Emerald Cut Ruby Ring with Diamond Accented Sides in 14k Yellow Gold

An emerald cut ruby sits at the centre under four prongs, deep purple-red and holding its colour as a solid block rather than breaking it up into sparkle — the long step facets of an emerald cut are cut to show a stone's body rather than to scatter light. Three small round brilliants sit in a tight trio on each side of it, six in all, set in white metal so they read bright against the yellow gold. Curled gold ribbon forms rise in beside the centre, and the shank widens through a notched step before it tapers to the back. It weighs 4.90 grams, which is substantial for a ring this size and is where most of that weight went.

The emerald cut is the oldest way of cutting a coloured stone and still the hardest to fake your way through: with broad flat tables and no brilliant faceting to hide behind, the colour has to carry the stone on its own. That is why the cut suits a ruby read for depth of colour rather than fire, and why a piece like this looks entirely different across a room than a cluster does — one saturated shape instead of a field of glitter. The trios of diamonds are there to frame it, not to compete. Wouldn't you rather one stone that says something than a dozen that whisper?