I love when long time friends who have seen the evolution of Cielomar Jewelry reach out to create a unique custom piece. A few months ago, my friend Gretel told me that the Salt and Pepper Diamonds from April's blog immediately caught her attention and she was interested in designing a unique ring set featuring these evocative gems.
GRETEL’S STORY
Gretel wanted to make a special ring set for herself. Something that she loved; something bold and modern featuring Salt and Pepper Diamonds. She didn’t have any specific design in mind beyond that, so her stone choice was central to the entire custom design. We started sourcing the center stone in a light hue and geometric shape. Gretel selected her favorite hexagon shaped Salt and Pepper Diamond, which inspired the design and style of the main ring and contour band.
I created a digital rendering of a design with side stones and a coordinating band. Gretel loved the baguette diamonds and wanted to create a gradient from the center to the sides. She loved my suggestion to have smaller baguette diamonds sit horizontally on a contour band, giving it a really modern look. Once the design and 3D renderings were approved, I had Gretel try on resin models to see everything in proportion. (See sketchbook section below for images of renderings!) Then we got started with production of the piece from casting to stone setting and the final polishing touches.
For this design, I was able to source the Salt and Pepper baguette stones in a variety of gray shades to create the desired gradient effect. Even the tiny round stones in between are these same kinds of diamonds. You could say Gretel’s ring set is peppered with Salt and Pepper Diamonds!
FUN FACTS ABOUT SALT AND PEPPER DIAMONDS
Each Salt and Pepper Diamond is completely unique, but they all contain some iteration of their signature smokey, iridescent sparkle. Technically considered flaws in the world of gemology, these moody gems are more affordable and yet more interesting to design with than their crystal-clear diamond counterparts. They work well in both modern and traditional applications due to their unique visual interest and their timeless elegance. It’s best to let them shine by choosing a wide facet, such as a rose cut, which is the facet used in this custom ring set.
*If you’re interested in learning more, you can find the blog post dedicated to Salt and Pepper Diamonds that inspired this whole project here!
FROM THE SKETCHBOOK: A PEEK INTO THE DESIGN PROCESS
Here’s a closer look at the images, renderings, and models that Gretel got to see along the way as we crafted her custom design ring set.
THE FINAL PIECE
In the end, this 14k Salt and Pepper Diamond Ring Set is sheer perfection. The coordinating band uniquely contours the hexagon center stone in such a way that you can instantly feel this set is custom made. With the lightest stone in the center and slightly darker gray stones on the sides, the Salt and Pepper Diamonds on the main ring create an elegant gradient apropos of these sophisticated gemstones.
THE REVIEW
"I decided that I wanted a new ring. I went online to look at rings and remembered that my friend Cielomar made jewelry. She had posted some photos of salt and pepper diamonds and that's when I knew.....my ring would have salt and pepper diamonds. I had an idea of what I wanted, 2 rings that joined together, full of diamonds. I met with Cielomar and the rest is history! I let her know what I wanted and let her do the rest. She saw what I envisioned and made it come to life. My rings are everything I dreamed of and more! Thanks Cielomar for grasping my unfinished concept of a ring and creating these beauties!" - Gretel
