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Sarah Davies
24th July 2010 16:41

Tanzanian ruby ethical engagement ring

 

My birthday is in July and so I have been bestowed with the birthstone Ruby. Now, I have to admit, red is not normally my colour but, after working here for some time now, I have seen a lot of pieces of jewellery pass me by and the different options for rubies are far greater than I had originally imagined. There are different shades of the ruby red colour and there are different types of rubies too.

Here below is one of the ruby engagement rings that I have in the showroom in Halls Green. This ring dazzles with elegance and style, it has taken a classic design and modernized it with the use of the colouring of the materials. The band holds an oval cut 1.04ct ruby which is approximately 7.25mm in length.

Tanzanian ruby and diamond ethical engagement ring

Either side of the ruby, a brilliant cut diamond has been set into a four claw setting, which make a total weight of 0.21cts and they are graded as H SI in quality. These diamonds were originally used in a pair of antique earrings which Harriet got a hold of and this is an ideal usage for unwanted jewellery. (Waste not, want not I say, which is also a more environmentally sound decision as well as a financial one no matter what your budget is). All three stones are held within a palladium claw setting which is a beautiful contrast in terms of colour in comparison to the rose gold. I love rose gold and I wish that more people wore it as it is so flattering upon all skin types. Palladium is a hypoallergenic metal so it is a good option for people to go for if they often find that they are allergic to certain metals. (Although, it is not the precious metal that people are allergic too, it is the alloys which are added into the mix which people find harder to tolerate). Here is a side profile picture of the ring to show you the mixture of the metals better.

Tanzanian ruby and diamond ethical engagement ring

I like how this design has the rose gold and the palladium in the design as each reflect and enhance the existing colours of the stones held within the collet. The ruby looks that little bit more red in colour and the same can be said for the diamonds which seem to be whiter.

Now, earlier when I said that you can get different types of rubies, here is another example of a ruby, a ruby matrix.

Sterling silver and ruby matrix ring

This is one of our dress/engagement rings in our ready to wear collection and this stone is a whopping 59.99cts, a stunner you might say! This is a very dramatic design in comparison to the first ring but I think that they are perfect examples of how different a gemstone can turn out. Both of the stones are fabulous rubies portraying different methods of the growth of minerals within a gemstone. You can see that the ruby matrix has some fabulous patterns running through it in a kind of ‘V’ shape which only amplifies the dramatic theme to this design. (This pattern is created at the time of the gemstones formation, the mineral corundum (ruby) merges with the minerals that surround it and they become intertwined and so form a ruby matrix). The primary ruby in the first ring has a less complex makeup and is more translucent (almost transparent in fact) than the matrix, which allows light to pass through the stone more which brightens its colour further. This stone is more pure than the matrix and that is why there is much more clarity within this gem in comparison. Here is a top view of both rings to look at their varying characteristics.

Sterling silver and ruby matrix ring
Tanzanian ruby and diamond ethical engagement ring

These stones might have come from different countries but they essentially all started out the same. Here is an example of what they might look like in their natural state once they have been pulled out from the mine walls.

Mined ruby

This lump of rock contains a combination of minerals which is very common and they can be found like this all over the world. The pink parts of the stone are Corundum, Ruby in this case, the gold flecks are pyrite (fool's gold), the grey parts are Mica and the white stone is marble. All of these gemstones are grouped together in different patches and they can be found in our suppliers mine in Tanzania. I love this rock, not only is it a very good paper weight which sits quietly next to my desk but, it is a fabulous example that I show to all of my customers when they come in. I think that it is very important to see what our stones come from as well as seeing how they look after a very good polish. It makes me appreciate the true beauty of gemology as it helps me to understand the stones that little bit more.

Sarah Davies
 

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  • Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, North Barn, Fairclough Hall Farm, Halls Green, Weston, Hertfordshire, SG4 7DP, England
    Phone: +44 (0)1462 790565 Fax: +44 (0)1462 790140 enquiries@hkjewellery.co.uk
  • Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, 6/7 Green Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3JU, England.
    Phone: +44 (0)1223 461333 Fax: +44 (0)1223 365269 cambridge@hkjewellery.co.uk

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