Larsen Jewellery - Coloured Gemstones

Three Stone Trio Diamond Rings

Lars — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:37:00 +1100

Rings featuring three gemstones, usually diamonds are known as three stone or trio diamond rings. This kind of design is commonly used for engagement rings and can be created using any shape of diamond or coloured gemstone by the expert Jewellers at Larsen Jewellery in Sydney and Melbourne. Your design options are endless and upon appointment we can show you a beautiful selection of diamond to choose from to create your own unique ‘trio’ design.

A vital element to consider is that the two gemstones placed on the outer-sides match each other perfectly in terms of colour, cut and overall look; otherwise one stone will clearly stand out from the other which is not ideal. The centre gemstone, however, can completely differ from the side gemstones without taking away from the design.

Another recommendation is to keep the side gemstones proportionately smaller than the centre stone, even if the difference is only slight, as this will keep the attention on the centre stone which should always be the main focus.

The wonderful thing about choosing a three stone ring is that you have the opportunity to incorporate colour into your design, without sacrificing a diamond. For example, you could use a diamond for the centre stone and then add your favourite coloured gemstones such as sapphires or coloured diamonds on either side.

If coloured gemstones aren’t for you, keep the design elegant and classic by selecting all white diamonds. You can then play around with the many different combinations of diamond cuts that we have available for you.

If you appreciate antique design, or are passionate about the art deco movement then a few simple additions such as mill grain detailing and diamond placement added by our jewellers will turn your trio diamond ring into a work of art.

To view our large range of three stone diamond ring designs, or to arrange an appointment to view a selection of diamonds and coloured gemstones, please give us a call on 02 9223 2006.

Spinel Gemstones

Lars — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:25:00 +1100

Spinel is often confused with Ruby and Sapphire as they share many of the same shades and qualities.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that any distinction was made between them. In fact, many famous Rubies have since been proven to be Red Spinel. The Black Prince’s Ruby which is the centrepiece of the Royal Crown of England is actually a large Red Spinel.

Although the blood-red shades are the most desirable and valuable, Spinel is also commonly found in just about every colour imaginable.

Aside from having an abundant colour range, it is a very strong gemstone which makes it a suitable choice for use in fine jewellery. The only reason Spinel is constantly overlooked in favour of Ruby and Sapphire is due to the fact that many consumers are unaware of its existence.

Burma produces the most outstanding Spinel gemstones, closely followed by Africa.

Because of the abundance of synthetic Spinel, one must always be careful only to purchase this gemstone from reputable dealers.

To view a range of Spinel gemstones in your price range, please contact Larsen Jewellery in Sydney: 02 9223 2006.

White Sapphire / Colourless Sapphire

Lars — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:15:00 +1100

Sapphires are widely known for their generous and beautiful colour range.

One of the lesser-known varieties is White Sapphire, which is a great gemstone option to be used in replace of diamonds. White Sapphire is most commonly known as Colourless Sapphire and is sometimes heat treated to remove any unwanted undertones of yellow, blue and grey. Naturally occurring White Sapphire is significantly more valuable than its treated counterparts.

As with all sapphires, it is very strong and durable, making it a perfect choice to be used in fine jewellery.

One of the largest sources of White Sapphire is Sri Lanka, however it can also be found abundantly in Africa and the Middle East.

White Sapphire can be cut and polished in the same way as diamonds, to give them brilliance and ensure they refract as much light as possible. The way the gemstone is cut is the most important factor and will determine its overall sparkle.

If you would like to view a range of loose White Sapphire gemstones within your budget, Larsen Jewellery can happily assist you. We specialise in custom made fine jewellery and can provide you with un-biased advice on what to look for when purchasing a loose diamond or gemstone.

To make an appointment, please contact Larsen Jewellery in Sydney: 02 9223 2006.

Peridot Gemstones and Jewellery

Lars — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 05:59:00 +1100

Peridot is a precious lime green coloured gemstone. The most abundant source of this gemstone is Peridot Mesa, on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. Other sources of Peridot can be found in Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan and China. One of the earliest documented Peridot deposits was discovered in ancient times, in Zebirget, Egypt. Peridot was also used in history to adorn medieval churches.

