Welcome to our captivating collection of articles dedicated to the enchanting realm of bespoke jewellery and fine jewellery.
A padparadscha sapphire is a very rare gemstone, predominantly found in Sri Lanka, as well as in Madagascar and Tanzania in recent years. Its name is derived from the Sinhalese word for “lotus flower” due to its “pinkish orange to orangey pink” colour, similar to the flower it is named after (which is also Sri Lanka’s national flower).
As members of the corundum family, padparadscha sapphires have a hardness of 9, giving them scratch resistance second only to diamond. This helps preserve their lustre for many years and resist prolonged exposure to heat, light, or chemicals. The gemstone is also characterised by “low to medium saturation” and “a light to medium tone”, though the exact definitions of a padparadscha sapphire may vary across gemologists, jewellery dealers, and even professional labs.
The padparadscha sapphire’s significance and beauty have made it a prized possession, revered for its mystical properties and associations with power, prosperity, and spiritual protection and enlightenment. It is also commonly linked to romance, compassion, and tenderness between couples, symbolising the gentle, passionate love shared by two people. The gemstone’s soft, pastel shades also represent positivity and joy, making it a fitting choice for anyone who values these qualities.
Padparadscha sapphires are rare because they are found in so few locations and only account for 1% of total sapphire mining. The gemstone’s unique colour is also difficult to form, requiring a precise combination of iron, chromium, and other trace elements. Iron imparts a lighter yellow or orange tone, while chromium imparts a reddish or pinkish colour; both require very specific conditions for the gemstone’s unique colour to develop.
If you wish to own a padparadscha sapphire, especially to pair with proposal rings for you and your partner, learning the gemstone’s unique qualities will help you find a good match.
A padparadscha sapphire should show an even mix of pink and orange hues when viewed face up, though overall hue and saturation may differ across gems. Neither colour should dominate the other, though lighting conditions and viewing angles could impact how they are perceived. Saturation levels vary from pale to vibrant, and popular choices tend to favour more vivid, saturated tones.
Given how rare padparadscha sapphires are, it is acceptable to pick one with minor imperfections, especially when they are invisible to the naked eye. However, do opt for padparadscha sapphires with fewer, smaller inclusions than other varieties, where possible. Be aware that “eye-clean” padparadscha sapphires tend to command a much higher price due to the gemstone’s rarity, so you may have to select one with inclusions. The types of inclusions found in the gemstone (and how visible they are) may also influence the final price.
Padparadscha sapphires command much higher per-carat values than other sapphire types. Padparadscha sapphires under 2 carats tend to be fairly affordable, as larger, high-quality stones over 2 carats are harder to find and, thus, command a premium. You may often find them in round, oval, and cushion shapes to preserve as much carat weight as possible, given their rarity.
An expert cut can enhance a padparadscha sapphire’s brilliance and sparkle, emphasising its colour. Since they possess higher per-carat values and are so rare, much of their carat weight is often preserved to maintain consistent colour zoning and overall gemstone quality. As such, you will commonly find padparadscha sapphires cut into asymmetrical round, oval, or cushion shapes, which can easily be hidden with a proper ring setting.
Untreated padparadscha sapphires are more valuable than treated ones, where the latter undergo heat treatments that do not damage the gem’s structure. These heat treatments aim to improve the gem’s colour intensity, especially for paler sapphires.
However, per current standards, padparadscha sapphires may not receive any treatments besides heat to qualify as padparadscha sapphires. There are instances in which beryllium treatments are performed to greatly improve a gem’s pinkish-orange colour, but these are only detectable by highly trained jewellers with the right equipment.
Always view a padparadscha sapphire in person, if possible, to reduce the risk of a fraudulent sale. Otherwise, request high-resolution photos or videos of the sapphire under good lighting conditions for a proper examination, or certification of authenticity detailing its key properties.
If authenticity is difficult to determine, consult a professional jeweller for advice.
