Recently I entered a custom ring design of mine into the 2008 Gemvision competition.  I decided to go with an antique style for my design, and of course a natural untreated sapphire.  In building this design I wanted it to have a very organic feel to it, and I think the final product really accentuates that fact.  I chose to go with the combination of rose gold and a natural untreated pink sapphire.  I think the rose gold really helps to intensify the overall color of the natural pink sapphire.  This mounting, all though it has a very free flowing organic feel to it, is actually a very technically difficult design to create.  You can see all the detail that went into the design if you look at the picture below.

3rd Place Winning Custom Antique Setting

Overall I was very pleased with my design, and it earned me 3^rd place for technical merit in the competition.  To design this piece I used a jewelry specific CAD software, which is fantastic for jewelry design. 

JS10 Custom Antique Design for our Natural Untreated Sapphires

This charming custom antique setting is now available on our site as JS10, and you are not restricted to using rose gold and a pink sapphire, in fact you can choose the sapphire of your dreams and then choose whichever metal you prefer to have surrounding your beautiful natural sapphire.  To inquire about this beautiful design, another design, or any of our stunning natural sapphires contact us by email or phone and we will be more than willing to accommodate your needs. 

To see more from the Gemvision Competition visit: http://www.gemvisionstorage.com/kentstuff/2008contest/contestwinners.html

Sapphire jewelry is the traditional gift given on the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries. Such a milestone deserves to be marked by a special and unique gift.

Sapphires are in that respect the ideal gemstone. We have sapphires available in every color and shade imaginable. Therefore you will certainly find a sapphire that speaks directly to the heart of your beloved.

Sapphire gemstones signify an honest spirit and faithful heart. These special qualities are sacred in marriage and perfectly symbolized by sapphires.

If you are approaching your own fifth or forty fifth year of marriage you are sure to find many gift ideas on our website.

So for those of you looking for the perfect gift consider this stunning sapphire and diamond ring.

The breathtakingly blue color and brilliance is sure to sweep her off her feet just like on your wedding day.

Custom Three Stone Nautral Untreated Sapphire Ring

Men should not feel left out.  We offer many men’s rings that are so dignified you will feel proud to wear this brilliant blue sapphire ring. You will be her prince charming all over again.

Custom Natural Untreated Sapphire Mens Ring

 If you have a special design in mind to mark this or any other special occasion please do not hesitate to contact us. The Natural Sapphire Company offers specialized services with manufacturing onsite. We would then be able to mount your desired sapphire in any one of mountings. Our custom made pieces of jewelry are hand crafted one by one per the exact specifications of our client’s requests. We focus on small details and quality in order to make your jewelry piece completely unique. As each sapphire is unique, so are our customers.

I have recently joined the Natural Sapphire Company. As a Graduate Gemologist from the GIA I assist our customers in making informed buying decisions. When purchasing a sapphire I inform our clients of the different properties such as the clarity, color tone and saturation. These gemological terms are vital in understanding price differences and appreciating all aspects of the beauty of sapphires.

As a gemologist it is a wonderful opportunity to work with natural sapphires which are extremely rare and valuable.  Sapphires are truly fascinating gems due to the fact that there is such an array of colors available.

Natural Untreated Reddish Orange Sapphire Three Stone Ring

Natural Untreated Yellow Sapphire Ring with Diamonds

Natural Untreated Pink Sapphire with 1.73 carats of Diamonds

Working with The Natural Sapphire Company is truly a unique experience. Since we custom make much of our jewelry I work closely with our clients to help them realize their dream and create a jewelry piece they will cherish forever.

Sapphires are known as the stones of wisdom and serenity.  They are said to have the power to release mental tension, dispel depression, facilitate meditation, calm the mind, and provide mental clarity.  

Sapphires align the physical, mental, and spiritual planes and restore balance within the body.  When worn at the throat, they facilitate creativity and self-expression. 

Sapphires are used to develop the “third eye,” and are often associated with out-of-body experiences, telepathy, and precognition. 

A representation of the seven Chakras

Specific colors of sapphires are believed to have additional attributes:

Star sapphires are exceptional for their protective qualities.  They promote astral travel, precognition, and cleanse the chakras.  The rays of the star represent faith, hope, and destiny. 

