HOW DO I GET INSPIRATION FOR JEWELLERY DESIGN?
We conducted a small workshop for our Design students to let us know how they get Inspiration for their Jewellery design. We receive overwhelming responses from our students, it is very interesting to see what are the different sources from where these students get inspiration. Below are the responses of few students. Pooja Vishwakarma Look at other designs for inspiration- Obviously, this does not mean copying outright another designer’s jewelry ideas. You don’t have to limit yourself. You’ll find more inspiration by looking at pieces with different themes and concepts, or different types of metals and gemstones. Stay in touch with the latest fashions- We should not limit ourselves to fashion trends in clothing and jewelry. We must take a look at trends in architecture, film, music, and other industries that affect fashion trends as well. Follow jewelry blogs- Reading jewelry blogs for what’s new in jewelry design is another effective way to find inspiration. There are many excellent writers out there who can keep you updated on the latest innovations, design ideas, trends, and fashions. Archana Patel Start sketching- Sometimes, all you need to doto find your creative spark isto just start sketching. Sometimes it’s themixing of ideas when you lookback at your sketches, orsimply using ofideas that have been on yourmind that allows yourcreativity to flow again. Way of life- In India, there are severaltrending inspirations thatcan be transformed into the design of jewellery. Youcan get inspiration fromthe way of life of the people,how they dress, how they make a visualrepresentation of it. For example, an Indian saree with all of its beautiful colors & patterns can be used as an inspiration to be transformed into jewellery. Social media- With the vast trend in Indianmovies, inspiration is being takenfrom these movies, series, cartoons and aretransformed into jewellery sketches.Jewellery showcase inmovies such as Padmavat, Jodha Akbar, Bajirao Mastani amongothers turned out to betrendsetters for the season. Pushpa Devi Inspiration from Nature– A designer can get inspiration from natural resources like birds, trees, shells, and all that God-gifted nature. It can be in the form of a bird feather, a bright flower, the patterns on a butterfly, or the colors of the sky when the sunsets. Exhibitions- A great source of inspiration can also come from exhibitions, be it in art or fashion, books, a visit to the markets, magazines, pictures, catalogs. Jyoti Singh Sketching- Planning any ideas to circulate, pencil or pen is needed. Similarly, for sketching or scribbling, we need the ability to visualize and analyze the concept. So, once the inspiration is achieved, half the work is completed. Workshops- It helps a designer to develop a new skill set. It helps to create new ways of thinking, new skills, new ideas, having fun while learning. Vaishali Upadhyay Designing involves skill, creativity, originality with an ability to visualize ideas Observing, recording and analyzing from things around us. Natural Sources- Nature is an endless ocean of ideas. We can capture the inspirations from an animal on the run, a bird in flight, blooming flowers, butterflies, insects, or fish. Historical Sources- Inspiration can be taken from museums, historical monuments, libraries, sculptures, Vases, calligraphy paintings, and artifacts. All the recent creativity is a blend of ancient with modern ideas. Themes & Concepts- If a designer thinks with an open mind he/she can express a variety of themes from Magazines, catalogs, books, photographs, visits to jewelry stores, exhibitions.
15 Different Cuts and Shapes of Coloured Gemstones
Coloured Stone Cuts and ShapesThe word lapidary (adj.) relates to the work of cutting, grinding, polishing, or engraving precious stones, mostly other than diamonds. It is a process that turns a coloured precious or semi-precious rough stone into a beautifully shaped gem to use in jewellery. A well-cut stone helps to hide imperfections and bring out its true colour and brilliance. Broadly, there are two styles of gem cutting – faceted and non-faceted, or cabochon. While faceted gemstones have geometric shapes and flat polished surfaces, cabochons have rounded surfaces. Today, fancy cuts such as flowers, leaves and stars can also be seen in coloured stones. It is the artistry of the gem cutter or lapidary (n.) that makes each coloured gemstone a piece of art. Here are some of the most common cuts used in gemstones: 1. Cabochon Cut The cabochon, also known as a cab, is the oldest form of shaped and polished gemstone dating back to the 13 or 14th century. The name, derived from the Norman French word “caboche”, meaning head, describes the stone as having a flat bottom with a convex or rounded domed top. The cut helps to display characteristics like asterism (the star effect) in star sapphires and rubies, chatoyancy (Cat’s Eye effect) in tourmalines, Tiger’s Eyes, chrysoberyls, iridescence (changing of colour in some lights or angles) in opals, or adularescence (milky-bluish lustre) in moonstones, rose quartz and agates. While the traditional cabochon was oval in shape, today cabochons are available in rounds, triangles, and rectangles. 