With a gemstone selected, the ring’s setting will accentuate the gemstone’s brilliant sparkle and enhance its overall appearance when worn on your and your partner’s hands. Here are a few ideal options that bring out the best qualities of your ring.
A well-crafted prong setting provides understated elegance, holding the central gemstone in place along the sides or corners, with clever positioning to hide the padparadscha sapphire’s asymmetry. Four- or six-pronged designs can highlight the gemstone’s beauty and allow its brilliance to be seen thanks to the setting’s clean, open look.
While sapphire is quite a resilient gemstone, a bezel setting can still provide an additional layer of protection against accidental damage and even conceal inclusions or flaws. The surrounding trim may create the illusion of a smaller gemstone, but setting it higher on the band does overcome this issue.
A variation of the bezel setting, the halo setting features smaller inlaid gemstones surrounding the main gemstone, accentuating the ring’s overall sparkle. Diamonds are typically used as the smaller gemstone inserts to augment the sapphire’s brilliance in light, though other coloured gemstones can also be used for a unique colour contrast.
You can also explore variations based on what you and your partner want in your proposal rings. For example, simple solitaires remain a popular minimalist option, while a channel or pavé setting adds an opulent look with smaller accent stones lined along the ring’s band. You could also consider a trinity setting with two additional accent stones for more sparkle, or a vintage style with filigree and milgrain for a more rustic design.
Looking to craft a meaningful set of proposal rings featuring a beautiful padparadscha sapphire? At Ling Jewellery, our artisans can craft a beautiful, one-of-a-kind custom ring that tells the story of your enduring relationship with your partner. Contact us today, and let us help convey your love for one another through the beauty of our bespoke engagement rings.
The marquise is a gemstone cut named after the Marquise de Pompadour, for whom the French King, Louis XV, had purportedly fashioned it in the 1740s to closely resemble the shape of her lips. You may also hear it described as a navette cut, from the Old French word for “little ship”. Its key physical characteristic is its curved, elongated shape, which gives the illusion that the diamond is larger than it seems.
A marquise lab-grown diamond ring accentuates the wearer’s finger, making it appear longer and slimmer. Its distinctive pointed ends and gently curved sides demonstrate timeless, vintage-inspired elegance, making it a dazzling alternative to traditional round and oval cuts. They are often paired with modern aesthetics that play on the cut’s vintage look and feel, while also incorporating personal stories that convey significant meaning to individuals and couples alike.
As lab-grown diamonds continue to gain popularity, it is fairly common to find marquise lab-grown diamond rings across various jewellery stores in Singapore.
Selena Gomez’s marquise engagement ring, captured in photos sometime in late 2024, was one of many reasons the marquise cut saw increasing demand in recent times. Apart from its celebrity associations, the marquise has plenty of unique characteristics that will entice ring buyers.
The salient elongation of a marquise cut is often considered its greatest strength, creating the illusion of longer, slimmer fingers, while the gemstone itself appears larger than most diamonds of similar carat weight. Much of this stems from the cut’s larger crown surface area than any other diamond cut.
Marquise cuts are a brilliant statement piece that can truly elevate even the simplest engagement or wedding band, blending vintage charms and modern touches that come together seamlessly. On its own, the marquise cut presents a bold, confident look that exudes nostalgic magnificence with a radiant sparkle. When designed with current trends in mind, a marquise cut can quickly become a personalised expression of something meaningful, where even a change in orientation redefines the entire ring’s vibe.
The marquise cut is also a surprisingly versatile option: the cut itself presents the vintage charm everyone loves, while the band itself can include more contemporary features to create a unique visual contrast. A professional jeweller can easily help you find matching pre-made pairs that complement their respective elements, or craft a completely bespoke design with your creative input and direction.
Marquise cuts also tend to exhibit exceptional brilliance and fire in the light, creating an eye-catching sparkle. The diamond’s facet structure has a significant effect on its sparkle, particularly where symmetry is concerned. The more symmetrical the diamond’s proportions are, the more it appears near-flawless to the naked eye, especially when beheld in the light.
