14K Gold Sapphire & Diamond Flower Earrings - 0.9ct Sapphires

Sapphire Flower Earrings - Five Petals Around a Diamond

Five round blue sapphires arranged as the petals of a flower on each ear, with a round diamond at the centre where the pollen would be, and a second smaller diamond set on its own short stem below and to the side - as though a single bud had opened beside the bloom. The whole thing sits inside an openwork frame of gold ribbons that loop and curl outward like petals seen from behind. Ten sapphires across the pair, 0.9 carat in total and roughly 2.8mm each; four diamonds, 0.18 carat, about 2.2mm each. The pair weighs 3.55 grams in 14k solid gold, on posts with clips behind.

Putting a white stone at the centre of a coloured flower is one of the oldest tricks in gem setting, and it works for a reason that has nothing to do with symbolism. The eye reads brightness before it reads colour, so a diamond at the middle draws you in first and the blue registers a fraction later, arriving as a surround rather than as a block. Reverse it - a sapphire centre with white petals - and the flower reads flat. The second diamond on its stem is the piece's one moment of asymmetry, and it is what stops the design being merely tidy.

FAQs

1. How many stones are there?
Fourteen across the pair - ten round blue sapphires forming the flowers, and four diamonds: one at the centre of each bloom and one on a small stem below.

2. How big are they on the ear?
Compact. The flower is a little over a centimetre across including the gold frame, so they read as a decorated stud rather than a drop.

3. How do they fasten?
A post through the ear with a clip closing behind the lobe - more secure than a butterfly back alone, and standard on well-made earrings of this period.

4. Are the sapphires natural?
Yes, natural blue sapphires. Almost all sapphire in jewellery has been heat-treated to improve colour, which is normal, permanent and disclosed as a matter of course rather than hidden.

5. Are they hard-wearing?
Very. Sapphire is the hardest gem material after diamond, so both stones here take daily wear without complaint. Warm soapy water, a soft brush around the openwork, dry fully. Our hallmark guide explains the 585 stamp.

How to Style the Sapphire Flowers

Blue and gold is the easiest combination in jewellery to wear - it goes with navy, white, grey, denim and black without thinking. Small enough for the office, pretty enough for a wedding. Explore the full 14k and 18k Gold collection, browse more Earrings, or visit JewelBuild™.