White gold necklace, 0.04 carat diamonds and 0.50 carat sapphire

Some jewellery is kept for one night; other pieces become part of the person who wears them. This pendant belongs to the second kind: a natural oval blue sapphire of half a carat, held by four rounded claws and framed by a halo of sixteen brilliant-cut diamonds, all in 18-carat white gold and suspended from a Venetian chain in the same metal. It is the classic sapphire-and-halo composition, the one that made blue sapphire the most coveted coloured stone of the twentieth century, in a size designed for everyday wear.

Why a sapphire with a diamond halo?

Because it is one of the most recognisable combinations in jewellery, and it has a technical reason as well as an aesthetic one. The halo does two real jobs. The first is optical: the ring of small diamonds blurs the sapphire's outline and makes it look larger than it is, while the white of the brilliants intensifies the blue of the centre stone by contrast. The second is mechanical: the halo surrounds and protects the sapphire's girdle, the point most exposed to knocks.

The formula became universal in 1981, when the engagement ring of Diana, Princess of Wales, a large oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds, became the most copied in the world. This pendant brings the same idea to the neckline, in discreet proportions.

What makes a blue sapphire special?

Its colour and its hardness. Sapphire is corundum, the hardest mineral after diamond: 9 on the Mohs scale, with excellent toughness and no cleavage planes, meaning it does not split easily when knocked. That is why, unlike emerald, it can be worn daily without worry. In a sapphire, colour matters more than size: what a gemmologist values most is a well-saturated blue, neither too dark nor washed out, with lively brilliance.

The oval cut, set vertically as on this pendant, visually lengthens the stone and flatters the neckline, and tradition gives it meaning: it is the birthstone for September and the stone of sapphire anniversaries, at forty-five years of marriage.

How is the pendant made?

To let the stone shine and keep it secure. The 0.50-carat sapphire is held by four rounded claws, which show most of the stone and hold it firm with no edges to snag on clothing. The sixteen halo diamonds total 0.04 carats: a rough calculation gives around 0.9 mm per stone, just the right size to draw a continuous frame of light without stealing the sapphire's limelight. They are micro-claw set, a technique that uses tiny metal tips so you see more diamond and less gold, and the back is open so light enters from behind and the sapphire gains brilliance. The 18-carat (750) white gold has an electrolytic rhodium plating, which gives it that cool, luminous white.

What makes the Venetian chain practical?

It is one of the strongest and most comfortable chains there is. Its links are small articulated squares, which makes it flexible, keeps it lying flat on the skin and stops it twisting or knotting, something you will appreciate when it shares a jewellery box with other pieces. Being in the same 18-carat white gold as the pendant, the tone is identical throughout. It fastens with a spring ring clasp, easy to handle one-handed.

How do you care for it so it lasts a lifetime?

With a few simple habits. Put the pendant on after perfume, lotion or hairspray, because chemicals dull the sapphire's brilliance and wear the rhodium. To clean it at home, warm water, mild soap and a soft brush are enough, following GIA guidance for sapphires; dry it with a microfibre cloth. Store it apart from other jewellery: sapphire can scratch gold and other metals, and the chain keeps better without rubbing.

An honest note on white gold: the rhodium plating that gives it its colour wears with use and, over the years, the tone can become slightly warm. It is not a defect but the nature of white gold, and it is resolved in the workshop with fresh rhodium plating. At Pedro Luis Olivares Jeweller we carry out ultrasonic cleaning, setting checks and rhodium plating in our own workshop in Murcia.

Is it a good gift?

One of the safest. A pendant does not depend on size, the blue of sapphire suits almost every skin tone, and the discreet format works with an office shirt, a jumper or an evening dress. It is a classic choice for anniversaries, September birthdays or the birth of a child. It comes in the house presentation box, with the Pedro Luis Olivares Jeweller certificate attesting to the metal and stones. You can see it at our boutiques on Avenida Constitución, 4 and Gran Vía Escultor Salzillo, 15, in Murcia, where we have been making jewellery since 1925.

Technical specifications

Frequently asked questions

Is the sapphire natural?

Yes, it is a natural blue sapphire. Many sapphires are heat-treated, an accepted and stable practice that does not make them synthetic; ask us in the boutique for the details of this stone.

Can I wear it every day?

Yes: sapphire is one of the hardest and toughest gemstones there is. Take it off for sport, swimming or cleaning products, and put it on after perfume.

How long is the chain?

The chain measures [LENGTH] cm. If you prefer another length, we can adjust it or replace it with another white gold chain in our workshop.

Does white gold turn yellow?

Over the years, the rhodium plating wears and the tone can turn slightly warm. It is resolved with fresh rhodium plating in the workshop, which we offer at our Murcia boutiques.

Does it come with a certificate?

Yes: it comes with the Pedro Luis Olivares Jeweller certificate attesting to the metal and stones, in the house presentation box.

Can I clean it ultrasonically at home?

We recommend warm water and mild soap. Ultrasonic cleaning is safe for most sapphires, but it is best done in the workshop, where we also check the claws are still secure.

A deep blue surrounded by light, made never to be taken off: the pendant that turns an ordinary day into one to remember.