This style has been copied by numerous manufacturers throughout the world.
Diamonds surrounding a main stone can be seen in necklaces and other jewelry from more than two hundred years ago. At that time, rose-cut and Old Mine-cut diamonds were used, and jewelry simply was not about to bring out the kind of beautiful brilliance seen in the ring on the next page. The main sapphire in this ring exhibits a well-balanced mosaic pattern, and it is an extremely beautiful and defect-free gem that shows lively tones of blue.
Van Cleef & Arpels calls this style “Gazelle,” as the main stone and the diamonds that surround it evoke the image of an adorable gazelle’s eye. No doubt many will recognize this gazelle style as one that is often copied by various manufacturers around the world. Most copies are made as inexpensively as possible, appearing similar to this ring but marketed at a fraction of the cost. Looking at the real thing, one notices that the similarity of such copies is only on the surface. Genuine jewelry is made carefully, one piece at a time, after deep consideration of how to bring out the beauty of the gemstones and make a piece that is comfortable to wear. The other jewelers introduced in this book do not use this style. Their pride in their work would not allow them to make a look-alike piece, for doing so would cause them to lose their own identity.
A characteristic of the gazelle style is that it is made with main stones of different size and beauty. After gathering the appropriate number of round diamonds of just the right size, the size of the shank and how to best use the gemstone are carefully considered for each individual ring. The style of the shank has undergone changes over time. The ring shown below with a row of ruby baguettes is a classic style that has been made for several decades. The shank on the sapphire ring is a relatively new model, but those with even more modern styles are now being produced. This is a wonderful ring that can be chosen for the quality of the main stone, the balance of the shank, and its compatibility with other jewelry.
Ring
Van Cleef & Arpels
18K Yellow Gold
Ruby
Size (mm):L21 x W12 x H25
Prong-Set Sapphire Ring
Van Cleef & Arpels
Metal : 18K Yellow Gold
Total Weight : 6.6 grams
Size(mm) : L21 x W11 x H25
Sapphire
Possibly Heated
Gem Quality
Size(mm):L7.0 x W5.8 x H4.46
Weight: 1.47 ct
Diamond
UNTREATED
HEAR-TREATED
The ring on the right is set with an untreated sapphire from the Mogok region of Myanmar. A blue mosaic pattern appears beautifully within the gemstone. It is a gem-quality sapphire with a gentle yet powerful personality. When viewed from the correct angle, rutile “silk” inclusions that intersect at angles of 60 degrees can be faintly seen inside the gem. These inclusions provide proof that the sapphire is a natural stone that has not been heat-treated. Gemstones are creations of nature, and therefore imperfect. As long as the silk inclusions do not have a decisive effect on beauty, I believe that they should be accepted. Expecting the perfection of synthetic in natural stones is unreasonable, and the time has come to realize that such thinking is what leads to the excessive treatment of natural gemstones.
The sapphire in the ring shown below is heat treated, as are about 90 percent of the sapphires on the market today. It is a gem-quality sapphire from Sri Lanka, with a beautiful mosaic pattern of blue tones. Aquamarine and citrine have long been heat treated at temperatures of approximately 400
C (752F) without any problems. However, the heat treatment of sapphire and ruby is done at temperatures of 1,600-1,900C(2,912-3,452F), close to their melting point, and carries with it an inherent threat to the durability of the gemstones. It is amazing that there are many local dealers in Sri Lanka who can tell the difference between untreated and heated stones just by looking at them. Treatment and non-treatment are difficult to distinguish with just the unaided eye, but if stones are separated by source into groups of untreated versus heat-treated and compared, subtle differences in transparency and beauty can clearly be seen.
The history of 20th-century gemology has been one of protecting natural gemstones from synthetic materials. In the 21st century, the challenge will be to enable the judgment of the quality of each type of gemstone, through full disclosure of the various treatments of natural gems, and to maintain an environment in which their proper values can be understood. This will protect gemstones that don’t require treatment from being treated excessively just for the sake of greed.
THIN IS BETTER IN
GEMSTONE THICKNESSK
There is a difference in a gemstone’s value as a gemstone and its value as a component of jewelry. First, when a loose stone with an ideal tone is set in jewelry, its tone will appear darker and its beauty may be hidden. One should keep this in mind when going to the source to buy loose gemstones for jewelry. Second, as long as it is beautiful, a thinner stone is better. Calculating from the refractive index, the ideal total depth for colored stone is from 60 to 70 percent. If it is attractive, however, a stone with a total depth of 50 to 60 percent allows a wider range of construction options when used in jewelry, and makes it easier to create something with a pleasing style. Large sizes of fancy-shaped diamonds are often seen with total depths of 50 to 60 percent, and some of these have a very beautiful appearance.
The sapphires on the right are arranged with a thin stone on top, a medium depth in the center, and a thick stone on the bottom. If the face-up beauty of these were the same, the one on top would be best as a component in jewelry. Because of its lower carat weight, the per-carat price is likely to be higher. However, becoming preoccupied with the notion of “thinner is better” may cause one to forget beauty, or give rise to other problems, such as the girdle in an overly thin stone becoming a sharp angle and more susceptible to chipping.
As for thick stones, one of the main problems is bulge, which leaves excess weight in the pavilion and also detracts from the stone’s face-up beauty. However, the color from the rough may be concentrated near the surface in that area, making it necessary to leave the bulge there. Gemstones are made by nature, and there is no way to avoid their imperfections. Understanding this and making an overall decision that will allow the creation of comfortable jewelry is the role of the true professional jeweler.
