Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design
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I read recently that the Nobel Peace prize that Obama has just been given was made in 18ct gold, which caught my attention - now that fairly traded 18ct gold is available (well, we can get hold of it anyway!!) Wouldn't it make sense to use this for something as prominent as the Nobel prize? And what about the Olympic Games? I went to a meeting in Stevenage only last month where I spoke to a lady from the Fairtrade Foundation about exactly that dream... it's certainly something that the Fairtrade Foundation were hoping to happen, particularly because they are already so involved in the 2012 Olympics.

We talked about how perhaps the Olympic medals are usually made in a lower alloy of gold and since fairly traded gold needs to be 18ct or higher then maybe the fairly traded gold medals would need to be smaller to account for the cost difference, but it would be such a fantastic symbol that reflects the Olympic ethos so well, we decided that wouldn't matter! Sadly, as it turns out, the Olympic medals are in fact made in silver, and are heavily plated with at least 6g of gold, so perhaps this is all rather unlikely. (The last truly gold Olympic medals were awarded in 1912).

Anyway, this led me to look into medal design, which I thought might interest other people too...

The medal for the Nobel Prize used to be made in 23ct gold but is now made in 18ct green gold (generally 75% gold and 25% silver) and plated with 24ct gold. Unlike the design of the Olympic medals, the Nobel medals have been the same since 1902 when the designs were finalised. Interestingly, this is after the first Nobel Prize was awarded since the actual medals weren't finished in time for the first presentation! The only difference between the medals awarded to different people is the inscription of their names, which for the Peace Laureate is engraved on the edge.

The gold, silver and bronze Olympic Medals were first awarded at the 1904 Games. Although the designs on the back of the medals have changed over the years, the front remained the same for a long time - it wasn't until the 2004 Olympics in Athens that it was pointed out that a more Greek design for the medals might be more appropriate - the original showed a Roman amphitheatre and the Games originated in Greece, after all. Since then, the designs have changed dramatically, with years of planning going into the designs. They always need to follow the same criteria of minimum size and amount of gold used, and the front should follow guidelines set out by the Olympic Committee, but there is much more freedom in how they actually look.

The medals for the Games last year in Beijing were 70mm wide, 6mm thick, and were inlaid with a circle of jade which surrounded the Beijing Olympic symbol. The design is highly symbolic of Chinese culture.

This article makes a few interesting comments about the designs, including that the value of the medals is more than their weight in gold. Aside from the fact that to most athletes the cost of the medal is absolutely irrelevant because of what they actually represent, with the amount of time and skill that has gone into making them, I can't say I'm entirely surprised!

Next year's Winter Games in Vancouver also has some exciting medal designs, and incorporate some really modern making techniques. Corrine Hunt, a Vancouver based artist with Komoyue and Tlingit heritage has come up with Aboriginal inspired designs with the orca for the Olympic medals, and the raven for the Paralympics. The original artworks have been cropped into many smaller designs which are then being laser etched onto a plate which has been shaped to give the whole medal a three dimensional ripple representative of British Columbia’s mountains, oceans and snow. For the first time in Olympic history, each medal is unique because it contains a different section of the original artwork. What's nearly as exciting (to me anyway!!) is that the medals will be partially made from recycled gadgets like TVs and computers. Hurrah! It might not be fairly traded, but they're going in the right direction!

There's also a really interesting video about the design and construction process of the Vancouver medals

The first ever Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore next year and you can currently vote for the best medal design. The voting runs until the 22nd January so get involved and choose your favourite now! Actually, I've just noticed that there's a 'medals' section of the Goldsmith's Craftsmanship and Design Awards...I'll have to make a point of going to see them at the exhibition in March rather than just focusing on the sparkly things!

Alice

Harriet's latest article for Business Matters website is now live. Its at http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/Should-small-businesses-be-exempt-from-paying-for-parental-leave.1352 if you want to have a read.

In the article she discusses the implications for small businesses on parental leave.

Tim

This is a great time of year for us, as we see an increased interest in wedding rings, as many couples are looking to 'tie the knot' in spring and early summer, hopefully with some lovely weather of course!

There are several ways we help customers to make their choice of unique wedding rings during a no obligation bespoke wedding ring appointment. For example, the designer will have a selection of wedding ring samples of all sorts of shapes and sizes so you can see how they look on. This is particularly useful if you have an engagement ring, as you will be able to see how the ring sample will fit alongside your engagement ring and many customers today like a wedding ring that flows around their engagement ring just like the beautiful ring below.

In addition, the designers can also show examples from our galleries and rings from our ready to wear wedding ring collection to help you select the perfect rings. It always amazes me and you will be surprised on just how many great inspirational ideas customers come up with themselves when they sit down with one of our very talented designers and take the opportunity to talk through their various ideas and experiences, past, present and future plans; this all helps to design the perfect wedding rings.

If you do visit our beautiful newly refitted Cambridge studio, you will have an opportunity to see a lovely collection of wedding rings and a great display of various rings in different metals and finishes to help you make your choice.

