A while back, I had a friend ask me for help finding a blue sapphire ring as a wedding gift for her from a family member. She didn’t have any working knowledge of gemstones so she recruited my guidance. Unfortunately, after we had already gotten started, her family member changed gears and ended up getting her something completely different. But my friend decided that she still wanted a blue sapphire ring, just on a reduced budget from what we were originally looking for.
So we set out looking for a larger blue sapphire to be set into a halo setting. She scoured ebay and ended up finding a used Harry Winston Belle – inspired setting that was already in her size. The setting had been well loved, and would require new prongs, but was an excellent find for the price.
It was at this point where we realized that a color-shifting sapphire I had at the time would fit very well into this setting with minor modifications, essentially rebuilding and thickening of the prongs that already needed to be retipped. That was that.
This sapphire is 2.35ct and 7.9mm, and is unheated Umba material. The setting is a size 5.75.
Color shift sapphires and spinels typically shift to purple under fluorescent lighting, and because fluorescent bulbs are weaker, cameras cannot process pictures as clearly, which is why the purple picture is so blurry. So color shift stones pose a particularly difficult challenge when trying to photograph them accurately and make the picture look good. If I still had this ring in my possession, I’d try to retake this photo, but I took it in a rush before shipping it out to her!
Look at the polish on this stone! It was cut into a round brilliant by Gene Flanigan of Precision Gem.
I really enjoy doing this type of project and finding exactly what a person wants and making it happen within their budget, especially when it means treasure hunting instead of designing, as it’s a nice change of pace. This was an extra special project for me because it was for a friend that had been lusting after something for so long, and the gem came from my personal collection.
The Gemstone Project 