custom made engagement ring

Carnelian – An alternative birthstone for July

July is well served by birthstones. As well as the ruby, the most well-known birthstone for July, there is Carnelian. This is a semi-precious gemstone that comes in an array of dazzling orange reds, sometimes striped with white. Very pretty!

Carnelian is not a stone that can be sharply faceted, like a diamond or a ruby, as its crystalline structure is very fine – it is in fact a micro-crystalline form of quartz, with the white translucent stone given colour by iron impurities within it. This often results in bands of colour across a pale stone, but fully red stones do occur and make fabulous pieces when polished or carved.

Vintage style carnelian

This is a very hard gemstone, meaning that it can be quite finely carved – making it a popular choice for signet rings with crests and similar adornments right back to Roman times. The carved design, if a crest, would often be done as a mirror image, to allow the ring to be used as an impression on a wax seal, on legal documents and letters, to prove the sender’s identity. These were particularly popular in the late 18th and early 19th century, a reflection of the resurgence of the neo-classical design style in architecture, interiors and jewellery; you can find examples of these elegant rings today, at specialist antique jewellers around the world. It was well known and loved in Ancient Egypt too, with its warm red tones often set against blue lapis and black onyx in collars and necklaces for royalty and the aristocracy.

Carnelian “The Singer’s Stone”

In the Middle Ages carnelian was believed to have healing properties and even today it is known as the Singer’s Stone, due to its associations with confidence and the power of true expression, so enhancing creativity and passion. In fact, the multi-award winning singer Adele, who has cited her belief in the power of crystals, wears a rather beautiful carnelian bracelet, made by couture fine jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels.

This warm and pretty stone clearly translates into quite stunning jewellery, carved or polished to a warm glow and sets beautifully into yellow or white gold and silver. Used by fine jewellers and fashion jewellers alike, the only limit is the designer’s imagination, which we know will never be an issue for Christopher Evans – fine, fine jeweller!

To date we have never actually been asked to create something using carnelian, which is a shame, but perhaps by drawing your attention to this pretty, perfectly priced to deliver serious pow for your pound, glowing red gemstone.

Bespoke carnelian jewellery

Just think…drop earrings in amber-orange polished carnelian in a surround of diamonds; delicately striped carnelian set in a rose gold tennis bracelet; a tangerine square of glowing carnelian in a yellow gold brushed over setting, with orange sapphires to each side…oh, you could get quite carried away you lucky, lucky July-born babies!

How to choose the right engagement ring

You have found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with…so now it’s time to seal the deal (or put a ring on it, as the song says). But just how do you choose the right engagement ring?

We suggest that you start with the basics. Ask your partner what she would like. Oh no, does that take the romance out of it?! No going down on bended knee and offering a carefully chosen solitaire diamond engagement ring in a velvet box? Not at all. There are lots of ways to make sure the occasion is both romantic as heck, AND you choose the right engagement ring!

Get observant

What style jewellery does she like to wear? What metal colour does she wear most often? What’s her fashion style – super on trend, or vintage elegance?

Get sneaky

Ask her mother, or a trusted friend, what she’s said about engagement rings. Stick to the basics – yellow or white gold or platinum? A solitaire, a cluster or a coloured stone?

Get clever

If you’re really not sure and don’t want to risk her politely sticking with the ring you chose, but secretly wishing you’d checked first, then buy a single sparkling stone and present that, with a promise that now she can design her own ring – making it as unique as your love.

Once you’ve decided on the main stone for the ring, then you need to get a little technical. Here’s what you should consider when wondering how you choose the right engagement ring,

1. Understand the 4Cs

The four C’s, when it comes to diamonds, refer to the way that precious gems are graded and valued on an internationally recognised scale. The 4Cs combine to generate a market value for the stone that will be essentially the same anywhere in the world.

C – Colour. In a ‘white’ diamond, the ‘colour’ refers in fact to a lack of colour. The most sough-after white diamonds are those with no degree of colour at all. When you’re considering coloured stones, each has its own most prized shade, which affects it value.

C – Cut. The way a stone is cut depends on the skill of the diamond cutter, who will assess a raw gemstone and devise the best way to maximise its value by choosing a cut that unleashes its sparkle to the best effect.

