Item: Engagement Ring for ‘C’
Occasion: Proposal in Canada
Materials: 18ct gold, 1.1ct tsavorite, 2 x 0.364ct diamond pears
Brief: To create a bespoke engagement ring featuring a centre stone shouldered by two smaller stones. The customer wanted the engagement ring to have a link to the receiver’s birth country of South Africa and also Ireland, where she grew up.
This one was very special from the offset, as my ‘customer’ was my eldest son! He had an idea of design concept prior to our first meeting, and we then discussed the type of metal and gemstones which would best meet his brief. Gold was an easy choice based on his partner’s preferences, and he wanted to use 18ct as this reflected his budget and also the style of ring. He was also keen to choose gemstones with a link to her heritage.
I sketched some ideas, and we looked at images to help narrow down the style, deciding on a classic setting of a larger centre stone between two pear shaped stones. He initially wanted an emerald for the centre, with the green signifying her Irish heritage. After discussing the fragility of emeralds and their vulnerability to damage, we looked at other options, including a green sapphire, and finally decided on a tsavorite based on their strength and depth of colour.
For the shoulder stones, the client wanted to use diamonds. I was able to source diamonds from South Africa from ‘Ocean Diamonds’. This was particularly special for my son, as his partner’s birthplace is South Africa and he knew this would be a really special feature for her.
The final design was a 3-stone ring, with a half-round shank and a comfort fit inner profile. Before going ahead, I made a prototype in silver to ensure we were happy with the style and setting, and to give perspective of size. As soon as I had the thumbs up, I got to work on the actual engagement ring. He knew he wanted to propose on a trip to Canada, so I had a strict deadline to meet.
Like any customer, I kept my son updated during the creative process, and I also took photos of each stage so he had a record to share with his partner afterwards. It was a proud moment when we dropped them off at the airport and I slipped the finished engagement ring to him without anyone else realising. Luckily, she said yes!