prism - American Gem Trade Association

Start with the Stone:
“As Mary told me this story, I wondered
how we could commemorate the feelings
in a piece of jewelry,” said Zava. Mary’s
daughter, Kate, has eyes of crystal blue.
Previously, Cynthia had matched Kate’s eyes
with an unusual parcel of blue Tourmaline
from Afghanistan and custom-cut eleven
gems for various pieces of jewelry in honor
of Kate’s blue eyes. One piece remained.
After viewing photos of Mary’s family time
in Chile, Cynthia let the images set in. To
commemorate their moving experience in
Chile, the designer suggested a ring with the
last of “Kate’s Eyes” blue Tourmaline. The
compelling features of Patagonia, the granite
spires of Torres de Paine, combined with the
icy blue of the area’s glacial ice and lakes
which, coincidently, matched Kate’s eyes,
set the foundation for the ring.
Designing the Ring:
“I decided to cast the rocky portion of the
ring in 14 karat rose gold – a particularly
rosy alloy, because of the family photo of the
mountains glowing with pink “alpenglow”
at sunset,” says Cynthia.
Cynthia captured the jagged mountain
ridges seen in the ring’s profile. Just as
glaciers carved the Patagonian mountains’
sharp peaks and ridges, an expansive white
gold “glacier” would be placed between the
ring’s rose gold mountains.
After conceptual sketches, the designer
used the “horns” of the ridges as prongs.
The gemstone is held by the mountaintops
and offered to the heavens, much like the
family’s prayers during their ordeal.
The outer wax frame with the ridges and
prongs was hand-carved using Mary’s family
photos as a guide and a little Google Maps
research. This outer portion of the ring was
cast in 14 karat rose gold before the inner
white gold glacier portion was formed. The
shank was carved with a round center and
slightly squared outer shape for comfort and
to prevent spinning.
After the rose gold mountain frame was cast,
she visited Mary and her family bringing
sheets of soft wax to form the inner, white
gold, glacial portion. To help achieve this
section’s matte texture, Mary, her children,
husband and parents imprinted their
overlapping fingerprints onto the wax sheet.
They layered fingerprint upon fingerprint.
Unrecognizable as fingerprints, the family
would know they were there together,
leaving their marks through a ring that would
be passed down through the generations.
To get the fingerprints to adhere, she slightly
warmed the wax with a blow dryer making
it receptive to the fingers’ tiny ridges
and swirls. “We weren’t after accurate
fingerprints. It was important that the
family left a mark of themselves in the wax
together. Three generations of fingerprints
held in the ring.”
Once back at the shop, small sections were
cut from the sheet of wax and pried into the
central areas of the rose gold frame taking
care to keep the fingerprints’ embedded
while maneuvering the wax. The wax was
then pulled out and cast separately in 14
karat white gold. She used a regular nickel
white gold alloy for its grayer hue and
oxidation color.
After casting in 14 karat white gold, the piece
was left rough finished and not polished. It
was then oxidized and laser welded into the
mounting. The 5.69 carat, “Kate’s Eyes”
blue Tourmaline was then set. Cynthia was
awarded a 1st place for this design.
“Creating jewelry for a client is an intimate
process. By the time I’ve completed a few
pieces for them, I know my client and their
families very well.”
Special thanks to team members Mirjam
Butz, Clay Zava and Lynne Stoner.
AGTA PRISM|SPRING 2011 22