Using an old stone in a new ring.

It’s not all about big brash diamonds. Not everyone has the same taste. We are all different, and this is what makes my work so enjoyable! Everyone has a story. Everyone has a different idea. And everyone is unique. 

I was visited by clients who had a ruby that was handed down by her mother, and she wanted to include it in the design of her new engagement ring. Her idea was to have the ruby as the centre piece, and surround it with diamonds all of the same cut. Once this was finalised, the rest was plain sailing, ahem!!

Here we can see the framework for the stones. each of the small boxes are settings for the princess cut diamonds which will surround the ruby. 

Once the ring is set and polished, it has a totally different complexion. A consideration at the start was of course how to have her wedding ring. Does she have a straight one which would leave a big gap between rings on the shoulders? Do we go for a narrow curved ring to fit around the setting, but has a tendency to always rotate when you least want it to.

We decided to go for a wide ring with a section cut out for the engagement ring to snugly fit into. As you can se the result was perfection. This works beautifully for her as she has long slender fingers and the width of the ring compliments her hand. 

Would you like an heirloom reset? Why not give me a call and make an appointment? 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB). You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

Diamonds Don’t Only Come In White!!

Diamonds are without question the most beautiful and precious things in the world. They don’t only come in white though!!

With the hype and talk surrounding gold and the high prices it has commanded over the last 4-6 weeks slacking off, clients have been returning to more day to day investments. I am of course referring to themselves and their loved ones. Creativity, something I pride myself on, is the order of the month. Diamond engagement rings are traditionally made with white diamonds, however if it’s the wow factor you are after, or indeed just want to be the talk of the town, then why not opt for a Black diamond engagement ring??

The photo above received a lot of interest on my Facebook page this week, and thank you for that. As you can see, this ring makes a huge statement, and so it should. It is set with a large 1.66 carat black diamond in the centre, and is flanked by 5 white diamonds on each shoulder to help enhance it’s beauty. The couple received so many comments on their Facebook page on how lovely the ring is and how they haven’t seen anything like this before, that it made their occasion that much more memorable. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB). You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

The remaking of a family heirloom diamond ring.

Time for a case study.

I thought it would be nice to see how a ring is remodelled, after a client ask for her grandmothers engagement ring to be re-made into a more classical and updated version, so she can wear it as her current engagement ring. 

In the first image we can see the original with the centre stone and one other already taken out. If you look closely you will notice there is no metal between each of the outside diamonds to hold them together, to keep them evenly spaced. 

This images shows a side angle of the original ring. If we look at the shank we can see it’s made from wire and doubled up at the back to give it a thicker feel. As a result of this, it makes the framework quite insecure and gives a higher chance of distortion and damage, should it take a whack!

Once all the diamonds are out and measurements have been taken, it’s time to make the new look ring. From a plate of 18ct gold sheet, the stones are marked, metal drilled, and a shape filed with wires added for the claws. On the shank, it’s thicker than previous and the wires are added to form the gallery of the ring. After the two pieces are made, all the wires are married up and soldered together. 

Excuse the slightly misty picture. In this shot we can see the ring made and assembled. All the wires matched up and have been soldered, joins were filed up and sandpapered, the ring has been pre-polished and ready to be set. 

And here’s the finished piece all polished up. A beautiful modern twist on a classical timeless piece ready to be handed down another generation or two, just as these diamonds were handed down two generations. After all, we never really own a diamond, we merely look after it for the next generation. And this proves it. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB). You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com

Cupid’s arrow is aiming to sparkle this Valentine’s Day

With around 10% of marriage proposals occurring on or around Valentine’s Day, the most romantic holiday of the year sees a fair share of diamond rings purchased. 

Valentine’s Day has worldwide appeal, and the practise of gift giving is celebrated in the USA, Australia, Britain, China, Ghana, India, South Africa and more. In Mexico, heart shaped and red themed gifts appear immediately after Christmas. Japanese women bestow small gifts such as chocolate on Valentine’s Day, the men return the favour a month later on White Day by handing out jewellery and other gifts to loved ones. 

Now with all this said, the problem now becomes what is the ideal piece of jewellery for me to purchase and how do I go about doing this? Well with all my years of experience, and being a member of the London Diamond Bourse, let me try to offer some sensible advice. 

