralds; in rough form. Uncut and unpolished. Set in a yellow gold frame along with faceted multi-colored sapphires to provide a strong contrast of colors and textures. And the end result is quite the interesting piece. And so unusually engaging that people always ask her what she's wearing.
Was looking through my files and realized I had made quite a few redesign projects last year. Just didn't have time to publish though. But here's one of them. A nice cuff, with most of the stones taken from heirloom pieces. Wide, polished, yet still possesses timelessness. I remember asking my client if she's able to use this along with her other pieces. And she replies that she uses it all the time. Which is any designer's best reward, really.
Tangerine is set to be a popular color for 2012. Energizing and exciting; a great way to start the new year! Orange hues tend to be some of the most under-used colors, but we should all find ways to inject youthfulness in our lives. Inset are bespoke earrings of trilliant cut citrines surrounded by textured yellow gold and diamond pave segments.
I like emerald cut diamonds. But they seem to have more character in larger sizes. They don't sparkle as much as brilliant cut diamonds but possess a more subtle, ice-cube like character, for lack of a better term. Inset is a bespoke project with components taken from several heirloom pieces and formed into one gorgeous bauble. At the center is about a 2 carat emerald cut diamond, flanked by diamonds of about a carat each. A parallel of pave diamonds go horizontally across and run down the sides of the architecturally inspired ring. When worn, all you see on top of the finger are broad flashes of white light.