As any of our customers know we are constantly working towards creating new and innovative jewelry. Part of what keeps the job so fun and prevents stagnation is coming up with designs which at first glance may seem impossible and problem solving until we find a way to make an idea into a reality.
A customer came in about a year ago and described a dream she had about a diamond which floats, unsupported, on her neck. It just so happened I had been thinking about something like this for quite some time and excitedly accepted the challenge.
We did some drawings and played with several different material options which would make this a possibility, finally landing on using clean, colorless sapphire as the best option. The sapphire is very translucent because of its higher R.I. (refractive index) as well as extremely durable against wear and tear so they really lend themselves to designs like this.
Prototyping was the next phase as we needed to figure out exactly how to work with the crystal without cracking it. After a little experimentation Sergey (our expert metalsmith) was able to accomplish this using something called a diamond burr – essentially a very tiny, very strong type of drill bit.
When we revealed what we had been working on the customer was thrilled so it was time to make the final piece. Here is the result of our efforts and the start of a new, beautiful, and bold line of jewelry which we will continue to experiment with and develop.
This gorgeous pendant is only the beginning…it’s just a taste of what has already come from and what will continue to come from this adventure in design and innovation.