If you are going to propose or indeed purchase a significant diamond, then you need to do your research. Being familiar with the 4C’s of diamond quality is a crucial element in understanding what you are buying, and why on the face of it, two diamonds may appear the same yet be miles apart in price. These are all explained in a previous blog.

Choose a qualified jeweller: Sounds obvious however I have been into many multiples, and found that the staff there are very inexperienced as they may be working their way through college and are just counter staff. Take note of their qualifications and ask to speak to someone who you feel comfortable with.

Ask for an independent diamond grading report: A diamond certificate details the gemological quality of the diamond. It will tell you if the stone is natural or synthetic, if it’s been treated and how, and it’s quality of the 4C’s.

Keep the purchase secure: Have the diamond independently valued and then insure it. It is probably one of the largest purchases you will ever make. It would be prudent to have it insured on your home content policy. Some diamonds are laser inscribed with the certificate number on the girdle. Keep this number safe to help identify it if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Purchase the stone loose and have the ring made later: If you are unsure what design your fiancé would prefer and yet want to maintain the element of surprise, then one option is to buy a loose diamond and go through the design process together. Very romantic and she will love the idea that you are doing they together. 

A gift of diamonds is an outward expression of what people mean to one another. Enjoy the process, it’s one that will live in the memory for a very long time. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com 

Top 10 Signs He Is About To Propose

How to crack the case on your boyfriend proposal plans!!  

You and your girlfriend have discussed the “M” word – marriage – and are ready to take the next step. So, what are you waiting for? The proposal, of course! With the most romantic day of the year – Valentine’s Day – approaching, women all over the country are anxiously awaiting the proposal of their dreams. In fact, according to proposal experts, approximately 24,000 proposals happen on Valentine’s Day each year. As you mentally plan your emotional acceptance and continue your regimen of weekly manicures, don’t forget to observe your boyfriend’s behaviour for definite clues that “the question” is coming.

Is He Sending Signals?
According to experts, women often witness unusual behaviour from their boyfriends just prior to marriage proposals. These people have researched more than 10,000 proposal stories and have spent years in the industry advising men on popping the question. Now, after reading this, I have compiled a list for you - from getting a new credit card to befriending with your dad — that may signal that your boyfriend is gearing up for the engagement:

So here are my top 10 signs he is about to propose. 
1. He’s cleaning his closet: If your boyfriend is finally tossing out that “private” box of mementos from former girlfriends, he is letting go of his past and is ready to focus on the future with you.

2. He’s sizing you up: Your favourite ring is missing and your best friend has been asking the size of your finger. Chances are your boyfriend is doing some investigating before visiting the jeweller.

3. He’s cutting costs: Dates have gone from gourmet dining to drive-through dinners — if your boyfriend is suddenly a miser; he may be saving up for the special day.

4. He goes for the gold: You spot your boyfriend flashing a shiny new gold card — many men open credit cards with higher spending limits to make the expensive ring purchase and snag some frequent flyer miles in the process.

5. He’s on the “We” channel: If his conversations no longer start with “My” but with “Our,” he is definitely ready to move out of singlesville.

6. He’s family oriented: Your boyfriend is enthusiastically organizing a get-together with both of your families. An anxious interest in “meeting the parents” is a true sign he’s ready for the next step.

7. He’s watching weddings: You attend a friend’s wedding and are shocked at your boyfriend’s commentary on the music, flowers and food. Even more surprising — he encourages you to catch the bouquet! 

8. He’s letting go of “The Bachelor” inside: He’s sold his scooter and cancelled his weekly poker games — a mature lifestyle change means marriage is sounding more meaningful to him than ever before.

9. He’s a man with a plan: Your socially laid-back guy suddenly insists on prior plans, and instead of waiting until Friday night to plan your weekend, he’s making arrangements Tuesday or earlier … he may have a certain social “engagement” that he doesn’t want you to miss. 

10. He’s your dad’s new golf partner: If a close connection has developed between your dad and your boyfriend it’s more than likely that they’ve had “the talk”. Good luck!!

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com

Engagement Ring Advice for Guys

Before we get started, can I be honest with you?

The best way to buy her an engagement ring she’ll love is to let her pick it out herself. She’ll wear this ring every day. It must feel good on her finger and it must suit her lifestyle. Sometimes it takes trying on many, many diamond shapes and setting styles to determine which ring is truly “best.”

