Padparadscha Magic
An incredible setting for an incredible stone…
Our talented in-house designer Sakura Tomita headed this design project with her client and created a unique setting for this stunning Padparadscha sapphire. Read on to explore the bespoke process and gain a sneak peak behind the design scenes.
The Occasion:
Our client wanted to create a design that would signify the birth of her baby and would also be able to be worn on her right hand. ‘Push presents’ are a great way to commemorate an important moment in your life and we love collaborating with our clients, creating a piece that will be tied to special and once in a lifetime memories.
The Concept:
Our client knew that she wanted a light pink center stone, so we were initially discussing pink diamonds, however finding a pink diamond at this size is incredibly rare, and also is quite a significant investment. Since she was planning on wearing the ring on a daily basis, we needed to seriously consider the durability of the stone we were to select. We shifted our strategy and started considering Sapphire options as she has always loved Sapphires and currently wears a blue sapphire with diamonds as her engagement ring.
Once I introduced the Padparadscha sapphire to her, she absolutely fell in love with the different tones of pink, champagne, and orange that are key characteristics of these rare and beautiful gemstones. We sourced several options, and finally decided on the 4.13ct Padparadscha Oval that was used in the final setting.
What is a Padparadscha Sapphire?
The first thing you will no doubt notice about the Padparadscha Sapphire is the difficult pronunciation! The name derives from the Sinhalese word for Lotus blossom, pad-pah-raj-ah... The Sinhalese people are native to Sri Lanka, which is where most of the world’s Padparadscha’s are found. They are one of the world’s rarest gems and their unique blend of pink and orange is what makes them so special and creates their striking beauty.
The Finer Details:
The challenge of this design began with balancing the proportion and size of the stones used in the double halo. The double halo encompassed smaller round pink sapphires and chunky oval diamonds; it was essential that the halo would compliment the piece in such a way that would make the ring impressive but still retain focus around the beautiful center stone, all whilst being wearable for daily use.
We also needed to ensure that the halo and basket were crafted underneath in such a way that would not only accentuate the Padparadscha, but also allow plenty of light into the setting to make sure those stunning pink, champagne and orange tones would dance and sparkle. As a final touch, a beautiful lotus leaf pattern was designed underneath the basket, the personalised details of bespoke creations!
The Mounting:
Although I had prepared her so she would know what to expect, the mounting stage can always be a bit scary because the metal is still unfinished, none of the stones are set, and the claws are long and protruding because they haven’t yet been trimmed down and shaped.
We used both Rose Gold and White Gold for this design, and during the mounting stage the halo almost appeared to be yellow gold because the metal hadn’t been properly polished down. Fortunately, our workshop is located onsite in our offices so we were able to polish down a small part to reveal the beautiful rosy hue she was expecting to see! After walking her through each element of the design, we also put the loose stones into the setting so she could start to imagine how the ring would look when completed, and this really helped her to envision the final piece.
The Final Creation:
We were able to finish the ring just in time for her Summer holidays in the UK and Europe, so she was thrilled to see the beautiful result of her bespoke journey at Ryder’s. After weeks of seeing the ring slowly take shape, starting with stone sourcing, working through design amendments, the initial shock of seeing the mounting of the unfinished piece, she could finally breathe a sigh of relief when she saw her vision come to life.
A Forever Piece:
Creating something to signify an important moment in your life, or even designing something that you have always wanted to bring to life… the personal connection is the key factor that makes your pieces truly meaningful and become a part of your DNA, passed down for generations to come!
Get in touch with Saki if you have an idea for your own amazing piece
