It is extremely rare to bring together eleven fine-quality
Mogok rubies of greater than three-carat size.
Jewelry is made as a result of a conception that specially states, “This is what we want to make.” In the case of a single gemstone, experience will provide a good idea of what kind of material is available, even if it is not on hand. Eventually the material will be found, making it possible to create the jewelry as it was planned. However, trying to bring together the eleven rubies in this necklace and earring set would be an impossible feat. This kind of special jewelry requires having the stones first, then thinking of a design that makes use of them. With these rubies in hand, the designer made the decision not to accompany them with round brilliant cuts, instead choosing to make the rubies rise up from among white pear-shape and marquise diamonds. Though basic, the rubies are used effectively in this effort to bring out the splendor of magnificent jewelry.
Around 1990, there were ten-carat-size rubies from the Mogok region of Myanmar selling at auction for prices in excess of $1.5 million. This is triple the price for similarly sized diamonds, and shows how rare and limited in mining production high-quality rubies are. It is especially rare to bring together Mogok rubies of three-carat size like the ones seen in this necklace and earring set. It is unknown whether these eleven pieces were removed from the same mine at the same time, or if they were collected slowly over a long period of time.
Because a necklace needs to lie comfortably and be flexible while still having sufficient durability, it must be made precisely, with extra care given to the finer details. The superiority of the smallest details shines through and becomes part of this jewelry’s character. No doubt the process of creation included placing the gemstones in clay to decide the layout and angles by trial and error, followed by fabricating the actual platinum components, and finally linking the parts and setting the stones. The earrings below match this necklace.
Earrings
Mikimoto
950 Platinum
Ruby
Size (mm):L39 x W20 x H7.0 each
Magnificent Ruby Necklace
Mikimoto
Metal : 950 Platinum
Total Weight : 120 grams
Size(mm) : L410 x W37 x H8.0
Ruby
Gem Quality
Diamond
THE DIFFICULTY OF MATCHING
The rubies arranged below the photograph to the right are various qualities that are organized by tone from 7 to 3, and in order of beauty as S, A, B, C, and D. These photographs make it easy to understand how challenging it is to match gemstones without defects, not only by their beauty and tone, but also by their size and overall appearance. Because gemstones are products of nature, each has a different color and characteristics, and gathering stones that have the same overall appearance is difficult. As mentioned before, matching eleven Mogok rubies of three-carat size like those shown on the previous pages is an especially rare thing. There are look-alikes when it comes to people, too, but trying to gather together eleven look-alikes would result in quite a bit of variation.
In a chemical factory outfitted with the proper equipment and the necessary raw materials, it is possible to produce a thousand or ten-thousand synthetic stones of 5-S quality, or even virtually unlimited quantities of three-carat-size stones. Over one hundred years ago, the French chemist Verneuil succeeded in producing synthetic ruby by melting powered chemical compounds under high temperatures. Because their authenticity was not possible to verify at the time, these stones were sold as genuine. Even to this day, there are people who still own these pieces, convinced that they are natural. When they learn of the stone’s synthetic nature they are greatly disappointed, which is damaging to consumer confidence in gemstones. In spite of this, modern producers of synthetic gemstones continue to sell their product using language which suggests that synthetic stones are gemstones. We do not want to still be doing this kind of thing in the year 2100. There is nothing wrong with enjoying synthetic stones as accessories, but the producers should conduct business in a more conscientious manner by making synthetic stones that can easily be identified as such, and by accurately referring to their product as “synthetic” or “man-made” instead of calling them “gemstones.”
MATERIALS AND STYLE
Below is a brooch and earring set from 180 years ago, the late Georgian period in England. The style is completely different from that of the ruby necklace shown on page 95
This set is made of gold, which was limited and therefore even more precious during the Georgian period. In these pieces, we can see how innovations were applied to make splendid jewelry using as little gold as possible. (The pendant is 5.76 grams, the earrings 5.78 grams.) This style of twisting thin strands of gold and winding them, called cannetille, was once very popular in aristocratic circles.
The backs of these pieces are closed settings, a style that completely covers the backs of transparent gemstones with metal. In fact, the topazes here are actually colorless topazes with colored foil applied to their backs to make them look pink, a process that was fairly routine at the time this jewelry was made.
In this way, styles are influenced by the types, quantities, and qualities of materials that are available at the time. The styles of gemstones-oriented jewelry that blossomed during the second half the 20th century were supported by increased gemstone production and advancesin stone-cutting techniques. The environment will change in the 21st century, and new styles will emerge.
