Description
Fine cabochon ring set with a 26.7ct unheated Burmese blue sapphire in 22k and 24k.
This ring houses a big stone in its historical-themed carriage.
A sapphire tethering cobalt & cornflower blue is a unique and rare cabochon.
The high dome cabochon has a face nearly 2cm tall and with over 1cm depth, set open-back to keep its pebble-like form as active as possible.
In this sense, the way we imagined the mount is like a ballet shoe, except tunnelled through.
The stone slips into its gold mount, a four leaf clover with two little and two longer dips.
This 24k gold clover puts the sapphire’s best face forward, where it is also an inset to an outer 22k gold ‘shadow’ clover.
The inner 24k gold clover binds to the stone, whereas the outer 22k gold mount guards against an easily bruised ring.
The clover as a whole protects, and draws out even further, the (longitudinal) form of the cabochon, and also subtly extends the narrative of the ring shoulders, beyond its ring size of US 4 1/2.
Hence there is continuity from the ridged shoulders onto the face of the ring. This aspect is critical since we have a big stone to ring size ratio.
The cabochon is in a way ‘masked’ by its imperceptible clover, its presence felt more by any profile views of the ring, the front well unobscured to display the sapphire’s deep blue earthy or oceanic nature.
Each ring shoulder began life as bands of turnips, before patience filed down these larger-than-life parts, until both sides take to a conch-like ridge. It had to be this way since we have then yet to perceive the best angle in which to tilt the stone.
Situating this stone in a ‘historical’ design as this does not rely on typical bezel-to-mount considerations. Many measurements could not be defined prior to working the gold, sometimes many times over.
There exist: a subtle two tone gold in the conch-ridge; one clover within another; the presence of both 24k and 22k gold…
All these, as with most decisions in this ring, fall under the care to nourish the organic stone and not lose its ‘ancient’ aura.
Our design go so far as to uphold a ‘prescient’ look for a natural and big, probably old, high lustre blue Burmese stone.
Like a documentary made in present time of a time past, the ring will endear as if a link to our excavated history, even if, and especially since, self made.
All photos are taken in natural light, no additional lamp is used.
The ring’s face measures 2.2cm x 1.6cm.
GIA Report 5336396814.
