Complex Desires

Each piece from the Sixième Sens par Cartier High Jewellery collection is created with superlative savoir faire. Allyson Klass discovers the exquisite gems and intricate techniques behind three extraordinary rings in this exclusive feature.

- Allyson Klass

THE PHAAN RING: A SKILFUL INTERPLAY OF LIGHT

Each creation at Cartier begins with a unique stone – in this instance, a phenomenal 8.2-carat cushion-shaped ruby from Thailand that crowns the arresting Phaan ring. Like a muse of an haute couture atelier, the gem fuelled the imagination of an expert team of designers, jewellers and gem-cutters at the maison’s workshops.

Revered for centuries as the most precious gem, the ruby is in a league of its own in the jewellery realm and at Cartier, where it plays the major role in the house’s many high jewellery creations. However, achieving the richest hue in this gem through the perfect cut, without compromising its weight and value, is a tremendous challenge.

Appearances are deceiving here. A closer look reveals not one, but two tiers that compose the ring’s unique architecture. An audacious undertaking like this can only be executed by a maison such as Cartier that boasts unsurpassed savoir faire.

The simplicity of this creation masks a laborious and intricate construction in stages, which sees a 4.01-carat cushion-shaped rose-cut diamond placed just beneath the ruby.

Since research focused largely on the most appropriate technique to set the diamond under the central ruby, thorough studies on the volumes had to be done. This called for multiple mock-ups employed by jewellers as well as designers to ensure the viability and stability of the arrangement of gemstones.