Platinum-plated amethyst with crystal circle pendant

Specification

Stones: 9 pieces 3mm round amethysts

Colour: striking purple

Material: The Circle is a platinum-plated 925 sterling silver Circle

Dimensions: the circle has a diameter of 20mm and is 6mm deep

Weight: 11.767ct total Weight

950 platinum plating

Josephine Leroy works with a 950 platinum plating for his jewellery. The high layer thickness guarantees a long durability.

Platinum is as rare as no other precious metal. Platinum is usually offered in the alloy 950. This alloy consists of 95% platinum and 5% of a metal admixture and is particularly hard and resistant. Due to its exceptional toughness, there is virtually no abrasion on the jewellery pieces - the material merely shifts sideways. Moreover, hardly any other material can hold stones as securely as platinum.

Description

We only use natural gemstones which are cut to size in a complex process and sorted by hand in a multi-level selection process.

After the first multiple sorting, the stones are cut and polished into a brilliant shape, then they are sorted again according to size, colour and purity.

To build the stones into a circle you have to find 18 stones which differ optically as little as possible. This requires a very well trained eye, which can detect the smallest differences.

When the stones are assembled for a circle, they are carefully placed in the setting by hand and fixed like a diamond.

As a rule, a maximum of 1% of the respective raw stone can be used for our precious objects. To achieve the highest possible quality, all work is done by hand and by experienced specialists.

As few foreign inclusions as possible and a striking colour are the characteristics which correspond to our quality standard.

The typical colour of an amethyst boasts the colour of royalty, a rich purple-violet purple. It is available in all shades of purple, lilac and mauve. It is a quartz variety, the most appreciated variety.

The natural abundance and infinite variety of quartz has made it the most widely distributed of all gemstone minerals. It is often found in the form of six-sided crystals. It occurs in many magmatic and metamorphic rocks, especially granite and gneiss. The physical properties of amethyst vary greatly from place to place. Experts can tell where an amethyst comes from just by looking at it. Amethysts from Veracruz, eastern Mexico, are usually very pale, while specimens from Guerrero, southwestern central Mexico, are very brightly colored.

The color of an amethyst is very unstable and can decrease with prolonged exposure to sunlight. Light-coloured stones can be set in a closed setting with a foil backing to enhance the colour. The violet colour of the stone actually comes from iron impurities inside. Deep dark violet colours are the most valuable type.

Amethysts are sorted, with the highest quality, darkest specimens, the so-called "Siberian", regardless of where they come from. Medium quality stones are "Uruguayan" and less high quality specimens are "Bahrain". Light stones are called "Rose of France". Amethysts have a hardness of 7. Amethysts are found mainly in the West Indies, southern Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, the United States, the Soviet Union, Australia, South Africa, southwest Sri Lanka, South America and Africa.