Joden Girl
Baubles, Bling and Curious Things
Have you ever heard of asterism? This term refers to a star-shaped concentration of light reflected or refracted from a gemstone. It appears when a stone is cut into a cabochon (shaped and polished, but not faceted). When a gem exhibits this phenomena, it is called a star + the gem (i.e. star sapphire, star ruby or even star spinel).
Star sapphires are the most well-known. The sheer popularity of this unique sapphire inspired the Linde Air Products Company of New York to create a synthetic version marketed as the Linde Star Sapphire (or Lindy). Invented in 1946, Lindy stars are still one of our most requested items. In normal light, the Lindy star showcases a perfect six-pointed star.
And while I can admit that Lindy stars have a charm of their own, there is nothing like the beauty of a natural star sapphire. This impressive gemstone ring is a perfect example. The phenomena is visible normally, but when a pinpoint of light is held on the stone, the star shines. Moving the light causes the star to dance across the surface of the sapphire. It’s a truly beautiful sight to behold.
In size alone, this ring is impressive… a true knuckle-duster. Set in 14-karat white gold and held in place by four prongs, this enormous star sapphire weighs approximately 16.00 carats. To showcase the color of the gem, it has been encapsulated by a halo of faceted blue sapphires and white diamonds. There are ten round brilliant diamonds with a combined weight of 1.25 carats and ten sapphires with a total weight of 1.00 carat.
Shown in profile, it’s easy to appreciate the sheer size of the stone. The ring rises nearly three-quarters of an inch off the hand. Made in the 1960’s, this ring is in excellent condition. Surprisingly, I find it to be quite wearable. Often, customers dismiss these physically large rings for a multitude of reasons…
- It’s too big.
- Where would I wear it? We don’t go anywhere.
- It’s ostentatious – I could never wear that!
- It’s too expensive.
- It doesn’t look nice on me.
Let me address your concerns… Can a gemstone ring EVER be too big? Answer – No! You can wear it absolutely anywhere, even from the kitchen to the family room. If you wear it, you won’t think it’s ostentatious for long. Priced at just $4,950.00 – we can find a way to make it affordable (that’s my job, not yours). This ring looks great on everyone!
Curiosity has gotten the best of me, and I have to ask… what do you think of this beauty? Is it hot? Or not?
“You can go to a museum and look or come to us and touch.”
Written by Carrie Martin
Photos by Dana Jerpe