But you still want to go it alone, don’t you? Maybe because you want to surprise her. Or because you don’t want her to be involved with pricing and payment issues. That’s fine! If you put some thought into it you can buy an engagement ring that she’ll love almost as much as she loves you.

Number 1: Pay Attention!
Paying attention to her jewellery likes and dislikes is the first big step towards finding her the perfect engagement ring:
What metal colour does she wear now? Most women have a definite preference.
If she loves white gold or platinum, don’t even look at a diamond or other stone mounted in a yellow gold ring setting. What style of jewellery does she wear now? Is it contemporary-looking, with bold styling? Does she prefer vintage looking rings? Or would you say that the jewellery she wears is classic, resembling those timeless pieces that never go out of style? What is the difference between white gold and platinum? 

The best indication of her tastes is the jewellery she wears all the time, not items she only wears occasionally, because it’s the full-timers that she’s most comfortable with.

Number 2: Has She Hinted at her Likes and Dislikes?
Has she ever mentioned her favourite jewellery styles or pointed out engagement rings when you’re shopping together? If not, take her shopping. It isn’t difficult to steer yourselves towards the jewellery shops. If you want to be subtle, say you’re looking for a new watch, but be sure to pause at the engagement ring counters.
Maybe she has a friend who recently became engaged. Does she like her friend’s engagement ring? Why or why not?
Does she like diamonds? Some women don’t. Sapphires and rubies are both durable gemstones that are often set into engagement rings for women who don’t like to wear diamonds.

Number 3: What Looks Best on Her Hands?
An elongated diamond, such as a marquise or oval, can make short fingers look more sleek but be careful not to overdo the look or it could have the opposite effect.
Wide bands usually make fingers appear even shorter than they are, so think proportional:
Women with long fingers can easily wear bold ring styles.
A setting that’s extremely delicate could get lost on large hands, over-emphasizing their size and making the ring look smaller.

Number 4: Choose the Right Shape & Setting
Round diamonds are the number one shape chosen by brides, but maybe not your bride. She might prefer an elongated marquise, oval or pear-shaped stone, or a square or emerald cut diamond. Fancier shapes, such as hearts, are another option.
Do you think she’d like a solitaire diamond, set alone in a band, or would she prefer a cluster of stones? Her current jewellery can give you clues about her preferences.

Number 5: Consider her Lifestyle
How will the ring fit in with her lifestyle? Does she work in a profession where fussy jewellery would look out of place? Even if she doesn’t, remember that a pointed gem with high prongs could snag clothing (and people) and is harder to keep clean. Save that type of ring for gifts that will be worn on special occasions, not every day.

Number 6: What’s her Ring Size?
Does she have rings that she wears on her engagement finger? Maybe a friend or family member could get hold of one of them long enough for you to have it sized. Of course, you’ll have to swear the messenger to secrecy.

Number 7: Consider a Loose Diamond
If you think you know which shape she loves, buy a loose diamond to show her when you ask the big question. The two of you can shop together later for the perfect engagement ring setting.

Now that you have a better feel for the style of ring she might prefer, it’s time to consider the diamonds that will go into it. Start with the Four C’s, and then take some time to browse our website for other designs and styles. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com

You’ve just got engaged! High Street or Bespoke ring?

Believe it or not, the hardest part of the engagement is proposing! Well for the groom it is. All the planning and preparation has gone according to plan, and if that didn’t include the ring, the fun is about to begin. Where should you start though? In my experience the bride-to-be has had her sights set on her dream ring since she was able to dream. The groom has just realised that he should have proposed with a ring and saved himself a potential headache.

So is the next stop the High Street or a Bespoke jeweller?

Well here would be my reasons for going to the High Street: 

1. You are in a rush and don’t have the time to wait for a bespoke piece.
2. You don’t want the added pressure of researching and running from one shop to another. 
3. You want to keep it simple and don’t want a fussy design. For you it’s about the diamond and not such an elaborate and  complicated design. 
4. You’re not sure what you want! By shopping around and trying on different rings, you get a better feel of what suit’s you best. 

And here are my reasons for choosing a Bespoke piece:

1. You want something individual and unique. It’s something you will wear for the rest of your life and you want it to mean something. 
2. You have something specific in mind, and you won’t be able to find it in any High Street shop. 
3. She knows what she want’s, and this is not the time to have your first marital argument. 
4. You want to make sure 100% that the metal and the diamonds are sourced from ethical mines. This is a great way to find that out for your specific ring. 
5. You may have been left an heirloom from a grandparent, and want to reuse the diamonds from that ring, or just have it re-sized.