2. Buff-Top This cut is a mix of a cabochon and a faceted gem. The top has a cab dome while the bottom contains facets on the pavilion below the girdle. These strategically placed facets allow light to reflect from the pavilion, giving the gemstone an illusion of depth. Bufftops are often found in men’s jewellery. This kind of cut is exactly the opposite of a rose cut. 3. Round Brilliant-Cut The round brilliant-cut gemstone, also known as the Round Cut, American Ideal Cut or American Standard Cut has 57 facets. It was perfected by mathematical genius Marcel Tolkowsky in 1919, calculated with variables such as the index of refraction and covalent bond angles. Today, the best diamond solitaires in the world use this cut. Tolkowsky’s recommended cut height for a Round Brilliant is 58% of the diameter of the diamond, 43% for the pavilion, and 14% for the height of the crown. This ratio provides maximum fire, brilliance and sparkle. This cut is also commonly found in coloured gemstones. 4. Oval Cut The Oval cut has an elliptical shape with 69 facets. Created in the 1950s, it is a hybrid between a round cut and a marquise cut. Often used in coloured stone and diamond engagement rings, the elongated silhouette of the gemstone creates the illusion of a larger gemstone allowing the finger on which it is worn to look longer and slimmer. 5. Baguette Cut Long, oblong and rectangular-shaped Baguette cut gemstones first appeared during the 1920s-30s art deco movement. Crafted in step cuts the 14 facets resemble a pyramid without a top. It has clean lines and a modern, geometric look. Baguette cut stones can be either regular or tapered, resembling a trapezoid. 6. Princess Cut The Princess cut, or Square cut, is the second most popular cut, after the Round Brilliant cut. It is technically known as the Square Modified Brilliant because it is a square version of the Round Brilliant cut. It has between 58 and 76 facets that give it brilliance and sparkle and maximize its lustre. A square-cut gem retains 80% of the rough gemstone. Solitaire engagement rings have princess cut gemstones with trilliants at their sides. 7. Pear Cut A Pear cut gemstone looks like a teardrop. It offers 71 facets that reflect light and allow the colour to showcase dramatically. It is a difficult cut that needs an expert lapidary to align the point with the peak of the rounded end. The gemstone also requires a six-prong setting to maintain support for its fragile point. Pear cut coloured stones have donned jewellery since the 1400s and are a favourite in earrings and pendants even today. 8. Emerald Cut The Emerald cut is like a rectangle from the top, except that it has trimmed or truncated corners. Its 50 facets help to emphasize the gem’s colour and clarity. The cut was originally designed for emeralds. Sinceemeralds occur in nature with numerous inclusions and are softer than other precious stones, cutting them was difficult due to potential chipping. The Emerald cut addressed those issues by decreasing the amount of force applied during cutting to protect the stone from chipping and breakage. 9. Octagon Cut The Rectangular cut or Octagon cut gemstone has 53 facets. This cut is different from the Emerald cut as the steps on the pavilion are not equidistant. In this cut, the four corners are metered and the facets run in steps parallel to the gemstone circumference. It is also a preferred cut in which the deep colour highlights the beauty of the gemstone. 10. Cushion Cut This classic Cushion cut has 64 facets. Also known as the Pillow cut, Old Miner cut, or Old European cut, the Cushion cut was popular in jewellery of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like a Princess cut, this cut also reduces the wastage of the rough gem while maintaining its lustre and brilliance. 11. Marquise Cut The Marquise cut, also known as the Navette cut, has 57 facets. This modified brilliant cut has a ratio of length to width 2:1 to help reflect the most amount of light and maximize sparkle and colour. In a Marquise cut, the two endpoints must line up with each other and the two halves of the stone should be perfect copies of each other. The cut offers more weight per carat than any other cut creating an illusion of a larger gemstone. 12. Briolette One of the most difficult shapes to cut,
The 5Cs of Coloured Gemstones