It is a form of the olivine mineral and forms under extreme heat and pressure, such as in volcanic rock during eruptions and more rarely in fallen meteors. Its colour scheme ranges from a yellow-green colour, to dark grass-green. Brown tinted variations are found, but are not as desirable.

Peridot gemstones smaller than three carats are affordable and easily sourced. Stones larger than this become significantly higher in value. Stones above ten carats are rare to find and are expensive, although they are reasonably affordable in comparison to most other gemstones of large carat size.

Peridot is vulnerable to temperature change and therefore should only be cleaned using dishwashing liquid and warm water.

The vivid green hues of Peridot gemstones are great for statement pieces such as dress rings and earrings. For more information, or to book an appointment to view a range of loose Peridot gemstones to suit your budget, please call Larsen Jewellery in Sydney on 02 9223 2006.

Topaz

Lars — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:57:00 +1100

Topaz is a beautiful gemstone and is usually found in shades of light yellow and brown. These shades are naturally occurring and are often sold under the name Golden Topaz.

These precious gems are a much more affordable alternative to coloured diamonds and are often used in fine jewellery.

One of the most common colours related to topaz is light blue, which is created through heat treatment. Most topaz, like the majority of coloured gemstones, are heat treated for colour enhancement. While these stones are less expensive than natural colours, they offer an excellent option for fine jewellery and can be quite affordable.

The most valuable variety of Topaz is Imperial Topaz, which shows tones of orange and red. Unfortunately, in some international markets Citrine is sold as Imperial Topaz as the stones are similar in colour. This practice is illegal and misleading.

Topaz is not an abundant mineral although it is found in numerous countries such as the USA, Sri Lanka, Russia and Mexico.

To care for Topaz stones, try to avoid knocking them as they are not resistant to physical trauma.

For more information, or to view a selection of beautiful Topaz gemstones, please call Larsen Jewellery in Sydney: 02 9223 2006.

Tourmaline Gemstones

Lars — Tue, 10 May 2011 06:23:00 +1100

Tourmaline gemstones can be used in an engagement ring to compliment the centre stone. The Larsen Jewellery team can show you a variety of engagement and diamond ring designs that would work well with these beautiful and precious gems.

Tourmaline has the largest colour range of any gemstone, with shades of pink and green being the most common. Some electric-blue shades of tourmaline, which are coloured by copper, are called Paraiba tourmaline; these are very rare and are the most highly valued of all. Another variation is Chrome tourmaline, which is intense green in colour due to the presence of chromium in the crystal. Many tourmaline gemstones can have two or more shades in the one stone. The most notable variety is watermelon tourmaline, which displays both pink and green shades and is reminiscent of the colours of watermelon, hence the name. Other alternative colour options are yellow or ‘golden’, orange, brown, purple, black or ‘schorl’ and colourless.

Yellow Sapphire

Lars — Tue, 03 May 2011 06:00:00 +1100

Princess Diana's ring is a fine example of how beautiful sapphire engagement rings can be.

Yellow sapphire is a lovely alternative to diamonds when choosing an engagement or wedding ring design. Larsen Jewellery can provide you with a wide range of yellow sapphire stones to choose from, which you can view in person at our Sydney and Melbourne design studios.

Yellow sapphire is renowned for its superb yellow colour; ranging from pale buttery shades, crisp citrus colours and ‘burnt’ yellow tones through to the highly valuable tones of golden sapphire. Yellow sapphire is predominantly mined in Australia and Sri Lanka, however in recent years yellow sapphire has increasingly been exported from some African countries. The Australian variety, particularly the mid-to-golden colours are considered the best quality available.

Since the late 90’s a treatment known as ‘Beryllium diffusion’ has been practiced. The treatment turns poorly coloured corundum into bright, vivid yellows and oranges and is notoriously difficult to detect. Beware of bright-coloured yellow or orange sapphires with prices that seem too good to be true. It is important to note that the sale of beryllium-diffused sapphire requires disclosure to the customer along all points of sale. High quality yellow sapphire should ideally be certified stating that no beryllium has been used with any heat treatment.

