Light Padparadscha Diamond Lotus Ring from the Edwardian Period

A Lotus in Sunset... in more ways than one

I have been an absolute sinner for not being persistent in my blogging... realization came only when a reader wrote to me to ask for tips for buying a ruby in Myanmar... I wish him my very best in finding the gem of his dreams.

Not that I am finding excuses but much has been happening on the personal and "professional" front. Nonetheless, I still found time to pick up delightful pieces like this Edwardian piece from the States (god knows how it ended up there but who cares right?)

It is a collapsable lotus diamond ring with a light padparadscha center... I don't think anything gets more exciting than this. How apt in terms of symbology and gemological meaning... brings a smile to my face.

Every collapsable petal of the lotus has 3 flower cut vintage diamonds and there are about 24 petals... so there are a whole lot of old diamonds. The center has been changed because it is new... the person that has changed the center must have been someone who knows about gems because Padparadschas' colour is "Lotus in Sunset". I think the rest should remain unsaid.

Enjoy!

Fancy Sapphire - Fancy As Can Be

Just when you thought you have seen all of the colours fancy sapphires come in, pop appears another one that you have to have! This 5.52 Carat Sapphire is Lilac! (A little dusty in the photo but it is loupe clean... ) How amazing is that!

It is times like this that one has just got to go with the flow of what nature brings into our lives! Sometimes, it comes all set with pretty diamonds that accompany it but other times, it comes alone, unset but beautiful. It was acquired on one of the lazy weekend afternoons at a friend's shop when this came in a shipment... so when life presents you a gift of nature on a sliver platter right at your face, all you need to do is accept graciously and say thanks!

Don't be surprised to see a bubble gum pink sapphire or a light yellowish green sapphire or a even teal colour sapphire. Even white sapphires have colour hints or tinges in them while others have more than one zone of colours residing in one gem... I have a friend now in Beijing who owns an old ring with an amazing teal sapphire. She loves it to death!

I am still toying with ideas on how this one should be finished finally and how much diamonds or other stones i should set it with which is really fun and I am very sure that many out there have just about the same amount of fun if not more, deciding how their jewelry should look!

Have fun!

Pink Sapphires: Fancy Colour Sapphires

I have always loved sapphires more than other precious gems because it is the most fancy stone in the family of precious gems! This stone comes in different blues (cornflower blue, kashmir blue, midnight blue, royal blue and the list goes one) yellow, pink, orange, green, lavender, lilac, white and a whole spectrum of off-whites on top of colour-change sapphires. Now, how fancy is that?!

This one in the photograph is a 6 stone pink sapphire ring set in white gold, shaped in a laurel. Pink Sapphires come a host of different shades of pink. From light, off white-pink to deep reddish pinks... I have even seen some that are peach in colour.

Treatment of Sapphires:

You have to know that almost 95% of Sapphires that you now see are heated and this form of treatment is internationally accepted. Of course if you have a certified natural, untreated sapphire, it only means that the value if much greater because of its rarity. But having said that, even reputable labs have made mistakes during identification. Horrors of Horror!

Technically, Sapphires are Aluminium Oxide, though I personally prefer the former name. It is a rather tough stone (9 on the moh scale) but please do not try knocking on glass table tops and on stone walls with a sapphire ring on. Not even with Diamonds!

Diffusion: Cosmetic Surgery of Gems!

Diffusion of sapphires is a treatment that is rather common. In fact, the technique was patented in the mid 1970s. Diffusion is a treatment during which a colour causing chemical is used to coat a colourless or a light blue sapphire to give it great colour. Much like a coat of permanent concealer or painting blue on a white or light blue wall.

One can, and should only find out if diffusion has been done on a sapphire through tests at a reputable lab. You can always re-cut a sapphire and if it has been diffused, the inside will be a different colour. But who in the right mind will re-cut a sapphire just to find out if it has been diffused?

Now there are also techniques known as deep surface diffusion techniques and super deep surface diffusion techniques which only means that you have to dig deeper for the truth! Literally!

Back to Pink Sapphires:

In the many hues of Pink Sapphires, I personally feel that fuscia pink sapphires should be the colour that one goes for, though some out there tend to go for the deeper pinks close to red.

My rationale is, if you want such a deep pink Sapphire then one should go for a Ruby. Technically Rubies and Sapphires are both Corundum. At the end of the day, I think what is most important is how the stone makes you feel. If it is a light pink that turns you on, then who is to say that it is less precious or valuable? This ring just makes my heart glow with a smile when I wear it.

Color:

Colour in Gems are brokendown to hue, saturation and tone. Hue is most commonly understood as the colour of the gem while Saturation refers to the brightness or how vivid the stone is. Hue indicates the lightness to darkness of the stone and it is not uncommon for one stone to have a mixture of colours, the primary colour, the secondary colours, various tones, shades and different levels of saturation.

For different colours of Sapphires, different colours are coveted and conisdered premium. That I will leave to a later post.

(Credits: Info: http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/)

The Cornflower Blue Sapphire from Sri Lanka – Truly Royal!

In the world of gemstones, there are three imperial sisters who has reined over any dynasty and rules. Their status - The three royal princesses of gems have withstood the test of time. They have stood high and proud in value and demand over many years and they are The Sapphire, The Ruby and The Emerald!

Amongst these three sisters, my favourite is the sapphire. This fancy stone can be found in as many colours as the rainbow and sometimes even more than one colour in a stone but if someone tells you that she knows Sapphires but not the “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire, then she is definitely trying to pull a fast one! Don’t waste your time talking to this one! The legendary “Cornflower Blue” is one of the two most coveted colours when it comes to blue sapphire. Many Tai Tais go on a ceaseless hunt for this coveted colour sacrificing much money along the way. In fact, this colour is so rare that it has been said that once you see it, you will not forget it!

But Why Sri Lanka?! While there are also sapphires to be found in the Land of a Thousand Smiles, Amazing Thailand and Madagascar, the stones from these two countries are considered by many Tai Tais to be poor substitutes for the poor. Thai Sapphires appear to be darker (colour wise, Thai Sapphires can sometimes be almost black!!!) than the Sri Lanka ones while the ones mined from Madagascar appear to be less rich and intense in terms of its hue of blue. It also often presents a rather false-grey-ish metallic sheen that the Sri Lanka Sapphires do not have.

So what is this Legendary “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire! What is a “Cornflower”?

A Cornflower but which blue? (Source: www.wikipedia.org)

So when we look for a “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire, do we look for the colour in the centre of the flower or the colour of the petals? In my experience, when you see a cornflower blue you will know. The feeling is like seeing a perfect male specimen naked in the most unexpected of places like a mall on Christmas Eve! It leaves you breathless! Many have gone to the extent of matching the colour with a pantone code and so on but to me, it is really futile because the legendary cornflower comprises more than merely colour. There has to be luster and scintillation, which takes a master craftsman to bring out. Like a man who is good looking who has a great body and possesses a well-developed fire-fighting department! What’s the use of mere looks when you cannot satisfy the woman!?