The Story of Ciana
By Calleija Master Jeweller, John Harrison
Every Calleija design presents the artisan making it with a unique challenge. Not only are we entrusted with bringing the designer’s vision into reality, but we are also committed to creating beauty for the ultimate wearer. We are tasked with bringing your jewels to life and drawing your eyes to flow naturally over their beauty, in the same manner as when one looks at the magnificence of an ageless sculpture or a masterpiece objet d’art.
The finest examples of timeless art can also be found in nature, where the incredible beauty of the natural world expresses itself by following the fundamental principles of line and balance in effortless creation. In the same way, we endeavour to create our Calleija jewellery using these two important principles of design.
And, as is so often the truth, one might not know why certain beauty makes one feel happy, only that it does. This often happens when something is created properly and with the greatest care. A piece of fine jewellery is manifested by the quality and creation of the sum of its parts.
Every gemstone evokes an emotional response within each Calleija artisan. From the moment one designs a piece of jewellery to complement a gem’s shape, intensity, and colour, to the moment one crafts that design into a cherished heirloom, the experience is always a memorable triumph. The journey of creating our beautiful Ciana was unforgettable.
Ciana is a sophisticated and elegant ladies dress ring handcrafted in Platinum and 18ct Yellow Gold. She is embellished with the finest quality round brilliant, pear shape and trillion cut White Diamonds. She is truly unique.
In creating a design for this beautiful Pink Sapphire I was very fortunate that as well as her stunning colour and brilliance, laying within her beauty is a perfect example of the vibrancy and lustre of one of nature’s most interesting gems. As Sapphires are an extremely hard gemstone, second only in nature to that of Diamond, this impressive gem displays an exquisite, timeless and exotic beauty. I must admit to rarely having seen a more striking, and very much ‘alive’ sapphire.
When I began considering the final appearance of Ciana, I always wanted her Sapphire to be the focal point in my design. Ciana’s sparkling White Diamonds and 18ct Yellow Gold details are all designed to draw one’s focus inward. As Cianna’s Sapphire is so impressive, it made my job all the more interesting and creatively satisfying.
As I wanted to lead one’s eye Ciana’s Sapphire, I sculpted finely set White Diamonds into unique 18ct Yellow Gold ‘V’ sections. This is complemented by the angles of the trillion cut White Diamonds on Ciana’s inner halo and the pear shape White Diamonds on her outside halo. Her unique ‘V’ shapes are also crafted with a contrasting 18ct Yellow Gold to highlight these aspects of her design. Sometimes the use of the same precious metals can cause beautiful features of a piece to blend into the background.
The consideration of the precious metals used to create any design is also an important aspect when considering the clients’ visual experience of their jewellery. Often the contrast between the different colours and textures of metals is a great way to bring important design aspects, that might otherwise be slightly blended into the background, out into the open so as not to be hidden in plain sight.
With Ciana I thought that by separating the main sequential inner Trillion and outer Pear Shaped diamonds by finely setting small White Diamonds into sculptured 18 carat Yellow Gold ‘V’ pieces, that this unique aspect of the design would once again draw the eye’s attention inwards toward the central sapphire. Not only would this compliment the angles of the trillion cut Diamonds, but it would also be the perfect way of using another colour of metal to give a visually contrasting segue to the outer pear shape Diamonds of the design.
We at Calleija go to great lengths to procure the perfect gems for the perfect piece, and while it is true that diamonds and most coloured stones can be obtained in standardised and calibrated sizes, the more exotic diamonds do not. Inevitably, it is almost always necessary to hand-make and shape each individual setting for a perfect fit to achieve perfect harmony in the height and balance of each gem. Apart from her centre setting, which holds her Sapphire, ‘Ciana’ has 16 individually created settings, consisting of an equal amount of both trillion and pear shape Diamonds.
Once I crafted Ciana’s design, I decided to add one further aspect that was not in my original drawings. I created scalloped Platinum glyphs to surround Ciana’s outside halo. These had the perfect effect of completing the vision of Ciana, something I could not predict until I reached that point of crafting her with my hands.
The Calleija design philosophy is to treat every detail with reverence when creating our jewellery. Even in the areas of a piece where it may be difficult to observe those details, it still warrants the same consideration. We can never understate the importance of this in every aspect of our work.
Ciana was, as are all of our creations, a labour of love and persistence of creative energy.
Her design reflects a strong and feminine presence. She exemplifies Calleija’s commitment to our design philosophy and to our many valued clients.
by John Harrison
Calleija Designer and Jeweller
+644 (0) 20 7499 8490 | [email protected]
No. 7 The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond St. Mayfair, London, W1S4SG
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with our London team if you would like to learn more about our bespoke designs. We are available for virtual consultations and would love to assist you.