September Jewel of the Month

When our Director Guy Burton found this stunning 10.99ct Burmese sapphire he knew it was destined for a very special ring. The unusually high domed cabochon cut with a four-sided pyramid profile is known as a sugar loaf cabochon and its depth is perfect for showing off the intense colour of this sapphire.

Guy comments “The deeply saturated rich blue colour of the stone conjures images of rolling waves and deep blue waters so I knew I wanted to reference these in the design. After drawing up several different ideas, the design was finalised and sent to the craftsman to carefully hand make the ring and bring the design to life.”

The finished ring enhances that watery connection with an ornate hand-crafted platinum mount featuring wave-like scrolls set with round brilliant cut diamonds that sparkle like sunlight on the sea. The use of a fine and delicate beaded edging known as millegrain (literally ‘a thousand grains’) is a nod to the grains of sand on the beach. Juxtaposed against this, the shoulders are set with tapered baguette diamonds whose straight lines and sharp corners add a striking visual contrast to the predominant curves of the ring.

Guy notes that “Some of the world’s most beautiful sapphires have been discovered in Burma. Most people associate this location with the finest rubies which account for some 80-90% of gem production in Mogok but the sapphires of this region can be exceptional too. The best display a rich, intense blue with a deep concentrated saturation and little to no colour variation within the stone – just like this one.”