Sicily.

Jayne Moore NYC Verified independent store

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She is nothing short of a showstopper. These rich blue Sapphires and two dainty diamonds have been cast in place, pinned into position with earthy, textured cloves of gold and my s ignature hand cut detailing, to catch the light and sparkle. Held together with a connective point in the center, leaving the beauty of their elegant and finely cut edges exposed, allowing light to flood through them and illuminate the full spectrum of their vibrant and infamous color, both dark, rich and bright and clear, shimmering like the Ionian Sea. Each and every ring is hand made to order, and created using a unique and pretty extraordinary technique called cast in place. I am a lost wax carver - an ancient Egyptian art form of carving sculpture into wax, or in this instance jewelry, that is then set into heatproof plaster, and fired in a kiln that allows the wax to melt away leaving a cavity in the plaster for molten metal to be poured in. It is called lost wax because that one original carving is then forever lost. The process is nothing short of a gamble and there is a humbling element of chance involved, and this is all part of what makes the process so thrilling. The technique of adding stones to the wax carving is known as "Cast in Place", using heat to sink stones into the wax, and carving out little stone beds to build up wax around the stones, I work these precious gems into my carvings, allowing the heat to lead and the stones to fall where they will. The goal is this sweet spot where there is enough space around the stone to allow the plaster to pin it in place during the burnout, and enough wax around the stone to hold it secure once cast, but sparingly enough to create a unique and visually precarious setting, without a traditional bezel or prong setting. Every one is unique to the next, the stones have their own spectrum of diversity, and the natural ebb and flow of the wax makes for an organic sense of movement and equilibrium. Not all stones will survive this process, it's only possible with Diamonds, Sapphires, Ruby's, Garnets and a few brave souls I dare to throw in to the mix. And anything can happen in the cast... The ring photographed is cast in 10karat yellow gold, an understated personal favorite of mine, and five stones matched for color and tapered in size are set clustered together. I hand make every piece, so custom requests are welcome! Made with love, made with heat. xJM Show more