Cabachon ring designs?

February 16, 2007 5:11 AM

Nice, tasteful ring designs suitable for a large blue-gray star sapphire in 'cabachon' cut?

If you want more info: my lovely boyfriend/fiance gave me a star sapphire engagement pendant which we'd like to get made into a ring, but I'm having trouble finding nice designs for it - it's a 'cabochon' stone (ie, smooth and round, no cut faces) with the diameter ranging from 8mm to almost 10mm (it's slightly oval).

This makes it rather on the large side, and although it is a very subtle and beautiful stone, I'm finding it hard to track down a nice, simple design -- preferably something a little unusual, not chunky, and not likely to get get caught in anything.

We've had a jeweller recommended who sounds good, but of course he'd like us to bring him some ideas. I have none. Have searched on Google Images but with little luck.

They don't seem to be particularly fashionable types of stones, and I'm not keen on trekking around jewellery shops anyway. Can anyone help with links, suggestions, or even pics?

posted by 8k to clothing, beauty, & fashion (10 comments total)

You might want to check out bezel settings.
posted by gnomeloaf at 5:51 AM on February 16, 2007

Do you perfer yellow gold, white gold, platinum, something else? Depending on the color, you might like a tension setting with some kind of metal like tungsten or titanium?Maybe like this?
posted by dpx.mfx at 6:45 AM on February 16, 2007

Some designs I think could work with an oval cabouchon:

This one by Tiffany
HStern's Pedras Roladas collection

As dpx.mfx says, tension settings could work perfectly. I have a ring similar to this one, but with a large round pearl set on top, and instead of all the diamonds on the sides it's a simple flat and wide platinum band. It is a very unique setting and a gorgeous ring.

Let us know what you choose!
posted by AnyGuelmann at 7:27 AM on February 16, 2007

I would probably steer away from the tension settings - I don't know that they'd be able to do it with the way that a cabochon is cut. How would they trap the edges? I've never seen a cabochon in a tension setting. If they can do it, it might be gorgeous.

Any setting for an opal (well, like, a crystal opal or black opal) should work. I would probably go with an open setting, just to catch the light a little more, but there are a lot of really simple settings (designed for sapphires) here.
posted by mckenney at 7:31 AM on February 16, 2007

I have a star sapphire ring that is set similar to this one. I think it's pretty and feminine.
posted by geeky at 7:41 AM on February 16, 2007

And here's another more unique, modern setting.
posted by geeky at 7:44 AM on February 16, 2007

Good point mckenney.
But I was thinking, since the star saffire is not transparent and doesn't need light from below, like a diamond does, there could be a flat bed hidden on the bottom to secure the stone - it would like a fake tension setting.
My experience with goldsmithing is limited, so I don't really know if that would work.
posted by AnyGuelmann at 7:48 AM on February 16, 2007

Ooh, thanks everyone, I wasn't expecting so many helpful answers! Bezel is a good start, thanks gnomeloaf. I also loved that one on Amazon that geeky linked to (I'm amazed they sell things like that on Amazon, although having said that, my bf/f did buy the sapphire online from the Sapphire company that Mckenny linked to.)

Re the transparency/backing issue - it is fairly opaque, but we both think a little light does pass through it - I might have to experiment a bit to be sure, though.

Thanks again! K
posted by 8k at 9:00 AM on February 16, 2007

I hate to send you to the most annoying site ever, but the goldsmith my family uses is amazing at creating custom settings (and decently priced, so if you live in New England...). Joel Bagnal. If you zoom in on their weird moving jewelry pictures, you can get an idea of some cool work, like the diamond ring on the bottom, 3rd from right.
I have a bezel set opal ring from them, with a flat top and a thick band. There's scroll work (curly-cues) around the sides and small diamonds set on either side, along with a flat bottom (with right angle edges) and a very petite diamond set in the bottom (I call it my "pay me" diamond, as it is visible if I were to display my palm towards someone in a certain gesture).
posted by nursegracer at 1:10 PM on February 16, 2007

Trevor and Isabel Forrester at Juniper, in Christchurch, New Zealand, have done a lot of great cabochon rings. You can see some at http://www.juniper.co.nz/
posted by Idcoytco at 5:42 PM on February 16, 2007