C – Clarity. How clear is the stone? Flaws, blemishes and inclusions all affect the value of a stone.

C – Carat weight. This is the weight of the stone, which of course determines its apparent size.

Once you understand how these all work together, you can choose which C is most important to you and use this in your decision making. A huge diamond with poor clarity isn’t worth as much as a smaller stone with great clarity. An emerald however will have lots of inclusions, but as they’re so rare, these have a lesser effect on their value than a poor colour will have. You can find a fabulous diamond of good size and a sparkling cut, but a tinge of yellow knocks the value back. Iffor you big is beautiful, this is a great way to get some serious bang for your buck!

2. Choose your gemstone.

While diamonds are the preferred choice for most brides, there are an increasing number of ladies opting for something a little more unusual. Coloured stones such as the big four – blue sapphire, green emerald, red ruby and pink or yellow diamond – or even more unusual gemstones such as Padparadscha sapphires, blue or jacinth zircons, pink or violet sapphires, peachy morganite or green gold peridot are finding their way onto engagement rings from LA to London, and even here in Cheshire (well, we are seriously stylish, are we not?) It’s a trend we wrote about last month, here.

3. Understand that Cut and Shape are not the same thing.

Diamonds come in a variety of shapes – round, square, rectangle, heart, pear and marquise – which is identified when you look at the stone from the top. However, the ‘cut’ refers to how the diamond’s facets are arranged to maximise its sparkle. For example, you will discover that most round diamonds are cut in the ‘brilliant’ style, which is a specific arrangement of 57 or 58 facets. However, you can also have square or rectangle diamonds cut in this style, which is then known as radiant cut. It’s confusing, we know! To further complicate, you can have a square or rectabgle diamond cut in the ‘emerald’ style too, which has four longer facets to the sides and bevelled corners. Huh?! Don’t worry, we can show you examples and let you choose which you love best!

4. Choose your preferred metal.

The type of metal you choose for your ring’s band will, of course, affect the overall look of the piece. In recent years, white gold and platinum have proven popular, for a contemporary look. They are also a good choice for those diamonds of the best colour – or colourless – quality. Yellow gold is great for very clear diamonds, but if you’ve chosen a stone that is a little yellow (but otherwise ticks every box) the risk is that the yellow of the gold will make the diamond more visibly yellow.

Of course, you can choose a yellow gold band and have the setting made in white gold. We recently set a fabulous golden amber zircon into rose gold prongs to highlight its warm tones, while mounting the whole on a white gold band. Gorgeous!

5. Choose the setting.

Your jeweller should recommend a setting when he’s creating the design for you, as it will have a major impact on the finished piece, but here’s a quick overview.

Prongs: four to six metal supports that hold the stone in place. The most traditional setting for a solitaire.

Brushed over (or bezel): when a thin metal strip is pushed over around the edge of the gemstone to hold it in place. This offers excellent protection for the stone and looks tremendous on big and bold beauties.

Halo: a ring of tiny diamonds encircling the centre stone. A halo can add more sparkle to the engagement ring (reducing the need for a large centre stone) and in fact makes the centre stone look bigger.

6. Do you want side stones?

Side stones can be a dazzling way to finish off an engagement ring. Diamond baguettes (long, narrow stones) set into the shoulders of the ring can look incredibly sophisticated and if you choose a coloured gemstone, such as a pink sapphire or red ruby, really help throw the light around.

7. Set your budget

You might think we should have put this first, but actually, once you’ve had a good chat with your chosen jeweller and established what design you want, then you can set the budget for him to work to and let him go off and do his research, sourcing stones and finalising a 3D design for you to look at. This means you both know there won’t be any unexpected surprises coming when he does present the designs and you won’t feel pushed into a corner on price.

A good jeweller will take you through each of these steps whether you are buying a ring ready-made, or choosing to have one made especially for you. If you find a jeweller that seems a bit vague, or not really keen on taking you through all the influencing factors in this way – walk away. It’s your ring, a symbol of a commitment to a lifetime of togetherness and nothing, and nobody, should lessen the experience of finding that absolutely perfect one for you.

