Ceylon Sapphire Ring
This project is a commission from one of the designer jewelry stores that I collaborate with, and was my design that was created with a the stores general style in mind. This ring features a natural blue Ceylon Sapphire and the design had to accommodate the deep pavilion as well as to allow the side diamond bands (items carried by the store in inventory and not part of the ring described) to fit snugly against the ring. Executed in 18K yellow gold, this design was originally rendered as a loose pencil sketch to get the overall design concepts established, and then recreated in CAD. The resulting design was then used to produce a model from a Rapid Prototyping printer, and then our studio cast and finished the ring and set the stones that were provided by the client. The quoted cost is for the design and execution of the ring, minus the cost of the stones. This ring design is not for sale, as it was a commission from my client. All items that are designed in collaboration with my clients are considered "work for hire" and the copyright for the design are the property of the client. Contracts stipulating ownership of copyright are signed before work commences, so as to avoid any confusion later.
Base
- metal
Style
- modern
Meet the Maker
R. Railey
Muse Metals
My experience of what it is that I love about making jewelry has shifted over the years. When I first began to create simple hand-fabricated rings I was fascinated by the process - cutting, filing, soldering and setting and bringing the piece to finish with a polish; the steps involved in taking a vision in my mind and making it real were all-consuming.
As I went deeper into the various techniques and began to explore all that was possible my focus shifted, and I began to explore the relationship between forms and colors, textures and finishes; and my designs began to be influenced by a mix of historical styles and modern influences - an amalgam of the past and future.
I spent the last decade expanding my skills to include graphic design and 2D work with photography and drawing, and with the advent of 3D programs and the ability to output my visions via RP printing and CNC machining I am working on creating a new vocabulary of jewelry design, which this space will help document.
I have been a custom jeweler for over 35 years, and am experienced in creating fine jewelry in gold, platinum and silver. I have the ability to listen to my clients and give them exactly what it is that they had in their minds eye when they first thought of it.
All of my work is of my own hand, I carve the waxes or design in CAD, fabricate elements, cast and finish and set the stones. I am also an accomplished lapidary and cut stone to fit my designs.
I create my own designs as well, and can take any idea and finish it out with all of the little details that make it a masterpiece.