Spiral Ceylon Blue Sapphire and Diamond Ring in 18k Yellow and White Gold

18k yellow and white gold · 1 pear-shape Ceylon blue sapphire, 1.09 ct · 23 diamonds, 0.17 ct total weight · size 7

Sapphire is corundum, and at 9 on the Mohs scale it sits second only to diamond among gems. That is the practical argument for a stone like this in a ring: it takes daily wear in a way softer colored stones cannot. Sapphire from Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, is known for a lighter and more luminous blue than the inkier material from Australia or Thailand, with the transparency to carry light through the whole stone rather than reading as a flat color.

This one is a pear of 1.09 carats, set at the center of an open spiral that wraps the finger instead of closing around it. The pear's point follows the direction of the coil, and 23 diamonds totaling 0.17 carats trace the spiral in white gold against the yellow. Size 7.