Was: Flattened gold filigree wire
I can't consciously put good sapphires in silver.
This may be naive, but why not? Am I the only one perfectly happy to
set “precious” stones in silver? Some people actually like silver.
There was a thread not long ago about making an engagement ring in
silver and questions as to how durable it would be. Someone
commented that silver has a lovely warmth that white gold or platinum
don’t have and I agree with that statement.
The old notion that you have to put precious gems in gold or
platinum and you can only set “semi precious” (sorry John) gems in
silver is perhaps a little outdated (IMHO). Look at a lot of the art
jewellery that Orchid members are making. There is a lot of work in
mixed metal, predominantly silver but with gold accents, using more
precious gems and diamonds.
Another thing to think about is whether or not such jewellery is
going to be typically “bridal”, which I’ve noticed tends to be made
of less expensive materials as it only has to look good for one day
and is often too dressy to wear for other occasions, or whether the
bride wants the jewellery you make to be good for the day but also be
able to be worn at other times too.
Has she given you a budget and carte blanche to do whatever you want
or is she taking an active part in the design process? If she’s
prepared to pay for gold and that’s what she wants, then fair enough
- or you could maybe consider sourcing some lab made synthetic
sapphires (real corundum) and set them in silver?
I’d be interested to hear other’s opinions on what they’d do. Do
others set sapphires etc in silver? I would think that silver,
sapphires and quality CZ’s would make beautiful bridal jewellery and
much nicer than the plated base metal and glass offerings available
in the bridal stores.
Helen
UK