Engineering Color: The Making of an Architectural Tourmaline Set
When clients want a piece of jewelry that truly stands out, standard settings and delicate bands often aren't enough. Recently, a client came to Stark Jewelers in Sacramento with a vision for something bold, weighty, and unapologetically modern.
The goal was to create a matching cuff bracelet and ring using rich 18k yellow gold and an array of vibrant, multi-colored tourmalines. The design language needed to be highly architectural—favoring clean, heavy lines and smooth bezel settings over traditional prongs.
Here is an inside look at how master goldsmith Larry Stark brought this colorful, structural masterpiece to life right at our jeweler's bench.
Step 1: Layout and Lost-Wax Casting
Because this cuff required perfectly aligning five distinct, heavy gemstones along a curved surface, precision was key. Before touching any gold, we prototyped the layout on a copper band to ensure the spacing and curvature felt comfortable on the wrist.
Once the geometry was locked in, the design was created in jeweler's wax. This blue wax model shows the deep bezel cups that would eventually hold the stones, mounted to a red wax "sprue" base, ready for the lost-wax casting process.
Step 2: The Raw Castings
Once the wax is melted away and the molten 18k gold is poured into the mold, the pieces emerge as raw castings. In the image below, you can see the raw ring casting fresh from the quench, still coated in the white investment plaster!
At this stage, the components—like the heavy ring shank and the large bezel cup seen in below—are rough and unpolished. They require the skilled hands of a goldsmith to become fine jewelry.
Step 3: Setting the Tourmalines
With the gold filed and smoothed, it’s time to set the stones. Setting gemstones in heavy 18k gold bezels requires immense hand strength and precision.
You can see Larry using a specialized engraving block to securely hold the gold cuff while he carefully folds the thick gold edges over the tourmalines. This bezel-setting technique not only provides a sleek, modern aesthetic but also protects the edges of the stones for daily wear.
Step 4: The Final Masterpieces
After a final trip to the polishing wheel to achieve a smooth, satin-like finish on the gold, the pieces are complete.
The final cuff is a striking gradient of reds, pinks, and greens, securely nestled in heavy gold. The matching ring anchors the set with a single, massive, brilliantly faceted green tourmaline that practically glows against the yellow metal.
Custom Jewelry Design at Stark Jewelers
Do you have a bold vision for a custom piece of jewelry? Our in-house design team and master bench jewelers can turn your ideas into wearable art. Visit our Arden-Arcade studio on Fair Oaks Blvd to start designing your next custom piece today.