CUSTOM DESIGNER | STEPH FARBER
LEROY JEWELERS, TACOMA, WA

BY BETH BERNSTEIN

Published in the May 2012 issue

"In designing a piece of jewelry, I try to celebrate the gems we are featuring. The color of these ametrines is so wonderful, and Tom Trozzo’s cutting is so intricate that I wanted only a flash of diamonds to call the eye to the earrings. Once the diamonds catch the observer’s attention, the rest of the piece works its magic.”

“This may be the easiest design job I ever did; the ametrines spoke to me and gave me the inspiration for the shape and the settings.”
“The warmth of the stones called for yellow gold.”
“The rectangular shape needed a soft rectangular border.”
“The floating bubbles inside the stones asked to be repeated elsewhere in the pieces, and I decided on bezel-set round brilliant diamonds.”

WHAT OTHER CUSTOM JEWELERS SAY

DERIC METZGER
DEMER JEWELERS, CARLSBAD, CA

The earrings are proportionally brilliant, the juxtaposition between the sharpness of the ametrine and the softness of the round diamonds is casual yet elegant.
The entire look is clean and polished, with the bezels acting as small frames for the gemstones, but I might design them without the prongs on the ametrine, as they seem to break the otherwise clean lines.

CASEY GALLANT
STEPHEN GALLANT JEWELERS, ORLEANS, MA

My favorite part of these earrings is how the bezel-set diamonds on top reflect the “bubble-like” concave cuts in the ametrines. It adds an air of whimsy to the otherwise structured and clean lines.
These are the type of earrings that make an outfit. They would be the eye catcher paired with a simple suit or the statement piece worn with an evening gown. They are extremely versatile.

LEE KROMBHOLZ
KROMBHOLZ JEWELERS, CINCINATI, OH

While I am not an expert in the lapidary arts, I can’t image how challenging it was to match the color lines in these bi-color quartz!
I think the simple framing and the bezel-set diamonds are a perfect showcase for these beautifully cut stones.
I can see how the movement of these earrings might capture the ever-changing personality of these particular gemstones.