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A New York proposal with a bespoke diamond engagement ring

We love happy endings and hear about more than a few, and here’s one we’d like to share with you.

Customer Matthew Heathcoat wanted to propose to girlfriend Lauren, and wanted to do it in style, with a bespoke diamond engagement ring designed using everything he knew about the likes and dislikes of the woman he loves.

‘I wanted to have a ring made bespoke because it’s really just so much more personal,’ Matt told us. ‘All the time and thought that goes into it makes it really special and unique and I knew that Lauren would appreciate the extra effort that had gone into it.

‘I chose Christopher Evans because having been a customer before, just for small things like watch batteries and straps, I knew their levels of customer service were superb.

‘I work in the design industry myself, in architectural design, so I really enjoyed the opportunity to get involved in this. I was involved in every step, from initial discussions about what I wanted to the first sketches, which are then converted to CAD 3D images, and even to the diamond selection. I learned so much from the designer Nicky, who walked me through every step and really looked after me.

‘I had a budget and was quite prepared to spend more than I would on just choosing a ready-made ring, but actually when you’re going bespoke you can manage your budget as you choose everything from the stones to the setting. You can see how much work goes into it all and you get to keep the sketches and final designs, which is a lovely keepsake.

‘I would recommend it to everyone. You know exactly what you’re getting and develop a relationship with real experts you know you can trust.’

Matt hadn’t just planned to surprise Lauren with a ring made to his own requirements, he planned to take her by surprise with a New York proposal too.

‘Lauren had no idea I was planning to propose,’ he says. ‘We flew to New York right after Christmas and on New Year’s Eve we went for breakfast and then a walk through Central Park. It was a beautiful crisp winter’s morning and we headed for Bow Bridge, a well-known beauty spot in the Park. There is a secluded bench nearby, from where you can see the bridge spanning the lake.’

Matt did the full down on bended knee, 100% romantic, proposal and Lauren said yes. The wedding is planned for next year, but before then they will be calling into Christopher Evans to start the design process on their wedding bands.

‘Lauren loved the ring,’ says Matt. ‘In fact, unbeknown to me, she’d found a picture of a ring she liked about 18 months earlier and had downloaded it to her phone. It’s remarkably similar to the one I designed for her, so I did well!

‘We’re definitely going back to have the wedding bands designed – and together this time!’

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The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor

If, like us, you can’t wait for the next series of The Crown to start, you will already be familiar with Mrs. Simpson, the twice divorced American (oh, the Establishment must have wept!) that King Edward VIII loved so much, he was prepared to give up his throne and his life in Britain for.

She became quite famous for her elegance and wit, and of course, for her incredible jewellery collection, bestowed upon her by her besotted royal husband.

The jewellery collection of Wallace Simpson, who of course became the Duchess of Windsor, is testament to her husband’s undying love, as all through their 35-year marriage, the Duke showered his wife with custom-made jewels from the world’s major jewellery houses. No genteel obscurity for these two, if the word bling had been invented in the early 20^th century, it may well have been applied to Wallace. She did say, famously: “I’m nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better than anyone else.”

In April 1987, the two-day sale of the jewels of the Duchess of Windsor at Sotheby’s would forever change the jewellery auction business, achieving a record-breaking $50.3m.

Many of the pieces were one-offs, created to her own designs, that defined the Duchess’s unique sense of style. It’s fair to say that at this auction there was a positive frenzy of bidding for each piece, pushing them to extraordinary heights and considerably beyond the estimates placed by the auction house.As an example, an 18 karat gold and gem-set cigarette case inscribed: ‘David from Wallis Christmas 1935’, that was etched with a map tracing a holiday tour of Europe, sold for $266,000 – almost 100 times its appraised value, and the Duchess’s 19.77-carat emerald engagement ring, made by Cartier, sold for $2.1 million (4.5 times its estimate).

This incredible Cartier amethyst, turquoise and diamond collar necklace sold for a total of $373,996 and this custom-made panther clip earned $933,000, or seven times its estimate.

This extraordinary piece is made from white diamonds interspersed with cabochon cut sapphires for the panther’s spots and two yellow diamonds for its eyes. The big cat sits atop a 152.35 carat cabochon cut Kashmir sapphire, an unmistakable statement of majesty.

