14K Gold Ruby Cluster Earrings - 10 Rubies 1.35ct

Ruby Cluster Earrings - Ten Rubies in an Openwork Gold Spray

Five round rubies to each ear, ten across the pair, 1.35 carat in total and roughly 3mm apiece. They are claw-set at scattered heights through a spray of openwork gold - ribbons, a leaf, a crossed stem - so the stones sit at different depths rather than in a flat ring, and the colour appears and disappears as the piece turns. The rubies are a vivid pinkish red, bright rather than dark. The pair weighs 3.6 grams in 14k solid gold, on posts with clip fittings behind.

Scattering small stones through open metalwork is a harder design than a cluster and a much older one. A cluster does its work by massing colour in one place; this does the opposite, spreading ten small points of red across a shape that is mostly air, so the earring reads as light and moving even though nothing on it actually moves. It is a 1990s piece made in a tradition that goes back much further, and it is why the gold matters here as much as the stones.

FAQs

1. How many rubies are there?
Ten - five on each earring, 1.35 carat in total, so roughly 3mm each. They are set at varying heights through the gold rather than in a single ring.

2. Are the rubies natural?
Yes, natural rubies. Like nearly all rubies in commercial jewellery they carry small natural inclusions, which is what distinguishes grown stone from laboratory-made.

3. How do they fasten?
A post through the ear with a clip that closes behind the lobe - the standard construction for good earrings of this period, and more secure than a butterfly back alone.

4. How big are they on the ear?
Compact. The gold spray is a little over a centimetre across, with the stones scattered through it, so they read as a decorated shape rather than a big block of colour.

5. How should ruby be cared for?
Easily - ruby is the second hardest gem after diamond, so it takes daily wear without complaint. Warm soapy water and a soft brush, and dry fully. The only real caution is knocks against the edges of the stones and against harder surfaces. Gold care on our Gold Care Card, and our hallmark guide explains the 585 stamp.

How to Style the Ruby Cluster Earrings

Red against warm gold wants a plain, deep background - black, forest, navy, camel. Keep other jewellery gold and simple; nothing else needs to compete. Explore the full 14k and 18k Gold collection, browse more Earrings, or visit JewelBuild™.