This cut is also known for its affordability per carat, primarily due to its larger crown that greatly maximises the diamond’s perceived size. You might be able to find a suitable marquise cut that remains well within your budget without compromising on its overall quality. Moreover, lab-grown diamonds are now more popular thanks to their budget-friendly price points and similar structure and properties to natural diamonds, further enhancing the appeal of the marquise cut.
It is equally important to consider its few potential disadvantages, as some of these elements may require careful attention to ensure you get the most out of your marquise lab-grown diamond ring.
A marquise cut features delicate pointed edges which are easily damaged, requiring additional care to ensure it remains intact. It is imperative to pick a suitable setting or properly positioned prongs to protect the tips from potential physical impacts or other forms of damage. In some cases, a marquise cut could also feature French cuts that change the facets at the tips for added durability, or have thicker girdles (which join the diamond’s top and bottom) near the tips.
Symmetry is a core element that highlights the marquise cut’s impeccable beauty, and therefore requires substantial care and precision to shape the diamond into an ideal gemstone you will love. Even the smallest of imperfections or misalignments can influence the diamond’s overall appearance, potentially causing it to appear “off-kilter” or uneven.
Symmetry is a core element that highlights the marquise cut’s impeccable beauty, and therefore requires substantial care and precision to shape the diamond into an ideal gemstone you will love. Even the smallest of imperfections or misalignments can influence the diamond’s overall appearance, potentially causing it to appear “off-kilter” or uneven.
The bow-tie effect occurs in various fancy diamond cuts, including the marquise. It is a dark band resembling a bow tie, appearing across the diamond’s centre due to light leakage caused by misaligned facets or proportions. The bow-tie is a result of optical misalignment and is not an inclusion; in some cases, it may even enhance the diamond’s appearance, for example, by adding contrast. However, the darker or more prominent the bow-tie looks, the higher the chance it detracts from the diamond’s brilliance.
A marquise cut’s overall style can change drastically based on your chosen setting. Here are a few ideal picks to consider.
The solitaire is a beloved classic that prioritises the marquise cut’s illusion, enhancing your fingers while demonstrating understated elegance with a minimalist appearance that draws all attention to the diamond. Solitaire settings may also protect the gem’s fragile tips with specific prong arrangements that securely grasp each tip.
You may also pair the marquise cut with two smaller gemstones on both sides, which can help augment the diamond’s brilliance and create a brilliant interplay of elements between each stone. Maintaining a balance between the three is also essential to complete the look without making it feel uneven.
Halo settings surround the central marquise diamond with smaller accent stones that provide a wondrous display of brilliance in the light. Not only does this double the visual impact of the marquise cut itself, but it also complements and softens the main diamond’s pointed tips to create a breathtaking geometric contrast.
More an orientation change than a true setting, the east-west look has the diamond placed horizontally and perpendicular to your finger. While rarer than traditional “north-south” placements prized for their finger-enhancing qualities, the east-west orientation is well-suited to showcasing larger carat stones with a chic, modern look.
Captivated by the vintage appeal of the marquise cut, or are you looking for something different? At Ling Jewellery, our artisans can help you pair your desired marquise lab-grown diamond with a bespoke ring that expresses your personality or something of significance. Contact us today or visit our jewellery boutique to admire our exquisite diamond selections. You can also speak to our jewellers to learn more about designing your own diamond ring.
Lab-grown diamonds are gaining popularity among modern jewellery shoppers as a sustainable and ethical gemstone choice. Grown from a diamond seed in a laboratory setting, these diamonds have similar optical, chemical, and physical characteristics to natural ones. When purchasing lab-grown diamonds, shoppers may come across the terms HPHT and CVD. Understanding the differences between HPHT and CVD diamonds, along with their unique qualities, can help you decide which type best suits your preferences.
