RarityWhat could be more distinct than a star sapphire as an unusual engagement ring? Designers can find star sapphires in all colours, but as they are so rare, many are synthetically produced. Natu...
Rarity
What could be more distinct than a star sapphire as an unusual engagement ring? Designers can find star sapphires in all colours, but as they are so rare, many are synthetically produced. Natural star sapphires are very expensive because of their rarity, whereas they are relatively inexpensive to produce synthetically. The way to distinguish them from each other is the appearance of the star. In a synthetic sapphire, the star will appear perfect, but in a natural stone there will be slight irregularities in the rays.
Star rays
Star sapphires are exactly the same as other sapphires except that they have crystal inclusions made of the mineral rutile (titanium oxide). When they grow in a hexagonal shape, the rays of crystal are angled at 120 degrees. They are then cut in the cabochon style that so many unusual engagement ring designers love, who make sure that the white rutile crystal lines intersect at 60 degrees. This forms a six-ray star, or to use the correct term, an asterism. Unfortunately, this type of sapphire is very rare and is only found in Burma, Sri Lanka and some parts of Africa. As with all sapphires, they are found in a range of colours in addition to blue, including pink, green, yellow and black.
Star struck
The American film actress, Carol Lombard, loved star sapphires, and her husband, William Powell, gave her a beautiful star sapphire ring set with diamonds. Jean Harlow, who was engaged to Powell after Lombard was killed in a plane crash, was also given a star sapphire, perhaps as an engagement ring. It is now possible to buy imitations of these rings that are made from synthetic sapphires, which makes them more affordable choices for unusual engagement rings. Designers, though, would wish to create their own style or produce a bespoke ring for their customers.
The cut
Star sapphires are always cut as a cabochon; this means that the base is flat with a highly polished rounded top. There are no facets on this type of cut. In fact, before the techniques of stone cutting were developed, all gems were set into jewellery as cabochons. The cabochon is more shaped than cut, and some are still carved by hand. The other advantage to having a gem cut as a cabochon is that tiny scratches are less visible than in faceted cut stones. A very attractive setting that unusual engagement ring designers use for cabochons is a bezel setting, where a rim of metal securely holds the gem. Others create a type of metal flower with the gem as its centre. All these designs are unique and wonderful and very distinctive.
Article Tags: Unusual Engagement Ring, Engagement Ring Designers, Ring Designers Love, Unusual Engagement, Engagement Ring, Ring Designers, Designers Love, Star Sapphires, Star Sapphire
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