Ceylon Sapphires

Lars — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:49:00 +1100

Even though the tear-drop shaped island in the Indian Ocean has been named Sri Lanka since 1972, when it comes to sapphires, the convention is to use its old name, ‘Ceylon’.

The reason why blue sapphire is simply called ‘sapphire’ is because in the Greek language, sapphire literally means ‘blue’. Some of the finest examples of blue are seen in Ceylon sapphire. Since antiquity, some of the world’s most beautiful sapphires have been mined in Ratnapura, situated in the southwest of Sri Lanka. Ceylon sapphires range in shades of blue and often contain a hint of violet. From softer baby-blues to mid-blue or so called ‘cornflower blue’, through to the rare and intense royal blue stones. Today the vast majority of Ceylon sapphire is cut in Sri Lanka. Other types of sapphires mined in Sri Lanka are pink, yellow, white, green, star stones and the very rare padparadscha sapphires.

Ceylon sapphires are a popular choice of gemstone for engagement rings. Give us a call if you would like to come in for an appointment to view a selection of Ceilon sapphires to choose from or to discuss your engagement ring design. We specialise in custom made engagement rings and our studios are based in Sydney (Level 5, The Strand Arcade) and Melbourne (Level 2, Melbourne's GPO).

Ruby Rings

Lars — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 04:25:00 +1100

Ruby is one of the more well known coloured gemstones and is often used in dress rings and occasionally in engagement rings.

Ruby is the red variety of corundum and the purest form of red seen in any gemstone. It is said that all other shades of red are compared to that of fine ruby. Fine quality ruby above three carats is rare and more valuable than all other coloured gemstones, with the exception of some alexandrites. It can often be more valuable than the equivalent white diamond. The most important source of the best quality ruby is Myanmar (Burma), mined in the legendary areas of Mogok and Mong Hsu. Other sources of good quality ruby are Thailand (Siam), Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. Most rubies are routinely and traditionally heat-treated to improve clarity and drive out undesirable brown tones; this is an assumed and accepted process. Fine quality ruby that is proven to be untreated will command very high prices. Less than 5% of fine stones would fall into this category.

In recent years a treatment known as ‘fracture filling’ has appeared on the market. The process involves taking low grade stones with surface reaching fractures and filling the tiny voids with lead glass during the heating process. This transforms the stone into something more visually appealing, even though the fractures in the stone remain. Applying heat to a fracture filled ruby or placing it in a ‘jeweller’s ‘pickle' can often result in a frosty, white coating on the stone that cannot be reversed. This treatment is totally unacceptable and must be disclosed along all points of sale. If you see a ruby that appears to be of reasonable quality at unbelievably low prices – beware. As the old saying goes, “If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.”

At Larsen Jewellery, our jewellers can show you a range of rubies to choose from and can custom make your ring or other piece of fine jewellery. Please click here for more information about our custom made engagement rings which can be made with the ruby of your choice. Our studios are based in Sydney and Melbourne.

Emeralds

Lars — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 02:19:00 +1100

Emerald is the vibrant green variety of beryl that is coloured by chromium. Traditionally, emerald is regarded as one of the five precious gemstones. It is the birthstone of May and commemorates the 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

Although emeralds are mined in many places around the world, including Egypt, Austria, Brazil, Pakistan, Russia, Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Madagascar, Norway, USA (Carolina), Mozambique and Afghanistan, it is Colombian emeralds that are the most highly sought after and are recognized as the world’s finest. Colombia’s most famed emerald mining locations in order of current production include Cosquez, Muzo and Chivor.

One of the characteristics of most natural emeralds is that they are inherently included. These inclusion are not always to be seen as a bad thing – the poetic word ‘jardins’ is used to describe them and means ‘gardens’ in French. Unfortunately these ‘jardins’ are also the reason why emeralds are known to be fragile.

Larsen Jewellery specialises in custom made fine jewellery and sells a wide range of coloured gemstones including emeralds. Click here for more information about Engagement Rings in Sydney and Engagement Rings in Melbourne.