Gemstones are incredible treasures–to imagine how they formed, solely by Mother Nature, makes them even more unbelievable. It is also amazing to think about how you, of all people in this entire world, happen to end up with a certain gem and are now responsible for its new journey as a faceted stone. I’ve had the privilege of being an owner to two very special gemstones–a Tanzanian Rhodolite Garnet, 2.12 carats, from the extremely talented gemstone wizard Top Notch Faceting and this crazy cool opal from Australia I got years ago in Tucson. Both stones seemed to always want to be more than just gemstones–they longed to be a gorgeous piece of finished jewelry. It was up to me as their new owner to decide what their transformation would look like–would they become rings or necklaces? What design would be best? Which designer could make them come alive? What metal would I choose? With so many possibilities, they sat for a few years before everything fell into place!
I knew I wanted my stones to be set in yellow gold, as both garnet and opal look radiant in yellow gold. The rich, wine-colored rhodolite garnet glistens against the bright yellow gold; same with opal. The shapes of these two stones is what makes them so unique as well–a Top Notch Faceted stone is unlike any others, with his award-winning technique and passion for each gemstone he works on. The opal is elongated which would primarily make for a great drop pendant–but I knew I craved something different and not your typically designed piece of jewelry. Of course, we all know how ring-obsessed I am, so it wouldn’t be right if I had made these stones into anything else! The last parts of the tale of two gemstones are the most crucial, yet easiest decisions for myself. After working with and thoroughly enjoying my Eye of the Warrior ring that I received last fall from Communion by Joy, I knew I not only loved her aesthetic but I trusted her judgement as a designer and creative spirit. I sent Joy my stones without any instruction besides my ring size and the requirement of 14k yellow gold. That’s it! I let her as a designer run free with what the stones spoke to her–something most people that get custom work done seldom do.
I was so pleased with the outcome of what Joy has created. A morning of therapeutic wax carving, mixed with meditation, followed by casting has yielded these two beautiful rings that will forever be in my collection.
Another exciting bit of information on Joy’s jewelry–her fine jewelry collection has officially launched, as well as her one-of-a-kind pieces, which includes some limited edition items. This marks the beginning of an era that Joy has been working towards and she is excited to be working exclusively in precious metals. As always, her signature style and West Coast aura are still front and center of each and every design. Excited to see what is to come for this talented woman!
This post was brought to you in collaboration with LoveGold
Joan Taras February 28, 2015 at 4:20 pm:
Love the jewelry mirror advertised on QVC. Thanks for the video which was lovely and the link. Definitely a must have for those who collect and want to see their jewels.