Yellow sapphires bring prosperity, stimulate the intellect, and remove toxins from the body.

White sapphires open the crown chakra, which elevates spirituality and cosmic consciousness.   

Blue sapphires are especially effective for chakra healing-especially the throat chakra.  They are a good stone for those who are intent on finding spiritual truth. 

Purple sapphires improve meditation and psychic abilities.  They are also effective in calming overwrought emotions.

Green sapphires stimulate the heart chakra improving one’s capacity for compassion, loyalty, and trust in others.  They also enhance one’s ability to recall dreams. 

Pink sapphires remove emotional stumbling blocks and illuminate the path to higher consciousness.  They attract positive elements into a person’s life. 

Black sapphires build both careers and the power of intuition.

Medicinal Properties of Sapphires

Sapphires, if worn, ingested, or otherwise applied to the body, have long been credited with an ability to heal numerous medical and mental conditions. 

General Medical Applications

Since ancient times, sapphires have been used to protect the wearer by boosting the immune system.  They were said to calm overactive body systems, treat disorders of the blood, and regulate the glands.  They were believed to alleviate the suffering caused by rheumatism, allergies, biliousness, hiccups, and cancer.  They were known to cure chronic fevers and epilepsy.  It was thought that when placed on the forehead, blue sapphires could end headaches, nightmares, nosebleeds, and even increase a person’s life span. 

Poison

One of the most commonly espoused uses of sapphires was for treatment of poison and insect bites. 

Eyesight

The ancient Egyptians used ground sapphires for eyewashes.  The idea that sapphires were beneficial for the eyes persisted through the Middle Ages.  One of the specific “virtues” of sapphires was their ability to “empower the eye to eject a troublesome foreign body,” thus restoring impaired vision.  The Dominican monk, Albertus Magnus (1327-1377) recorded that he saw a sapphire remove a foreign body from the eye.  In 1391, a sapphire was donated to St. Paul’s Church in London by Richard-de-Preston, a grocer, so that it might cure the eye ailments of pious petitioners.

Mental Health and General Wellbeing

Early medieval writers believed that sapphires could reduce outbreaks of rage, dispel malicious behavior, and repel envy. They were considered helpful for treating colic, mental illness, and hysteria, and they were considered a good anti-depressant.

Chakra image provided by: www.banet.free-online.co.uk

Compared to diamonds, sapphires are highly individual gems. 

Quality in diamonds depends upon objective standards that create uniform “quality” characteristics. 

White diamonds are prized for an absence of color and internal features–even ones invisible to the naked eye–and for their precision cuts. 

Sapphires, on the other hand, are valued for their individuality and strength of color—and they come in every color of the rainbow!  Consumers are ever more interested in a gemstone that is one of a kind, such as their personality or love for their partner.

No two sapphires are the same.

Fine sapphire rough is so rare that stones are not always cut into standard shapes or proportions.  Instead, the dimensions of the rough crystal, the distribution of color, and the location of significant inclusions determine the shape of a finished gem. 

Natural sapphires rarely, if ever, exhibit the total absence of visible inclusions expected in high quality diamonds.  This means that every sapphire comes with its own unique “birthmarks.”  Some sapphire inclusions, including silk, may actually increasea stone’s value, since they give a stone its velvety texture, its asterism, and furnish proof of its natural, untreated origin.   These one of a kind natural characteristics are what make natural sapphires so special.

The staff here has been known to go crazy from working with these beautiful natural sapphires.

We offer exceptionally beautiful modern and classic mounting designs for all the sapphires on our website.  But some of you may not see what you want on our website and do not let that stop; you can still order from us and we will work with you closely to fulfill your dream design.  With our 3D design department and state of the art technology, we are able to provide you with a top of the line design that will leave you completely satisfied.

Here is an example of what we can do for you.  One of our customers requested to make her dream ring come true.  She came up with an idea for her basic design just by making a few sketched.  I then sat down with her and we created a primary design to start from.  She purchased an exquisite round blue sapphire which had a beautiful tone and saturation.  A stone of this intensity did not need any further showcase to enhance its beauty, but a custom ring is what our client wanted so a custom ring is what we provided.