High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) diamonds are created using a method that mimics the conditions within the Earth’s mantle. A diamond seed is placed in a chamber along with a carbon source. When the chamber is subjected to high temperature and pressure, the carbon crystallises around the seed and forms a diamond.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) diamonds are created in a low-pressure chamber. In this chamber, a carbon-containing gas such as methane is vaporised. The resulting gas is then ionised into a plasma, which deposits carbon atoms onto a diamond seed. The carbon atoms eventually arrange themselves into a crystalline structure and form a diamond.
The distinct methods used to produce HPHT vs CVD diamonds result in stones with different characteristics. Here are some comparisons between them:
Both HPHT and CVD lab-grown diamonds can produce diamonds with varying colour grades. HPHT diamonds used to occasionally exhibit a yellow or brownish tint from the presence of nitrogen impurities, but technological advancements have helped to yield highly colourless HPHT diamonds. Some HPHT-grown diamonds may also have a faint blue tint due to the presence of boron. Meanwhile, CVD-grown diamonds are often colourless as well, though many undergo post-growth treatment to improve colour and clarity.
Additionally, HPHT diamonds often show geometric colour zoning, which refers to angular patterns due to the uneven distribution of nitrogen. Natural diamonds may show zoning, but geometric patterns like those seen in HPHT diamonds are most commonly associated with synthetic stones.
HPHT and CVD diamonds may have different graining, inclusions, and strain patterns due to their different growth process. HPHT diamonds may contain metallic inclusions from trapped undissolved metal catalysts. These inclusions may appear black and opaque in transmitted light, but show a lustre in reflected light.
As CVD diamonds are grown from gas, they do not have metal inclusions. Instead, they may contain small dark specks of graphite and banded strain patterns that originate from the gas-deposition process. HPHT diamonds usually show little to no strain because they grow in a controlled environment.
HPHT and CVD diamonds interact differently with ultraviolet (UV) light, and their resulting fluorescence often occurs in a distinctive pattern. Most colourless and near-colourless HPHT diamonds do not usually show fluorescence, but may glow for a short time after the UV lamp is turned off. This is known as phosphorescence. Meanwhile, CVD synthetic diamonds may show a striped fluorescence pattern in green, yellow-green, yellow, orange, or red. These patterns do not reduce the diamond’s intrinsic quality or optical performance.
As both types of lab-grown diamonds are virtually identical to natural diamonds, they have comparable durability. This also makes both HPHT and CVD diamonds suitable for various types of jewellery, including high-carat lab-grown diamond rings. However, do note that any type of diamond can still fracture due to impact and should be worn with care.
There is no definitive answer to whether an HPHT or CVD diamond is better, as both methods can produce diamonds that are comparable to natural ones. If you have ever wondered, “What are lab-grown diamonds and which one should I choose?”, it is best not to consider only the production method, but more importantly the qualities you seek in an individual stone and how it can match your desired design.
Planning to shop for a diamond engagement or wedding ring with a unique design that reflects your love story? Ling Jewellery is here to help you craft lab-grown and natural diamond rings that suit your aesthetic preferences and budget. Get in touch with us and let us help you create a bespoke diamond ring today!
Choosing engagement and wedding rings is a milestone couples look forward to in their relationship journey. Selecting the right engagement ring setting is one of the most important decisions in the ring design process. An engagement or wedding ring setting influences both the ring’s aesthetic and how it wears over time. Here is your guide to choosing the right engagement ring setting in Singapore.
The setting of a ring is the method by which the stones are set into the metal band. The ring setting is one of the factors couples should consider when designing a diamond ring, as it determines where the stone is mounted and affects the overall look and feel of the ring. Some of the popular engagement ring settings in Singapore include solitaire, prong, bezel, and halo.
Different settings can highlight different aspects of the diamond or gemstone, such as its brilliance, colour, and shape. Therefore, an engagement ring setting plays a key role in the ring’s overall finish, and should reflect you and your partner’s personal style and preferences.
