The Gardenia Ring: A Symphony in Sapphires
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin
Fragrant and beautiful, gardenias are just as prevalent in the Florida landscape as beaches and palm trees. Like a woman, gardenias has earned the reputation for being strong willed an difficult, yet gardeners and flower enthusiasts alike are bewitched by their fabulous aroma. Since I moved here, the smell of the gardenia flower and their creamy white petals have always been an inspiration for me. It is a flower very difficult to ignore, and that is exactly the feeling that I wanted to conjure when I was designing this gorgeous statement ring.
Although gardenias are usually white, the gardenia of my imagination is mostly attached to its aroma, which translates to me as a hot pink flower, surrounded by azure blue leaves. My interpretation is more of an illusion of what this iconic smell represents, rather than the actual look of the flower. Powerful and unforgettable, my Gardenia ring will make you noticed as soon as you enter the room, and anyone that you meet will keep you in their memory forever.
The blue gems of the Gardenia ring are cabochon cut blue sapphires. The hot pink leaves are also sapphires but of the pink variety, while the white in the leaves comes to us courtesy of classic white diamonds. The ring is set in two tones of 18kt gold, rose and white, and its intricate details are all hand made by some of the world's most talented artisans.
Saphires have been prized as valuable and unique gems since 800 B.C.. I picked pink and blue sapphires for this ring because sapphires are a great gem to work with. Second only to diamonds in the Mohs harness scale, these precious gems have a long history, especially as being the gem chosen by royalty for their crowns and tiaras.
When sapphires are cut in a cabochon, as they blue ones are in this ring, they display what is know in the jewelry world as the "cat-eye effect." This wondrous effect displays a thin band of light down the center of the stone and is known as chatoyancy. The pink sapphires I used are faceted cut stones. They are also the most valuable and rare of all the fancy sapphires. When I got a hold of these beautiful stones, I immediately knew they had to be on a ring like this one. As you can see, the results are stunning.
Sapphires have become a very sought after gem after the engagement ring that Charles gave the late Princes Diana. They have recently had a renaissance with Prince William and Duchess Kate, re-using that very sentimental ring for their own engagement a few years ago. Since then my clients clamor for more and more sapphires, and I oblige.
I love sapphires myself, so I am happy working and designing with this precious gem in mind. The way the light hits the stones makes my heart skip a beat, and I fall in love with them all over again. It is gemstones like these that make me realize how privileged I am to be able to do what I do, and that is something that I don't take lightly.
Hope you find the story behind my Gardenia ring inspirational. I loved sharing it with you. Stay tuned for more.
Love Always
Dani K
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