Memory of an Adventure with a Stunning Opal Redesign

I have had the pleasure of creating several different baubles for this family over the years. This particular visit is the result of my client’s beloved aunt and uncle who were world travelers. Uncle Ned enjoyed purchasing jewelry for Aunt Pat to commemorate the many far-off places they visited. And Aunt Pat just loved wearing the pieces as they told the story of their adventures. This beautiful opal pendant was a memento from their journey to Australia and New Zealand. It was part of a suite that included a pair of equally stunning earrings that went to a different niece. This niece, my client, loves opal but she said she’s far more of a ring person than a wearer of pendants. Due to the simplicity of this pendant – with the opal gorgeously set in a bezel – I did not want to risk unseating the stone. The beauty of the opal is from the internal structure which allows light to bounce around and reflect the different colors that present to the eye. This makes the stone “fragile” in the gemstone world. One does not want to risk the stress of unseating and then resetting or heating to flow solder so the assembly was done with a laser, pinpointing where the frame would be soldered into the shoulders of the shank and the top of the decorative under gallery. A small secret delight was how highly polished the underside of the frame was, thereby reflecting the scroll work. I was just so very thrilled with how seamlessly this project came together. My client was equally thrilled at how comfortable and wearable her new ring proved to be. Aunt Pat and Uncle Ned would be ecstatic to see how much enjoyment this keepsake continues to bring their niece, with the memory of their adventures living on.

  • Materials: 14k yellow gold, genuine, natural opal cabochon
  • Client location: Simsbury, CT

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