"under the circumstances it seemed
more appropriate to keep the engagement ring - but to relocate the diamonds"

the brief - the seven diamonds from an old engagement ring should be used in a pair of earrings. The earrings might have some element of movement, but should otherwise 'stay completely out of the way'.

the materials - perfection of the diamond as a gem is only realised by the brilliant cut which was developed around 1910 from the old cuts of the last century. Old cut diamonds have their own irregular charm however, tempting us to ascribe to them histories of perhaps greater mystique.

Diamonds are by nature hard, robust (if not totally indestructible) and defy scratching by a jeweller's tools - so for them alone we can invent setting techniques that might make a lesser gem cringe ... the white gold of these earrings was literally sawed, filed and chiselled across the edge of these stones to set them in place.

Barbara Heath