We are seeing a lot more gentleman going for wedding rings these days and this is a great opportunity to think about a matching set, or consider a unique engraving feature, or to include a feature within the wedding ring that matches a feature on the other ring, this can be two halves of a symbol, or frankly anything that is special to you and of course don't forget to have the special day's date engraved on both rings, but the reality is it is up to you as the options are almost limitless when it comes to style and engraving.

I hope you have a wonderful day whatever wedding rings you choose to commission.

Hallmarking in this country is really good for the consumer because every single item of precious metal that we make has to be sent to one of the assay offices in this country for testing and then it is stamped with a hallmark. This is very unusual - most countries don't have this system and jewellers just stamp the item themselves in some way. The hallmark, though, is more than just a test stamp. One tiny little hallmark can tell you who made the item, what it is made from, where it was hallmarked and when it was made. So this is a really valuable historic mark.

However, the government seem to have got confused and are thinking that Hallmarking might be part of the red tape for businesses that they want to abolish. This isn't the case and we should fight to save this British tradition.

Please take a moment to click onto this link:- http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/hallmarking and leave a comment if you too support keeping hallmarks going in the UK.

If you would like more information about hallmarking then go to Antoinette's blog on hallmarking.

Harriet

We are please to announce that we are our two jewellery studios are open on the following Sundays:

• Sunday 15th May 11-4.30 (Cambridge studio)
• Sunday 19th June 10.30-3.30 (Hertfordshire studio)
• Sunday 17th July 11-4.30 (Cambridge studio)

and in addition we will be open on the following bank holidays:

• Friday 22nd April (Good Friday) both studios closed
• Monday 25th April (Easter Monday) Cambridge studio open 11-4.30, Halls Green studio closed
• Friday 29th April (Royal Wedding) both studios closed
• Monday 2nd May (May Day) Hertfordshire studio open 10.30-3, Cambridge studio open 11-4.30

Appointments for bespoke rings and jewellery are sure to book up fast so please book well in advance. The showrooms will be open as usual where you can browse our ready to wear jewellery or speak with someone about commissioning something from us.

Harriet

It has been a great couple of months since the refit of our jewellery studio in Cambridge, business has been strong and Alice and her team very busy indeed!

Harriet has just written an interesting article about why she chose Cambridge as ther perfect city for her second jewellery studio. She compares the traditional yet contemporary character of the city of Cambridge with the style of jewellery that she prefers. Take a read - its at http://goarticles.com/article/How-to-choose-the-right-location-for-your-jewellery-business/4491745/

We see the coming months to be busy, its seems that bespoke jewellery is something that Cambridge is interested in!

Tim

When choosing a diamond, it is important to remember the 4 C's - the cut, colour, clarity and carat. Here at Harriet Kelsall Jewellery Design, our designers only source the best diamonds, and I am reminded of this every time I look at these beautiful diamond engagement rings!

Here is our amazing platinum engagement ring with a one carat H SI brilliant cut diamond.

This ring is made from platinum which is a lovely metal and it is the hardest wearing of all the precious metals. This adds extra protection for the stones, especially the 1ct central diamond which is of an H SI quality, meaning it is very sparkly with exceptional brilliance! The high polished finish compliments the sparkly diamond and makes the whole ring shine even more and the low setting has been designed to fit easily next to a wedding band and protect the diamond.

Our lovely 1.03ct diamond and palladium engagement ring

This simple and beautiful classic palladium engagement ring holds a 1.03ct D SI1 brilliant cut diamond which has been set in a four claw setting. The D colour means that the diamond is exceptionally white we often use SI1 diamonds as the inclusions are invisible to the naked eye and can only occasionally be seen through a 10x loupe. The band measures 3mm wide at the widest point, tapering to 2mm wide at the back for comfort. The band has a flat profile with softened edges and highly polished finish.

Our amazing platinum 0.81cts diamond solitaire engagement ring

This ring is an example of a classic delicate platinum engagement ring and it incorporates a beautiful 6mm H SI brilliant cut diamond in a four claw setting with elegantly scooped out sections to reveal the side view of the diamond. The claws are neat and flat for a smooth feel and this gives a contemporary look to this traditionally styled ring. The band is fully rounded in profile and measures just over 2mm wide so is fairly delicate which emphasises the size of the diamond!

Diamonds throughout history have always been admired, so it is not surprising that they have found their way into the centre piece of traditional engagement rings representing prosperity, love and spirituality. If you would like to have a chat with one of our talented designers about creating a bespoke diamond engagement ring, get in touch and we can guide you through the process.

The corundum gemstone family holds two of the most highly sort after and beautiful gemstones - Ruby and Sapphires. Due to this they have kept a high price bracket in relation to other gemstones. However due to their popularity a large majority has been heat treated to emphasise their colour. In the terms of cost a 10carat natural Burmese Ruby is in pare with a natural coloured diamond.

Corundum gemstones have a trigonal crystal formation. Rubies occur as hexagonal prisms, tables and rhombohedrons. Sapphire crystals occur as a barrel-shape, double pointed hexagonal pyramids and tabloid shapes. Corundum is found in igneous and metamorphic rocks and also in alluvial deposits.