Precious and semi-precious coloured gemstones have graced royal heads to fashionista necklines. They have symbolized status, power, love, and beauty. Coloured gemstones, like diamonds, are also graded by gemmologists based on their characteristics or properties. This basic gemstone grading helps lay the foundation to command special attention and higher pricing for the gemstone. The 5Cs of coloured gemstonesLike diamonds, colour stones also have 5Cs or five characteristics. They are: – 1. ColourColour is the main characteristic of any gemstone. As coloured gemstones are varied and difficult to understand, gemmologists worldwide use standard parameters to grade the colour of the gemstone. Every gemstone colour is evaluated on the basis of three components. These are:- – HueHue is the color reflected by the gemstone and visible to the naked eye. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has categorized hues – red (R), orange (O), yellow (Y), green (G), blue (B), violet (V), and purple (P). Almost every primary color of the gemstone falls within one of these hue categories.– ToneTone describes the depth of the color as too light, light, medium, dark, or too dark. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) assigns a number in the color gem grading code to represent the tone of the gem from light to dark when viewed from the top/table of the gemstone. The value ranges from 0, colorless or white, to 10, black. The tone of the gemstone continues to give it brilliance even when viewed away from direct light.– SaturationSaturation refers to the intensity of the gem’s hue ranging from light to strong and deep to shallow. At GIA, the saturation values range from 1 to 6. Warm hues, such as red, orange, and yellow, become shades of brown as their saturation decreases. Cool hues, like blue and violet, become progressively more gray as their saturation decreases. 2. ClarityClarity is the second most crucial factor when comparing high-quality colored gemstones. It is simply described as – the relative absence of inclusions (materials trapped inside the gem), fractures, and blemishes (surface imperfections) that affect the appearance and structural integrity of a coloured gemstone. Since almost all mined gemstones contain inclusions, it is the size, position, and visibility of the inclusions that impact the overall quality of the stone. GIA has the following clarity grades: –– VVS: very, very small inclusions– VS: very small inclusions– SI1 and SI2: small inclusions– I1, I2, and I3: included– Dcl (déclassé) for cabochons, beads, or carvings.As a general rule, the lesser the inclusions or higher clarity, the better the value of the coloured stone. 3. CutCut plays an important part in determining the value of a faceted gem. The ideal cut enhances the colour, diminishes its inclusions, provides overall symmetry, and/or highlights certain characteristics of the gemstone. There are different cuts in coloured gemstones from round brilliant to hearts, pears, marquise, and more. The main elements that impact these cuts are: –– The outline or symmetry of the stone.– An optimum table.– Alignment of the crown and the pavilion– Shoulders and culet or keel lines.– Girdle thickness and unevenness.It is finally the cut and the polish that determine the overall look and feel of the gemstone. 4. CaratA carat is the standard unit for measuring gem weight. One carat equals 1/5 of a gram or 200 milligrams. As the carat weight corresponds to the density of the gemstone, sometimes two gemstones with the same weight may be very different in size. For example, a one-carat amethyst that has a specific gravity of 2.66 may look bigger than a sapphire with 4.00 specific gravity in the same weight. Thus, buying a coloured gemstone on the basis of carat weight may not make perfect sense. Besides carat weights, coloured gemstones are also set up for millimeter sizes. 5. CostThe price of a colored gemstone may vary from as little as INR 500 per carat to INR 5,00,000 per carat depending upon the gemstones colour, cut, clarity, and carat. But the price is also determined by another factor that is – rarity. Rarity is one of the most decisive factors that determine the cost or pricing of the gemstone. With natural deposits quickly depleting and few mines even closed down it makes the coloured stones from those mines more valuable and sought after. Tanzanites, Burma rubies, Alexandrites, Paraíba Tourmalines, Red Berlyls, and Benitoite are few coloured gems that are difficult to find and very costly too. ConclusionHaving said all of the above, it is equally necessary to know coloured gemstones are often treated to produce intense or light color and/or to improve the overall look and desirability of the gemstone. Emeralds are commonly oiled, sapphires heated, blue topaz and tourmalines irradiated, corals bleached, black onyx dyed, and lapis lazuli impregnated with colorless wax or oil. Thus, before buying a coloured gemstone, consider the treatment and the 5Cs or five characteristics – color, clarity, cut, carat, and cost before investing in the best gemstones for everyday wear or a collectors stone. Visit us at Online Courses to know more.