So you have thought these things through, all that leaves is the cost. How does this differ? Well if you are on a tight budget, you should start by looking in the High Street. They have rings that start at a few hundred pounds. As a bespoke jeweller, I wouldn’t be able to match that, however the more you spend with me, the greater the saving made versus the price of the High Street. It’s a win win situation. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com

I can see a rainbow

When you think of a rainbow, you probably think of the weather turning from rain to sun and look up to the sky to see a multi coloured arch with stunning natural colours. Well who wouldn’t?

Do you know that there are no fewer than 27 different colour grades recognised by the diamond industry? And that is without analysing the different colour grades of a white diamond, as set out in the 4C’s.

What we have here is a hue circle which has all the colours mapped out for you to see.

These are shown in order of common to rare as laid out by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America).

Today I will delve deeper into the hue and look at the different colour’s and their rarity in nature.

As mentioned previously, colour’s are graded according to the GIA by 27 different hues, and have been standardised in the circle colour scheme. As you can see some hues are straight (possess one colour) and some have a secondary hue. There are diamonds that even have third and forth hues.

In most cases a single coloured stone will have a higher value than one with a secondary hue, although diamonds that their secondary hue makes them rarer are more valuable. For example a Yellow diamond with a secondary Green colour or Pink with a secondary Purple colour will be more expensive.

On the other hand a Yellow diamond with a secondary Brown, or Blue with a secondary Gray will be less expensive, due to the reason that their secondary hue makes them more common   and less valuable in comparison. 

Rarity is a key point in regards to value: the rarer the colour the higher its price. The most valuable colour’s, which are also extremely rare and expensive, are in following order: Red, Green, Blue, Purple and Pink. The most common colour’s are the light Yellow, Brown, Black and Gray colour’s. And yet, during the last few years even these colour’s are becoming more popular and the Brown (Champagne/Cognac) and Black ones are becoming very sought after as well and therefore more expensive than just only a few years ago. You can see my previous blog on Black Diamonds here. 

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com

Back to Black..

Traditionally a black diamond was thought of as a man’s stone, and is often used in settings for men’s wedding bands. While black diamonds aren’t considered as popular as other coloured diamonds like fancy pink or canary yellow, there seems to have been an uptrend in recent years.

The latest resurgence of mass publicity came in 2010 with the release of Sex And The City 2, when Carrie is given a nice 5 Carat Black Diamond ring, below, from Big. When she asked why a black diamond, his response was “because you are not like anyone else”.

This ring was designed by Itay Malkin who beat 20 other top designers to the coveted “important” ring. The final design featued a 5 carat natural black diamond surrounded by 80 natural white pave diamonds which are set in 18ct white gold. 

In 2008 Victoria’s Secret created the Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra. It was adorned with nearly 3,900 gems, mainly black diamonds and with a price tag of $5 million.

Olga Kurylenko, who stars as the newest Bond girl Camille in the latest 007 movie Quantum of Solace, showed up at the London Premier wearing a black diamond and ruby poppy brooch designed by Kleshna. The James Bond beauty is often seen wearing black diamonds. 

So what are your thoughts on the matter? Is it as clear as black or white?

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com

Should a woman buy her own engagement ring?

Now this is a question that is very topical right now. Well, it always is when a guy is deliberating over the budget for the lady he loves. 

Given how common it is for women to pick out their engagement rings, is it still taboo if they pay for them as well?

“It’s completely against tradition,” says Lewis Malka, writer of this blog. “It’s been ingrained in us for so long that men propose and they propose with a ring.” 

“These are high-powered, highly paid women,” Lewis says. “In their eyes, they have ideals to live up to. And for certain high end ladies, it is paramount that their ring reflects their lifestyle.”

“Many people these days live together well before they decide to marry. They’re sharing money, expenses and wedding costs. You could say that’s partially the bride’s money going toward her own engagement ring.”

What do you make of women buying their own engagement ring’s? I would love to hear your view.

Lewis Malka is a recognized expert in making diamond rings as well as being famous for being a jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. You can follow him daily on Facebook and Twitter. 
If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.

www.joseph-sterling.com | lewis@Joseph-sterling.com