Corundum gemstones are sourced in all types of cuts, mainly brilliant, princess, emerald and cabochons. However to increase the intensity of colour some stones are quite deep.

Paul and Catherine both loved the uniqueness of the star sapphires. This unique engagement ring in 9ct rose gold and palladium holds a 1.77ct oval cabochon star sapphire and this is what inspired me to research into the beautiful Sapphire gemstone.

Sources of Sapphires

Blue Sapphires - Africa (Tanzania, Nigeria, Madagascar, Kenya, Malawi) Austria, Brazil, Burma, Pakistan (Kashmir) Sri Lanka, Thailand, USA (Montana)

Pink Sapphires - Madagascar, Burma, Sri Lanka and Tanzania

Yellow/Green/Purple Sapphires - Australia (Queensland and New south Wales) Burma, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand and USA (Montana)

Colourless Sapphires - Sri Lanka

Colour changing Sapphires - Tanzania

Sapphires and Rubies - Corundum Family

Sapphire Durability - 9 Mohr's Scale very good toughness

Rubies Durability - 9 Mohr's Scale very good toughness

Sapphires

Sapphires are found in larger quantities than rubies due to the colour impurities are more common than rubies.

The most valuable colour is blue. Burmese and Kashmir are the most sought after gemstones. Kashmir sapphires are mined on the border of India and Pakistan, where the gemstones are deep velvet blue that is sometimes described as a 'cornflower' blue.

Burmese sapphires are an intense blue, bright blue (royal blue) with a tint of purple.

Sri Lankan sapphires have risen in popularity and range in mid-blue with a tinge of violet to pastel blue. The colour usually has a irregular colour distribution, which Sri Lankan cutters are aware of by making sure the colour is on the cutlet. When this is done the stone can look transparent when titled on its side.

Thai blue sapphires tend to be quite dark in colour. They are minded in large quantities by the lapidaries who operate in partnership with the Thai miners. Australian sapphire's can have an 'inky' appearance in artificial light, so they are heat treated in Thailand, this sometimes results in a greenish tint to the stone.

African blue sapphires come in a variety of colours. Nigerian stones are often very dark, where as Tanzanian produces high quality coloured sapphires with a velvet blue colour. Montana mine pastel violet-blue to steel blue sapphires. The colour can be irregular with strong zoning and the material can be included. In general American sapphires are sourced quite small, not usually any bigger than 1 carat. Montana sapphires are mostly natural, but due to Western mining techniques are very expensive.

Fancy sapphires are found in any colour other than blue. Pink sapphires has become very popular and appears regular in jewellery pieces. The colour ranges from baby pink to a vibrant bluish pink. Dues to their popularity 'hot' bluish pinks have increased in price to almost equal a mid-quality blue sapphire.

Yellow sapphires are quite common and range from pale yellow to an intense amber, they used to be called 'oriental' topaz. Pure golden coloured sapphires are quite rare, so are usually heat treated to achieve the golden shade.

Green sapphires used to be called 'oriental' Peridot and can have alternating bands of blue and yellow. Unfortunately this colour can be quite flat and sombre in appearance.

Violet or purple sapphires are coloured by vanadium, which occurs in pale violets to deep purple shades. Small purple sapphires are regarded to be of good quality, however larger sapphires can be quite expensive. Purple sapphires should resemble amethyst but with more brilliance.

Padparadscha which is Sinhalese for a type of lotus flower is a rare and very expensive sapphire that shows pink and orange simultaneously. They are sourced from Sri Lanka. Orange sapphires are usually used to fall buyers into thinking they have a Padparadscha stone.

Colourless Sapphires is sometimes used as a cost effective alternative to diamonds. If cut accurately to a brilliant cut, there can be some strong fire and sparkle. White sapphires are sometimes heat treated to achieve a blue colour.

When the rutile needles in a ruby are aligned, asterism occurs in a form of a six-ray star. Ideally star rubies should be a good translucent red rather than the opaque brownish purple colour usually available. The rays should be sharp silvery white lines that extend to the base of the stone. Rubies may also have a cat's eye effect, but this is very rare.

Spring is officially here and what a beautiful season - one of my favourites. I love seeing all the plants coming into bloom and the sun appearing after a long winter. It definitely lifts the spirits and makes people feel happier. Quite a few of our customers like to incorporate their love of flowers into the rings they have commissioned, which I think is a lovely idea.

See how pretty this platinum and diamond engagement ring looks with the interlocking flowers.

If you have a favourite flower then we can make something for you that represents it, such as this customer's love of crocus

Or if you want something a little less ornate, then perhaps you could chose a ring like this that was inspired by wild flowers.

Katy

Those of you that have not yet visited the new section of our website containing jewellery articles - you are missing something really good!

Several times a week the jewellery designers from the company update this area of the site with interested acticles about engagement rings, wedding rings, eternity rings or any aspect of jewellery. So if you love jewellery or are thinking of purchasing an engagement or wedding ring then you are sure to find something helpful to read.

Recent post include an articles about tourmalines, and articles about eternity rings and an articles about engraved wedding rings.

Tim