I thought I saw green, but then it glowed orange.
Today, we're introducing a jewelry remodel of a platinum opal ring brought into the 440showroom in Hanzomon, Tokyo.
Within the translucent stone, green, blue, and orange shift their appearance depending on how the light hits them. Opals are captivating for their "play-of-color," where iridescent hues shimmer with changes in viewing angle and light. No two stones have the same pattern or color, making each one a unique work of art created by nature. The customer's opal was also a striking stone, showcasing its rich individuality.
"I couldn't wear it as it was."
A platinum opal ring. The design itself wasn't bad, but it had become difficult to integrate into the customer's current lifestyle.
She wanted to create two rings: one featuring the opal as the centerpiece, and a simple ring.
Because the stone was already beautiful in its loose state, we decided to make the surrounding design strikingly simple. On a 2.5mm wide domed band, we applied milgrain detailing to gently embrace the opal, and secured it firmly with four prongs. The milgrain not only adds elegance but also serves to gently protect the stone if it accidentally gets bumped during daily wear (however, opals are delicate stones, so please try to avoid bumping them if possible). The material is platinum, a combination that makes the opal's colors appear clearer.
And of course, we wanted to make use of the six melee diamonds that were removed.
We scattered them randomly on a 3mm wide domed ring. Simply embedding them felt a bit unsatisfying. So, like our Happy series, we decided to hand-engrave each one in a star shape. There are no snags, but if you look closely, small stars glitter. The material chosen for a casual feel was 18K yellow gold.
These two rings were designed to be worn together.
The base domed bands have different widths but consistent curvature and height, so that when stacked, they blend together as if they were a single ring. The height of the opal ring's setting was adjusted so that the domed melee diamond ring would fit perfectly on top. Such fine height adjustments significantly impact the beauty of the stacked rings.
Now, please take another look at the two completed rings.
The milgrain encircling the opal adds a delicate sparkle to the simple domed band.
And the star-set melee diamonds gently glow within the gold.
When placed side-by-side, the height and curvature of the two rings match perfectly.
Although some time has passed since the delivery, we contacted the customer for this blog post and received a very heartwarming message.
"In particular, I wear the yellow gold diamond ring almost every day, and I love both it and the opal one. I'm so grateful for the wonderful craftsmanship. Thank you!"
A long-dormant piece of jewelry transformed and once again became a part of daily life. As a designer, there are no words more gratifying.
"Wearing it every day"—those words deeply resonated.
The shimmering play-of-color must sparkle vibrantly on a moving finger.
Opals are always waiting for the light.
May these two rings continue to show different expressions on the customer's finger every day.
Opal Ring Remodel
Item: Ring
Material: Pt950
Gemstone: Opal 0.62ct
Diamond Ring Remodel
Item: Ring
Material: K18 Yellow Gold
Gemstone: Diamond 0.10ct
Production Period: Approx. 2 months
Design: Kanae Omori
Consultations for remodels and custom orders are available by appointment at the 440showroom in Hanzomon, Tokyo. If you have any concerns or questions before your visit, please feel free to contact us via our official LINE account.
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