Creating stunning gemstone custom jewelry is a fascinating craft that requires an eye for beauty and great attention to detail. Not only does the metal used in the band need to be pure, consistent, and polished to perfection, the choice of gemstones has to be just right or the finished piece will have a sub-standard appearance.
Understanding the 4C’s of Gemstones
The first thing to think about when it comes to gemstones for gemstone custom jewelry is the quality of each individual gem—which is graded according to the 4C’s of gemstones:
- Clarity
- Carat
- Color
- Cut
For example, each gemstone accepted for use in our custom rings must meet our inclusion standards set for each stone, must weigh exactly the carat specified, must fall within a certain color range, and must display the proper proportions and symmetry. To make sure that only the finest gemstones are used in your gemstone custom jewelry, each gem must pass a minimum of seven inspections before it even reaches our office!
How We Match the Gems for Our Gemstone Custom Jewelry
As you would have read in Creating Beautiful Rings Part 3: How We Source Our Conflict-Free Gemstones for Jewelry, our semi-precious gemstones are cut and polished in our own facility in Jaipur, India. The precious stones used in our rings (diamonds, blue sapphires, and rubies) come from conflict-free and trusted suppliers with whom we have a longstanding relationship.
After we receive a large parcel of pre-graded AAA-quality gemstones from our team in Jaipur for use in our gemstone custom jewelry, we begin the labor-intensive process of grouping similar gemstones into sets according to cut and color. This is very time consuming and requires a great amount of skill and expertise. However, we find that it is the most effective way to achieve a consistent look across each ring and bring out each gemstone’s true beauty.
What We Look for When Matching Gemstones
As we use only naturally-forming gemstones, there is quite a lot of natural variation in terms of color—making the matching process even more essential. For example, a pink tourmaline can range from bubblegum pink to almost purple, and aquamarines vary between light blue and a deeper blue-green hue. When we are creating sets of similar gemstones, we are able to group gemstones according to the precise hue that they display, making this natural variation less noticeable.
After matching gemstone colors for use in gemstone custom jewelry, we sort the gems by carat (weight/size) and look for gems of the same carat that display the same facet shape and have similar optical properties. Using the resulting sets of matched gemstones, we are able to create rings that look neat and beautiful. You can read more about our matching process here.
Why Can’t Gemstones Be Cut to Look Identical?
Rough gemstones that are mined from the earth come in different shapes and sizes—just like people, plants, and animals. When the rough stones are treated and arrive at our facility, it is the job of our expert cutters to identify the shape that would best bring out the unique beauty of the rough stone. In our gemstone custom jewelry, we use the following cuts:
- Round: The most popular and expensive of all gemstone cuts. Cushion: A modified square shape with rounded corners that is ideal for a halo ring.
- Oval: Less expensive than a round stone and equally as elegant.
- Emerald: A rectangular shape that looks very elegant on a solitaire ring.
- Pear: Also known as a tear-drop shape for its pointed top and rounded bottom.
- Princess: A square shape that is perfect for showing off your gemstone in a solitaire setting.
- Marquise: A cross between an oval and pear shape with round sides and pointed ends.
- Heart: The perfect way to express love and affection in your gemstone custom jewelry.
- Trillion: A triangular shape that makes an excellent accent stone next to a round in a three-stone setting.
While our cutters cut each gemstone to the highest precision possible, there will still be natural variations in the optical properties of each stone. At the matching stage, we have fun admiring the work of our master cutters as we watch how the light bounces around the internal facets of each and every stone.
How We Select the Size of Your Gemstone
In gemstones, carats are measured in milligrams, where 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams of weight is equal to 1 carat (written as 1CT). When gemstones are larger than 1 carat, they are typically described in terms of the dimensions of the side that faces up as well as their total weight—as two gemstones with the same surface dimensions may have different lengths on the underside (called the “pavillion”).
If you are looking for gemstone custom jewelry with a large gemstone in a halo, solitaire, or three-stone setting, your ring will be made with a centerstone that is 5mm to 9mm in diameter—which corresponds to around 1CT to nearly 3CT in weight. Shallow settings such as pavé require small gemstones that weigh a maximum of 0.45CT, as a larger stone cannot sit securely in the band at that depth.
Customize the Size of Your Centerstone
When you click on any ring design that features a large centerstone on our website, you can select a different size and color stone to view the adjusted price of the ring. Generally, the more abundant the stone, the more affordable it is in a larger size. Any ring that contains an individual gemstone over 0.5CT will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
Begin Your Journey of Discovery with an AZEERA Ring Today
Now that you’ve read about our creative design process, precision manufacturing process, conflict-free gemstone sourcing, and masterful gemstone matching techniques, it’s time to browse our rings and experience the AZEERA difference for yourself.
Request a callback from our founders or contact us via our live chat pop-up to get started on making spectacular gemstone custom jewelry that you and your family can love for generations.
