Begging for mercy? Really? Well, you kind of have to describe this one-of-a-kind Temptress bracelet as a form of sweet torture. For starters, its centerpiece—a magnificent 18.21 ct. tricolor topaz from Brazil—is not only devastatingly gorgeous, but it’s also extremely rare. In fact, only about 25 to 28 of these gems are known to exist in the world.
Read on for more info about how this enchanting piece of jewelry came to life.
The Gem
Randy Coffin, of Coffin & Trout Fine Jewelers in Chandler, Ariz., acquired the stone at the Tucson Gem Show in 2013 and later sold it to Somewhere in the Rainbow, a privately owned, Scottsdale, Ariz.–based collection of museum-quality works by lapidary artists, designers, and jewelers. “We, of course, grabbed it quickly due to its rarity, size, color distinction, and clarity,” says Shelly Sergent, the collection’s curator.
The Collaboration
Somewhere in the Rainbow then commissioned Coffin to design a piece that would showcase the topaz in all its magical glory. “Randy immediately saw a bracelet in his mind for the stone, due to its sexy, tapered shape,” says Sergent, “and he had a vision for how the colors would dance on the wrist and in the light.”
Says Coffin, “Colored gems are a passion for us, and I like the limitless design possibilities that bicolor and tricolor gemstones offer, including the challenge of finding smaller accent stones to match the colors of the center stone. You have to truly understand the uniqueness of this [tricolor] phenomenon in Mother Nature in order to accent each color independently while bringing harmony to the overall blending of colors in the gem.”
Temptress bracelet by Randy Coffin for Somewhere in the Rainbow
The Design
After considering several different concepts and narrowing it down through trial and error, the Temptress design was finalized. It took 77 hours and three bench jewelers to complete the masterpiece (the finished bracelet was a 2018 AGTA Spectrum Award nominee, which is where I first saw it).
Temptress cleverly juxtaposes the sharp lines of the topaz with a curvy, undulating setting of 18k white gold, 18k yellow gold, and 20k rose gold accented with Umba fancy sapphires in complementary shades. The use of metals in a range of hues accentuates the colors found in the gemstones, while round brilliant-cut diamonds offer a palette cleanser with flashes of clean, white light.
“It’s truly a spectacular stone and work of art,” says Sergent. “We are so proud to house it as an example of exceptional artistry and Mother Nature’s brilliance.”
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