Know Your Diamond’s Weight, Measurement & Size
When you know a few basics about diamonds you can confidently pick your diamond jewellery, from the best engagement ring to a diamond eternity band. Often people are unaware of the 4Cs and the basic difference between diamond weight, measurement and size. It is these factors that work together to maximize the beauty and value of a diamond. So, today let’s understand the meaning of the carat and the cut. Understanding diamond weight A carat is a globally recognized standard for the weight of a diamond. In the 4C’s of diamonds – Cut, Colour, Clarity and Carat – carat refers to diamond weight, not its physical size. It is one of the main aspects that influences the price of a diamond. However, two diamonds of equal weight can be unequal in value, depending upon the other 3 specifications i.e. Cut, Colour and Clarity. How did the carat system start?For centuries gem traders used carob seeds to measure jewellery because they believed that there was minimum variance in the distribution of their mass. They used these small and uniform seeds as counterweights in their balance scales to mostly weigh gold. In the 1570s, jewellery traders began to use carob seeds to weigh diamonds as well. Slowly this practice grew, and each country began to adopt its own carat system, but there was no uniformity.In 1907, at the Fourth General Conference on Weights, the modern metric carat was adopted. It was introduced in the USA in 1913, and later spread to other countries as a standard measure for diamonds and other gemstones. Today, in the jewellery trade worldwide, a one carat (1 ct) diamond is equal to 200 milligrams or 0.2 grams. This is a universal measure for gemstones. How carat weight influences diamond valueWhen you divide the price of a diamond by its carats, it gives you its price per carat. The larger the diamond, the more expensive is the per carat weight. In natural large size diamonds, that are rarer than smaller-sized diamonds, as the carat weight increases, the value of the diamond also increases. However, the rise in value is not proportionate to the increase in the size of the diamond. It simply means the diamond prices increase exponentially as carat weight increases.There is also the magic weight that influences the price of diamonds. At a magic weight, the price of a diamond generally shoots up. Therefore, if you are planning to buy a one-carat solitaire engagement ring, it may be a good idea to compare the price with a 0.96ct diamond. There will be a significant price difference between the two stones but a negligible difference in the overall size. The reason is that the one carat (1 ct) size is a magic weight that greatly increases the price of the diamond.Diamonds are weighed very precisely to the nearest 0.01ct. In the diamond trade, another term associated with diamond weight is pointers. A diamond below one carat weight is measured by points, where one carat is equal to 100 ‘points.’ A one-pointer refers to a 0.01 carat diamond. A 50 pointer or half-carat diamond refers to a 0.50 carat stone. On the other hand, a diamond above one carat weight, is described in carats and decimals, e.g. a 2.15cts stone would be described as ‘two point fifteen carats.’Besides the carat weight as described above, the cut, colour and clarity of a diamond also influences the final pricing of the diamond. Magic sizesSome carat weights are considered critical weights or magic sizes. That means if a diamond weighs at any of these critical weights, the price shoots up exponentially, not in a linear fashion. These magic sizes are 0.25ct, 0.50ct, 0.75ct, 1.00ct, 1.50ct, 2.00ct, 3.00ct, 4.00ct, 5.00ct and 10.00ct.For diamonds with equal parameters in the other 3 Cs, the diamond value increases with carat weight mainly because of its popularity and global demand. If you can stay away from the magic sizes when buying diamonds, you can save upwards of 20% and there is no vast visual difference.Diamonds that are not of these magic sizes are called off-size diamonds. What is diamond measurement?The cut is another equally important 4C. When a diamond is in the right proportions it emits maximum brilliance and sparkle. The diamond measurement is basically its size. It includes the shape, cut and the length-to width ratio of the gemstone. The size of a diamond is measured in millimetres (mm). The size denotes how large the diamond will appear when viewed from the top or from its table.Standard diamond measurements roughly coincide with the carat weights. A 1-carat round diamond is typically 6.5 mm, while a 1.25-carat round diamond is 6.8 mm. Each diamond cut has a range of ideal length to width ratios depending on its shape. Here are some of the diamond shapes and their most proportional ranges that qualify as a good cut: Round: length to width ratio of 1.0 – 1.05 Princess: length to width ratio of 1.0 – 1.04 Cushion: length to width ratio of 1.0 – 1.08 Emerald: length to width ratio of 1.3 – 1.4 Oval: length to width ratio of 1.25 – 1.5 Pear: length to width ratio of 1.45 – 1.75 Marquise: length to width ratio of 1.85 – 2.0 The size of the diamondBoth the cut and the carat affect the size of a diamond.As we have observed, a proper balance of carat weight and proportions in a diamond is achieved by finding the right size that will yield the best price for the stone. Thus, the diamond size refers to the height and width of the diamond, as well as the measurements of some of its key parts like girdle thickness. It determines the size and quality of the diamond cut. However, two stones of the same diameter or depth can still have different carat weights and vice versa.Finally, the design element and the setting of the diamond will accentuate the size of the diamond.In conclusion, now that we know the difference in carat,
