Larsen Jewellery is thrilled to announce the opening of their new studio in Melbourne’s historic GPO building. Slated to open in March 2010, this will be Larsen Jewellery’s second location, following the success of its Sydney studio.

Since the opening of their flagship studio in Sydney’s famous Strand Arcade in February 2007, hundreds of couples have been impressed with Larsen’s commitment to quality and customer service, not to mention the opportunity to work with a jeweller to create their very own jewellery.

Owner Lars Larsen says, “Since our launch in 2007, we’ve had couples flying in from all over Australia to do the Wedding Ring Experience. We look forward to opening in Melbourne, with other capital cities to follow.”

The Wedding Ring Experience offers clients the romantic and unique experience of handcrafting each other’s wedding rings under the guidance of an experienced jeweller. Larsen Jewellery is the only company that offers this type of service in Australia.

Located on the second floor of this historic building, the Melbourne studio of Larsen Jewellery features a complete jeweller’s workshop, where couples can make each other’s wedding bands, in addition to a showroom featuring Larsen’s extensive design range, and a diamond room where clients can view loose diamonds and coloured gemstones in a private setting.

“The GPO is the centre for design and is the perfect location for our new studio,” Mr Larsen comments.

Larsen Jewellery is excited to be part of Melbourne’s vibrant art and design scene.

Art Deco engagement rings have been coming back in fashion in recent years.  Unfortunately there are not many jewellers who sell Art Deco engagement rings.  One of the few jewellers who is able to make these types of designs is Larsen Jewellery where all the engagement rings are custom made.  Click here to read more about their custom designed engagement rings.

As everything is custom made at the Larsen Jewellery workshops in Sydney’s Strand Arcade and Melbourne's GPO, any Art Deco engagement ring design can be created and with your choice of diamond or coloured gem stone.  You deal directly with the jeweller who makes your engagement ring and you can either choose from a wide selection of engagement ring designs or you can come up with your own unique design.  You can also have your engagement ring made in a number of different metals including white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum.

You are welcome to come in to the Larsen Jewellery studio for an obligation-free design appointment or to view a selection of beautiful engagement ring designs.  To make an appointment with one of the friendly jewellers at Larsen Jewellery, please call on 02 9223 2006 (Sydney) or 03 9662 3005 (Melbourne).

Larsen Jewellery specialises in custom made diamond rings and has a wide selection of 1 carat diamond rings to choose from.  Click here to view a few examples of our engagement ring designs.

In recent years 1 carat diamond rings have become increasing popular.  Whereas diamond rings between 0.5 and 0.75 carat used to be the norm, increasingly engaged couples are opting for diamond rings with 1 carat diamonds or larger.

As everything is custom made at our jewellery workshop in Sydney’s Strand Arcade, you can have any design for your diamond ring and with your choice of diamond.  You deal directly with the jeweller who makes your ring and you can either choose from our wide selection of engagement ring designs or you can come up with your own unique design.  You can also have your diamond ring made in a number of different metals including white gold, yellow gold and platinum.

You are welcome to come in to our jewellery studio for an obligation-free design appointment, or to view our selection of loose diamonds and our range of 1 carat diamond rings.  To make an appointment with one of our jewellers, please call us on 02 9223 2006 (Sydney) or 03 9662 3005 (Melbourne) or send us an email.

The light performance or “life” of a finished, polished diamond is described as the overall, face-up appearance, produced by a combination of the three optical effects of Brilliance, Fire and Scintillation.  Light performance analysis is used today by leading laboratories as an integral component in the grading of cut quality.

Brilliance
Brilliance is the term used to describe the combined internal and external reflections of unaltered, white light returned from the crown of a diamond.

Fire
Fire is the name used for light which has been dispersed into its individual spectral colours by a prism-effect which occurs when light, after being internally reflected, returns through the angled facets of the bezel.

Scintillation
Scintillation or “sparkle” is the name given to the alternating on-off flashes of Brilliance and Fire created when either the diamond, the light source or the observer is in motion.

Light Pattern
The light returning from within a diamond forms a distinct pattern created by the contrasting light and dark areas of reflected light and light extinction.

A light pattern, in effect, presents a virtual map of the reflective surfaces of the facets and can be used simultaneously to gauge proportions - by comparing the position and degree of light return to that of light leakage - and to determine the degree of internal or optical symmetry of a diamond.

Light patterns are also referred to as symmetry images and are observed and analysed with the aid of special magnifying, reflective imaging or symmetry viewers.

