This repeat customer returned to me after the emerald from her engagement ring mysteriously went missing. The logical explanation, since the prongs were still intact, was that the stone must have broken. Emeralds are not a “hard” stone. They’re subject to scratching, chipping and even sometimes breaking. Pear shaped stones of any kind have the additional risk of the tip breaking, regardless of whether or not the stone is protected by the metal of the prongs. The challenge for this repair was not only to match the quality of the emerald but, equally important, to match the shape. These emeralds, while beautifully cut, were not calibrated and so I needed to find a stone that was, if not exactly the same, as close as possible. Thanks to my remarkable emerald dealer we were able to find a stone that the customer approved of. It measures a fraction of a millimeter longer and a fraction narrower, but still it really works quite well. Next, we had the stone cut to order, at an additional expense, and working with rough there was no guarantee that the end result would be as close as the one chosen. The other piece of this repair was to extend the cluster of prongs to accommodate the new, slightly longer length of the stone and to carefully set the stone. Once this custom restyling was complete it was as beautiful as something you’d find in the Emerald City itself. I think that despite the challenges, it came out lovely. And my client agreed!
- Materials: 14k white gold, genuine emeralds, natural diamond
- Client location: New Hartford, CT
