Antique Marquis Rose Cut Diamond Ring

Antique Marquis Rose Cut Diamond. Mimi Favre©

The original owner of this antique rose cut diamond was married in 1921. It stayed in the family and passed to a new bride in the mid-eighties. At that time the head mounting was removed from the original platinum ring and attached to a new more contemporary shank. And, unbeknownst to the client, the jeweler had made it in rhodium plated 14 karat yellow gold. It wasn't long before the 'white' wore away. A new platinum shank would have been a better choice.

After nearly three decades of everyday wear next to narrow gold band the shank was very misshapen and the stone was loose. The only safe alternative was to completely remake the ring. The client requested that the stone be set low and for the side diamonds to be as narrow as possible, unlike the previous. 

I made a new setting in wax, identical to the original and made the shank so that the tiny old miner side stones be set closer to the top. 

The diamond is eye clean, very white though a bit flat, however relatively large and completely unique. It really is a beautiful stone that has been in one family  for nearly one hundred years.

Old Diamond Ring. Favre©

New Ring. Antique Marquis Rose cut Diamond.  Favre©

South Sea Pearl & Sapphire Platinum Earrings

Recently, I completed a pair of sapphire and South Sea pearl earrings. What began as 'show and tell' of recent additions to my inventory became a new jewelry project for my friend!

14mm x 16mm baroque South Sea Pearls.

I met this client over a decade ago in a botanical painting class. Our friendship began when we discovered that we had gone to the same art school (different years) and that we had both had a wonderful design teacher there whom we had learned a lot from even though she was a stickler for detail and a tough grader. She had taught both of us design and color theory.

Usually I paint the design when I make a custom piece but in this case my artistic friend knew exactly what she wanted. I had shown the pearls to her after a Tucson buying trip and a few months later she showed me a design with blue stones and yellow gold. She likes dangle earrings and wanted to use sapphires. We met once more after I had procured the sapphires to go over the fine points of the design. It was decided that all white metal, in this case platinum, would compliment the silvery white baroque pearls and cornflower blue sapphires.

For this pair of earrings I made setting models with six prongs to be cast in platinum. The center wire is round platinum stock that I drilled at each end. The earring is flexible  in two places to allow swinging movement . The pearls move side to side.

Mimi Favre Studio

South Sea pearls and sapphires- Platinum. ©Mimi Favre 2011

South Sea pearls and sapphires- Platinum. ©Mimi Favre 2011

Dorrie Nossiter, Jewelry Designer 1893- 1977

Looking through some auction catalogs on the internet I came across a colorful brooch that I just love! It is made by a jewelry designer who I am unfamiliar with, Dorrie Nossiter. She was British and although her jewelry is considered arts and crafts, I think it is more modern and may have influenced  50's and 60's costume jewelry designers.

Silver Gold Sapphire Moonstone Peridot Garnet Chrysoberyl Ruby. Diameter: 5.00 cm (1.97 in) British, c.1930, Fitted Case

Sapphire, moonstone, green zircon, peridot, garnet, chrysoberyl & ruby. Literature: cf. Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, 1993, page 85. Silver Jewelry Designs, Nancy N. Schiffer, 1996, page 101. Ref: 6538

DORRIE NOSSITER 1893-1977, Arts & Crafts Clip Brooch ,Silver Gold Amethyst Moonstone Garnet Ruby. H: 4.6 cm (1.81 in)  W: 2.4 cm (0.94 in), British, c.1930. Fitted Case. Literature: cf. Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, 1993, page 85. Silver Jewelry Designs, Nancy N. Schiffer, 1996, page 101

DORRIE NOSSITER 1893-1977, Arts & Crafts Clip Brooch ,Silver Gold Amethyst Moonstone Garnet Ruby. H: 4.6 cm (1.81 in)  W: 2.4 cm (0.94 in), British, c.1930. Fitted Case. Literature: cf. Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, 1993, page 85. Silver Jewelry Designs, Nancy N. Schiffer, 1996, page 101

DORRIE NOSSITER 1893-1977

Arts & Crafts Brooch Silver Gold Citrine Tourmaline Pearl. H: 4.3 cm (1.69 in)  W: 3.9 cm (1.54 in)

British, c.1930, Fitted Case, Literature: cf. Twentieth-century Jewellery, From Art Nouveau to Contemporary Design in Europe and the United States, Alba Cappellieri, 2010, Illustrated p.137.

ISBN: 978-88-6130-532-8. Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, 1993, page 85

Silver Jewelry Designs, Nancy N. Schiffer, 1996, page 101Ref: 6190

DORRIE NOSSITER 1893-1977, Arts & Crafts Clip Brooches , Silver Gold Citrine Amethyst Pearl

Diameter: 3.30 cm (1.3 in), British, 1930, Fitted Case

Literature: cf. Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, 1993, page 85

Silver Jewelry Designs, Nancy N. Schiffer, 1996, page 101. Ref: 3027

DORRIE NOSSITER 1893-1977, Arts & Crafts Clip Brooch , Silver Gold Amethyst Citrine
H: 4.6 cm (1.81 in)  W: 3.4 cm (1.34 in), British, c.1930. Fitted Case
Literature: cf. Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition, Elyse Zorn Karlin, 1993, page 85
Silver Jewelry Designs, Nancy N. Schiffer, 1996, page 101. Ref: 4816

All images of Dorrie Nossiter Jewellery, from Tadema Gallery Website.

Earring clips  by Mimi Favre, 2007. 18k gold, peridot, tourmalines, aquamarine, topaz, pink sapphire.

Silver pearls and blue stones

Tanzanite, cultured pearls, kyanite, 18k gold

Classic pearl necklace  is handstrung with accent of blue kyanite beads and 18k spacers. Tanzanite cabochon enhancer set in 18k gold. 

Baroque South Sea pearl with Sapphires from Africa.

Natural color baroque pearl is 17mm. African sapphires set in platinum. 

Available for purchase at TayloePiggottGallery in Jackson, Wyoming.

red and green: Autumn color palette

One of my favorite color combinations, red and green, is found in Autumn when the color palette of the landscape is transformed. Summer flowers become beautiful colorful seed pods. The contrast is so striking and beautiful.

Paeonia obovata

Euonymous americanus

Quatrefoil pendant set with tourmaline and Mali garnet is 18k gold and oxidized silver. Handmade 18k gold chain.
 Inquire or purchase this piece.

Jewelry Collection

I spent a few days at the Tayloe Piggott Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming this past week. The gallery represents contemporary American fine artists and selected jewelry designers. 

This case holds a collection of my jewelry designs.