Made by Cartier in 1949 (a time when the British people really knew the meaning of austerity) the panther clip screams defiance, don’t you think? As the couple had been flattered by the attentions of Herr Hitler during the 1930’s (much to the dismay, again, of the British Establishment), and were seen ever after as Nazi sympathisers, this wasn’t perhaps the best move they ever made.

Whatever the truth behind their love, marriage and life one thing remains inarguable – Wallace Simpson gathered one of the most extraordinary jewellery collections ever conceived and one which continues to dazzle lovers of fine jewellery and set the standard of imaginative design today. And for this, she will ever be remembered.

bespoke custom made engagement ring Wallace Simpson

Coloured diamonds

Diamonds come in a whole range of colours, from flamingo pink to canary yellow, pewter grey to sky blue, chocolate brown and marmalade orange to new leaf green and stormy violet…and all shades in between.

While white diamonds are the stuff of most bride’s dreams, these stones are in fact rather common (as in not rare, not as in Benefits Street!) and it’s naturally coloured, or fancy coloured, diamonds that are the headline stealers, attention grabbers and jaw-droppers of the gemstone lovers’ world today.

You’ll have seen the headlines yourself – Ben Affleck gave a cherry-blossom pink 6.1ct diamond to Jennifer Lopez on their engagement (and I bet she didn’t give it back), Paris Hilton went for canary yellow and Mariah Carey also plumped for pink.

Naturally coloured diamonds are in fact nature’s errors – the colour in them is caused by a flaw in the creation of them, deep underground. A chemically pure and structurally perfect diamond is perfectly transparent, with no hue whatsoever. These are pretty rare. Colouration is caused by a chemical impurity – nitrogen atoms cause yellow, green and brown shades, boron delivers hues of blue while carbon impurities give us black diamonds – or structural defects – pink, red and brown shades come from deformation during the crystal growth while exposure to natural radiation can create green diamonds.

Of course, the colours that result from these defects can either enhance or detract from a diamond’s appeal and value. Muddy brown and sludge green aren’t the usual bride’s choice for an engagement ring, even for those looking for a really unusual engagement ring!

The rarest of coloured diamonds are highly sought after by gemstone collectors, and rarely therefore make the jewellery market. The most paid for a coloured diamond (so far) was $46m, for a 24.78ct intense pink diamond, while the most paid per carat was $2.4m, when a 14.28ct vivid orange pear shaped diamond sold for over $35m at Christies in Geneva in 2013.

You don’t have to be endlessly wealthy (or totally nuts) to get your hands on a beautiful, rare and unforgettable coloured diamond however. At Christopher Evans we use coloured diamonds in many bespoke jewellery designs, from brooches to pendants and, of course, to rings.

Brides looking for a really unusual engagement ring, but who still crave the traditional romance of a diamond, have their pick of shades and the only limit (apart, of course, from your budget) is your imagination.

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The birthstone for March is the Aquamarine

The birthstone for March is the aquamarine. This delicate blue gemstone has an ancient lineage, with a history going back to classical Greece or beyond.

Named for the sea, inspired by colours in which it is found, aquamarine is believed to have been worn by sailors to help prevent sea-sickness. Both the Greeks and the Romans believed that wearing aquamarines would ensure a safe journey across the sea and that it would render soldiers invincible. I have to ask – surely this belief would have become immediately apparent as misplaced?!

The gemstone of romance

Aquamarine is also a gemstone of romance. Roman bridegrooms gave the gem to their new brides, in the belief that the stone would absorb the atmosphere of their young love and carry it into their relationship for the rest of their lives.

This belief that the aquamarine was imbued with love carried through into the Middle Ages, when couples seeking to re-ignite their romance would wear the gemstone. Larger stones would often be cut into crystal balls as it was believed to help focus the mind of those who sought to see the future.

The stone’s popularity as a healing crystal was strengthened by the belief that wearing the stone would endow the owner with foresight, courage, intelligence and youthfulness.

We’re not sure about all that, but we do know it makes the most beautiful jewellery and as the birthstone for March, is quite a popular choice at this time of year!