None of the designs on our website really fit what she had in mind.  She wanted something very unique and very modern, so this was our starting point below.

Original Design for Custom Setting

The customer really enjoyed the look of the first design, but wanted to make a few slight changes, so of course we accommodated her and performed those changes.

Revised Design for Custom Setting

The slight changes gave the ring an even more modern and stylishly unique look to it that the customer truly loved.  For the final touches she requested a certain finish on some areas.

The Final Touches for the Custom Setting

The areas in red represent where we had a mat finishing done for the customer in order to create a unique contrast between the high polished areas and the mat areas.  This ring turned out looking stunning, and I guarantee the customer will cherish there one of a kind ring for the rest of their life.

The Final Product

So, if you do not see a mounting on our site that suits your needs, do not fear, just call us up and we will work closely with you and our talented design team in order to create the finished piece of your dreams.

I was born and raised in the country of Myanmar (Burma), which is also known for most of the finest quality rubies ever mined. Although sapphires and rubies come from the same mineral composition known as corundum, sapphires are more commonly found in Sri Lanka and Madagascar, where as rubies are rarely found there. About 90% of rubies in the world market come from Myanmar (Burma) and they are mined in Mogok, Valley of Rubies, which is north of Mandalay. The Myanmar term for ruby is “padamyar,” and the finest hue of ruby is referred to as “pigeon’s blood.”

23.1ct Mogok Ruby

During the reign of King Pindale (1648-1661) an enormous ruby with great color and clarity was believed to have been discovered in Mogok by a villager named Nga Mauk, who the ruby was eventually named for. The ruby had a total weight of around 80 carats and was presented to the King.  The Nga Mauk ruby disappeared without a trace after the defeat and annexation of Burma by the British in 1885. The Nga Mauk ruby was believed to have subsequently turned up as the largest ruby on the British Royal crown.   In the article “which stones are substitutes for rubies,” the author, Mary Johnson, described how Burmese rubies are different from their counterparts.

 “The best Burmese rubies are not only red from light absorption, but also luminesce red under white light. Most other red gems may have lovely hues, but will not luminesce. These include the very rare taaffeites and red diamonds. Opals and ammolite can achieve bright reds, but do not resemble ruby. Some alexandrites luminesce red, but they appear red-to-purple only in warm lighting.”

8.62ct cushion cut Burmese ruby at world-record setting price $425,000/carat

Burmese rubies have a long history and represent the finest quality rubies found on the world market. As a person who came from the country known as ruby land, it is sad to know that rubies from Burma are now being banned by the US government due to the civil rights violations of the Governmental Regime known as the Junta. 

Beautiful Natural Ruby on Custom Mounting Design

Some images and information provided by the links below:

http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/pigeons-blood-mogok.htm

http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/myanmartimes/no215/MyanmarTimes11-215/g01.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supayalat#cite_note-7

http://www.myanmars.net/myanmar-history/royal-ruby.htm

http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/colored_stones/e3icf8c6241e735dcd3ccd867b0c3dcae45

Custom Natural Untreated Blue Sapphire Ring

You cannot just take a single light source and direct it at the finished piece of jewelry or single sapphire.  It requires different methods of lighting as well as controlling the reflections and amount of outside light that comes in while photographing.­

Unique Natural Pink Sapphire Ring

I have been photographing sapphire rings for a while now and I did some experimenting with the rings using a white cloth as a background.  So far I am really happy with the results and look forward to continuously learning new things inside of this ever-changing and exciting field.

Breathtaking 8.33ct Natural Untreated Yellow Sapphire Ring

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

I would like to introduce you to one of our brand new mountings. It is solitaire style setting that is able to accommodate round center stones.

Custom Sapphire Mounting with Surrounding Diamonds

This center sapphire stone is surrounded by diamonds set in organic trumpet shaped bezel settings in this classic outline. The long prongs allow for the sapphire to be raised up above the surrounding diamonds, making it the focal point of the piece. This setting allows for you to see the center stone through the gaps on the side and makes for an attractive contrast between the sapphire and diamonds.   The diamonds act like little spotlights that bring your attention in on the main show which is the sapphire set in the center.

