As all of you know by seeing Mary Margaret’s designs on our web-site, she specializes in using a variety of colored stones to make spectacular jewelry. I recommended that she write today’s blog and tell you her philosophy in designing a piece of jewelry for “MMM Designs“.

She writes:

I’m continuously awed by the width and breath and range of what nature has created in the world of colored stones.  From the most humble of stones to the most rare, I find them all fascinating.

For jewelry purposes, I look at a stone and evaluate it based on the 4 C’s, just like diamonds. Color, clarity, carat, and cut.  The first three are all acts of nature.  Cut, though, is controlled by man. It is what can elevate a stone from ordinary to extraordinary. It can turn plain quartz into a marvel.

Because of escalating prices on fine gem stones like emeralds, sapphire, ruby and diamond, fine Jewelry designers have embraced the enduring and intrinsic beauty of natures many varied colored stones.

I prefer to work in color. Fine color lends itself to multitudes of application to add interest and allure to  jewelry. My favorite pieces to create are rings because the viewer and the wearer get to enjoy the results equally. I like to work with larger stones that really make a statement.

My inspiration for a piece usually comes from the main stone.  When I’m doing a commissioned piece the client tells me what their “vision” is and what they would be comfortable wearing. Factors to be considered are size, color and type of metal and what other colors and shapes of stones to compliment the main stone that will be used. Then the creative process begins.

I begin drawing the primary stone I am working with and then draw the details of the ring around the stone. Top view, side view, shape of shank are all taken into consideration. I will designate color stones and diamonds for accents that compliment the primary stone and show where I want the placement to be. I choose either yellow gold, white gold, or platinum depending on the center stone color and the preference of the client. I like to make my designs pleasing to the observer as well as the wearer.  If you notice, my rings have interest from the top as well as well as all around.

After I diagram how I want the ring to look and what materials I want to use, I take all the details to my jewelry artisan. The two of us will discuss all aspects of the piece. His questions will further define how the piece is going to look. I communicate what I want and he tells me what is possible. Many of my designs push the limits of what he considers possible. I always have faith in his capabilities, and sometimes actually end up expanding his limits as to what is possible. What is produced in the end is a beautiful and spectacular piece of wearable art.  

                   Here is the design for this ring.