Please click here for more 4 C's Diamond Information.

Radiant cut diamonds have become an increasingly popular choice for diamond engagement rings in recent years.  Please click here to view a selection of diamond ring designs.

The radiant cut was the first rectangular or square cut to have a complete brilliant facet pattern applied to both the crown and pavilion of a diamond.  Following its patented development in 1976 by Henry Grossbard, it became seen as the forerunner of the modern branded diamond.

Until about 10 years ago, the preferred width-to-length proportion was of 1.5 was in keeping with the proportions of an emerald cut, or the rectangular shape it was originally developed for.  Today radiant cut diamonds are more popular in a square shape, with the width to length ratio most commonly 1.2-1.3 or even as low as 1.05 (almost square).

The radiant’s original, patented design had 55 facets: 25 on the crown and 30 on the pavilion - plus or minus a culet.  There are no strict guidelines for table and depth percentages but, as a general rule, look for a table between 59 and 65 percent and a depth between 59 and 66 percent.

The decision to purchase a radiant cut diamond should never just be based on its proportions alone; brilliance and the overall beauty of the diamond also play their part.

Given that radiant cut diamonds are harder to find than brilliant and princess cut diamonds, it is usually easiest to find a loose stone from a place like Larsen Jewellery and to have the ring custom made.

Cushion cut diamond engagement rings, tremendously popular over a century ago, are becoming trendy again in modern rings.  With the sensual shape and subtle sparkle, they are a sophisticated alternative to flashier designs, yet do not sacrifice either the beauty or romance that symbolises the love a couple shares.

Larsen Jewellery sells loose cushion cut diamonds and specialises in custom made engagement rings.  Click here to view a range of engagement ring designs.

Cushion cut diamonds have rounded corners, large facets and are available in shapes ranging from square to rectangular.  It is a pleasant alternative to emerald, oval or princess cuts, since it incorporates similarities between all three shapes.  Choosing a square or rectangular proportion is completely up to personal preference, and cushion cut diamond engagement rings can be found in a range of shapes and proportions.

For couples interested in a vintage style ring, cushion cut diamond engagement rings may be the perfect choice.  With an antique flair paired with a soft, romantic shape, these diamonds make stunning yet unpretentious engagement rings.

A cushion cut diamond has approximately 60 facets - up to 20 or more facets fewer than in other diamond cuts.  This cut is not as fiery or brilliant as many of the modern cuts, but it has a marvelous romantic and classic look and definitely stands out from the crowd of round brilliants.  Because the stone has fewer facets, clarity is especially critical - even minor flaws will be more noticeable.  Similarly, the colour of the stone is also a crucial characteristic of its quality.

Cushion cut rings are still quite rare in normal jewellery retail stores.  For a couple that wants to design their own cushion cut ring, the best option is to find a suitable loose stone from a place such as Larsen Jewellery and have it set it an appropriate mounting.

Acquamarine engagement rings have become increasingly popular in recent years.  Larsen Jewellery sells loose aquamarines and specialises in custom made engagement rings.  Click here to view a range of engagement ring designs.

The word aquamarine is Latin for seawater.  Aquamarine’s association with the sea comes from the brilliant range of hues in which it appears - from an almost transparent blue to a deep ocean azure.

Its blue colour comes predominantly from iron and, when cut, the stone is generally clear of inclusions and can occur in large sizes.  This is because aquamarine is generally found in large crystals with a flawless clarity from which large stones can be cut.

Acquamarine needs to be of considerable size to ensure a blue colour with small stones generally not exhibiting colour visible enough to be attractive.  The deeper the blue colour, the more valuable the acquamarine.

While aquamarine is found in numerous locations, Madagascar was one of the earliest known sources.  Brazil is now the major source of the stone.
Historically, this modern birthstone for March was the stone of the sea goddesses, often carried by sailors and fishermen as a protective trinket.  The anniversary gemstone for the 19th year of marriage, it also is recognised for helping renew relationships and ensure a long and happy future for couples.

This gem is a favourite of modern designers due to its versatility and the range of shapes and sizes that are readily available.  Traditionally available in emerald cuts, other cuts such as oval, cushion and princess have recently become equally popular.

Aesthetically, the selling point of the acquamarine is that it can look stunning set in either white gold or platinum.  Although not as popular, yellow gold can also be used.  Aquamarine can make dainty and elegant jewellery pieces by themselves, or beautifully compliment a diamond setting.