Aquamarine has a variety of shades

This fabulous gemstone comes in a range of shades from an almost colourless pale blue to a deep, rich tropical sea-green. In previous centuries, the most sought-after colour was sea green, though today it is the tropical sea-blue that is most desired.

Most aquamarines are cut to sparkle, some are polished to create a cabochon, and this can lead to the gemstone displaying the cat’s eye effect. This shows as what seems to be a living star, buried just below the surface of the gem, flashing and dashing as you move it around. This unusual effects is quite captivating and can bewitch you for hours.

If this is your birthstone, you’re very lucky indeed, as it is without doubt one of our favourite stones to work with and, as you can see here, we have had the joy of creating some beautiful and unusual rings.

If you think an aquamarine all of your very own is something you really need to do, call us or call in, we’re reasy and able to inspire and delight.

aquamarine bespoke birthstone custom made engagement ring

Wedding ring rash or itchy skin?

Engagement ring…wedding ring….suffering? Have you developed a rash around your wedding ring that’s itchy and uncomfortable? Wedding ring rash (also known as wedding ring dermatitis) is most common in married women, but in fact anyone wearing any ring for prolonged periods of time can develop an allergic skin reaction.

Quite often we see ladies here who are experiencing skin irritation under their engagement, wedding or eternity rings and want to know what might be causing it.

In the past, we would look at the type of metal and check for nickel content, as this often caused allergic reactions in wearers, but now that nickel no longer forms a part of most jewellery metal alloys, we’ve discovered that the ring design itself is often the culprit.

Often gemstones are set into rings leaving small holes beneath, the theory being that this enhances the sparkle of your precious gem by allowing the light to travel through – this isn’t actually the case however. Many rings are so constructed because it means they are lighter in weight and so cost less. However, the small holes allow soap and debris to build up inside and this can often lead to mild, or very occasionally, severe dermatitis. Itchy, scaly, red and swollen skin is no fun, so what to do?

Bring your ring to us and we can work to solve your problem. We an re-make your ring so that there is no longer any opportunity for detergent or dirt to build up and cause the reaction in future. We can check for nickel content and if necessary replace the metal with new, nickel-free, metal too.

It’s a quick and simple process and we can leave you with a ring that looks the same as the one you originally chose, but no longer has the elements that are most likely to cause irritation.

Call either of our stores for an appointment or simply pop in! We look forward to meeting you.

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How to propose

There can’t be a single bride who can’t tell you, in great detail, exactly how her new husband proposed. In fact, “How did he propose?” is almost always the next question asked after “Can I see the ring?”

Unsurprisingly therefore, the actual proposal is almost as important as the wedding day for many women. In fact, a survey undertaken in America found that 25 per cent of women saw the proposal as MORE important than the wedding ceremony…but the US is the first home of the Bridezilla!

Here are a couple of do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when considering how to propose:

DO: go down on one knee. It’s corny, but effective. You can’t go wrong with the classics!

DO NOT: propose on Facebook, Twitter or any other form of social media. You may actually have met online and live a significant proportion of your life there, but this is a serious no-no. Your intended needs to know way before anybody else!

DO: Keep it simple. A romantic dinner in your favourite restaurant, a picnic in the park, a weekend break at a boutique hotel…all these set the scene for you. When your plan is uncomplicated, you can be sure the proposal will be too.

DO NOT: forget to ask her father’s permission first. Yes, it’s old fashioned. Yes, it’s potentially embarrassing. But it’s respectful and will please your bride (and your father-in-law to be, which is always helpful!)

DO: think about the ring. In the survey over 50 per cent of women said that they’d rather their partner committed his funds to the ring than the proposal. You don’t actually have to have the ring with you, of course. Today more and more couples are choosing a bespoke engagement ring. This way you can control the budget and the design, and create something wholly unique to celebrate a love that’s wholly unique. Nobody loves you like she does, so make sure you acknowledge that with an extra special engagement ring.

Christopher Evans is a wedding ring designer in Cheshire who has put the cherry on the cake for many, many couples in love. Pop in to see him in Poynton or Stockton Heath, with or without your bride-to-be, and together you can create something amazing.

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