The term solitaire setting puts the diamond or gemstone in the centre, taking the main spotlight without any distractions. The solitaire setting is charming and simple, focusing attention on the stone’s brilliance and fire. The versatility of this ring setting means it complements any diamond shape well. Solitaire rings are also easy to clean and complement most engagement and wedding bands, as well as any outfit. However, it may be important to consider that without accent stones, the ring’s sparkle fully depends on the centre stone.
The prong setting is often the most popular method used to create a solitaire ring. Also known as the claw setting, it uses 4 or 6 small metal prongs to hold the gemstone in place, maximising light exposure and enhancing the stone’s brilliance. Keep in mind that prongs may wear down over time and need regular re-tipping by a jeweller to maintain their security.
In bezel custom engagement rings, the gemstone is surrounded by a solid metal rim. It is considered one of the safest settings because the stones are fully protected. It is suitable for couples with active lifestyles who want a sleek, modern-looking ring they can wear daily. However, this setting tends to reduce the area of stone visible from the side compared to prong settings.
The halo setting is a terminology for rings that amplify the visual impression of the central gemstone by surrounding it with a ring of smaller diamonds. This thoughtful design makes the central stone, usually a round or oval cut, appear larger and more brilliant for a more eye-catching look. It is preferred by couples who want a sparkling ring that easily draws attention.
Halo settings usually come in various designs, such as the double halo, where the central diamond is encircled by two concentric rows of smaller pavé diamonds, or the hidden halo, where the accent stones are set beneath the prongs and are visible only from the side view. As this setting can involve the combination of different diamond shapes, it requires an expert jeweller to maintain the proportion of the overall piece.
Derived from the French word for “pavement”, the term pavé setting refers to a ring design where many small diamonds set closely together along the band. This results in a continuous sparkle which enhances the centre stone for a more luxurious and detailed finish. This setting is best for couples who want an immense sparkle and sophisticated design in their rings. A key consideration is that pavé settings can be more delicate, as the smaller stones may occasionally become loose. Resizing may also be complex due to the ornate setting.
In a channel engagement ring setting, the stones or diamonds are set flush between two parallel metal walls within the band. This creates a smooth line of sparkle with no prongs extending above the surface. As the diamonds are held securely, this ring setting is highly durable and snag-free. It is therefore recommended for couples who prefer a sleek, practical aesthetic. Keep in mind that cleaning beneath the stones may be more challenging due to their alignment.
For couples who want their ring to carry a deeper symbolic meaning, the three-stone, or trilogy, setting may be a choice worth considering. Symbolising the past, present, and future, this setting places a central gemstone flanked by two smaller stones. Most designs feature a larger central stone. The side stones can be of the same or contrasting shapes for a more layered look. This style allows more personalisation, as couples can choose the type and shape of stone that resonates with them the most.
The tension setting is a term for a ring design where the gemstone is held in place using pressure from the metal band, without prongs or bezels. This technique creates a floating illusion and a fresh alternative to traditional looks. However, expert guidance is required, as not all gemstones are suitable for this style. For instance, diamonds and sapphires are well-suited as they can withstand the applied pressure. On the other hand, emeralds, opals, or other softer gemstones are not recommended for tension settings, as they may crack under constant tension.
Selecting the perfect engagement and wedding ring setting depends on you and your partner’s aesthetic preferences and lifestyle. Some ring settings are suited for those who prefer a dazzling, elegant style, such as the prong and halo setting. The bezel and channel settings are considered more durable, making them ideal for couples who prefer to wear their ring daily and are often on the go. Most of all, the setting and design that you end up with should reflect your one-of-a-kind love story.
At Ling Jewellery, we understand that the perfect ring is the one that holds the deepest meaning for both of you. Still unsure how to choose an engagement ring? Our team is delighted to assist you. Book a private consultation with us today and let us help you find the perfect custom engagement and wedding rings in Singapore!
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