The Setting: Art-Deco Octagon-Diamond-Shield with Channel-set Slender Band
- 18K White Gold with UK Hallmark
- 25mmx25mm Visual Top Dimension
- Single Slim Comfort Band
- Four Short Round Doubled Corner Prongs (eight prongs)
- 92 Diamonds in Octagon Shield and set in channel on upper shank
- Total 0.49 carats of conflict-free diamonds in VS (or better) and color G (or better)
- 3.41 gram (incl. gems)
- Size USA 7 (re-sizing free of charge)
Comment: Radical Art-Deco design around an oval center stone. The hefty head stands in contrast with the high-quality but rather 'small' center stone. Extreme also the choice of double prongs for a sub-one carat gem. All this clearly signals 'one-only designer-ring', as do the individual cut-outs in the upper side shank and gallery. As visible in the close-ups, the eight prongs sit so economically that they do not cover much of, let alone, darken the center gem. One of David's favorite époques with all loving details and signature techniques. Light-weight 3.4 grams but with the looks of a royal e-ring. Great example of how to create the biggest splash even with a smaller stone, which are going to participate in the future's value development as much as bigger untreated stones. As all insiders know, it is only the untreated, and some heat-only, varieties that will keep and increase their value in the future. The critical mind may ask: If only untreated gems will make the race for the valuable collector future, then why does Dior, Tiffany & Co. still use mostly treated gems? Two answers:
1. In the ultimate red-carpet section, they do NOT use them, but have always worked only with untreated natural gemstones.
2. For the money-making designs that are sold in lots of several hundreds worldwide, Tiffany, Dior or Bulgari can use only treated gems because they need to produce standardized items with identical colors. But, one can hardly advertise a ruby-snake-design globally for millions of $ if you can only find twenty untreated rubies of the same color and size at any time. Hence, you must artificially produce a few thousands of these rubies to make at least a few hundred snakes.
Here and now, again, the internet has changed all rules. First consumer learned that those snake-rubies were practically man-made and not really expensive, and at the same time people like us (and David) come along and offer the former 'not-for-everybody' red-carpet jewels to the normal public without VIP 'connections'. That's how many industries go, but don't worry about them: Most find new ways, some go belly-up, many muddle through, but the web offers chances for those who take risks and work hard.
The Stone:
- Unheated & Untreated Ceylon Sapphire 0.92 carat
- Shape Oval: 6.13x5.01x3.15 mm
- Cut: Mixed/Step
- Color Grade: Excellent+
- Tone: Medium Dark 75
- Color Zoning: None
- Clarity: Free of Inclusions
- Cutting Grade: Excellent (precision cut in the UK)
- Depth: 62%
- Brilliancy: 75%
- Origin: Sri Lanka, Ceylon
Treatment: None
Certificate: IGL J83560672EN
Overall Grade: Excellent+
Comment: Utterly perfect sub-one-carat sapphire with our three no-no's: No window, no inclusions, no treatments. The extra + (plus) behind the 'excellent' was granted for the precision cut (after a 'normal' weight optimizing cut, we'd probably have had a 1.5 carat gem), the perfect sapphire color and the 'no inclusion even under the lens'. See the immaculate crystal in the zoom-in image below - nothing but the finest unheated blue Ceylon sapphire.
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