 Breathtaking Sapphire Set in the Above Custom Mounting

The design of this mounting consists of simple lines which create a very clean, unique and fashionable look. The slit on the center the band gives the ring a more streamline and less chunky look to it.  The tapering part of the band adds to the streamline design and gives the ring more of an elegant look.  The small surrounding diamonds allow for your natural sapphire to appear large and majestic, making it the start of the show.

Turn Heads with this Custom Sapphire Ring

 This design accentuates modern femininity and is a simple yet distinctive way to showcase your breathtaking natural sapphire.

Today’s buyers are thinking creatively, and bringing in their favorite colors to create a personal touch. Customers are all about individuality, so we have to make sure we are on top of our game and can fulfill their personal expression needs through our jewelry design.  These are two very modest designs, but with the correct natural sapphire placed in the center between the two diamonds they can become quite elegant and gorgeous.

Custom Mounting Design for the Sapphire of Your Choice

Crafting custom mountings such as these ones can be a lengthy multilayered process.  These mountings can accommodate round, oval, and cushion cut sapphires.  They are both a sleek and fashionable mounting styles, which in my mind, could be worn on a day to day basis and not just special occasions.  In order to suit the needs of our customers we also make these rings available to you in a wide variety of metal choices including: platinum, 14k white and yellow gold, 18k white and yellow gold, palladium, and also if asked for two tone using white and yellow gold. 

What Custom Mounting Suits Your Fancy?

As some of you may know, especially those with birthday’s this month, Sapphire is the official birthstone of September.  But what I doubt many of you may know is the reasoning behind Sapphire being this months’ birthstone, and the historical information behind it.  As you know, the most commonly found color of sapphire is blue, and this is a lot of the reason behind why this stone was chosen.  With blue being a cool color, it is meant to represent the transition from the hot months of summer, to the cooler months of fall and winter that are on the horizon.  This is the main reason behind sapphire being chosen for the month of September, but sapphires also hold quite a bit of historical significance.

Natural Untreated 9.01ct Blue Sapphire

Sapphires have been being mined since before the birth of Christ, and the history behind them dates back just as far as well.  Both the Egyptians and the Greeks saw sapphires as a way to help delve into ones subconscious.  In older times sapphires were often given as marriage presents, because it was believed they would not shine on the finger of someone who was unfaithful or impure.

Custom Three Stone Sapphire Ring

So for those of you with Birthdays in September or with loved ones who have birthdays in September, consider making their birthday official with a natural sapphire.  Sapphires are believed to bring you physical and emotional balance, as well as keep you safe from illness and envy while imparting wisdom upon you.  Sapphires are also believed to be such powerful gemstones, that they continue to protect their original owner even after death.  So why not bring in the new season with a beautiful untreated natural sapphire.

15.30ct Natural Padparadscha Sapphire

And for those of you who are married, don’t forget that the 5^th and 45^th year wedding anniversaries are the Sapphire anniversaries.  Don’t you think your loved one deserves a breathtaking one of a kind gift this time around?

Natural Untreated 2.83ct Blue Sapphire Pendant With .52cts of Diamonds

This custom antique sapphire ring design suites not only your typical faceted sapphires but also cabochon stones as well.

Custom Antique Mounting Perfect for any Sapphire

Our company has a fantastic and unique selection of antique style ring designs perfect for any sapphire, but I especially enjoy this rendered design. I recommend that if you choose this antique style design to use a deep blue sapphire because it accents this design quite well.  But, obviously if you choose this mounting the stone decision is up to you, and we will accommodate your every need.

I created the rendered image above by using a jewelry specific CAD program, which is able to create rendered images for any kind of custom design, including organic shapes.

Here at the Natural Sapphire Company, we often get requests from our customers about how a certain sapphire would look in one of our custom mountings.  In order to fulfill our customers’ request, sample jewelry pictures are rendered using the true image of the sapphire and sent off to the customer.

Custom Mountings For a Single Sapphire

If you have something in mind or just cannot quite make your decision and would like to know how the finished piece would look, please feel free to let us know and we will be more than happy to assist you with your request.

Custom Rendered Image with Real Sapphire