Our jewelry stone inlay consists of gem quality Lapis Lazuli, Sugilite, Red Coral and Natural Black Opal.
There are four steps DeSantis Jewelry abides by to completing successful stone inlay:
-grading the gemstones
-carving each stone for a channel within the piece of jewelry
-correctly bonding each stone to the very bottom of the desired jewelry channel
-the final polishing of the gemstones
After each inlay step the stones are carefully inspected for fractures, cracks, and inclusions. If any of the aforementioned is detected, we will remove the stone and repeat the process.
Grading
Each gemstone is carefully graded where there will be no calcite (white patches) in our lapis, no black matrix patches in our sugilite, no pits or discoloration in our Coral, etc. As for our natural opal inlay you will see that each stone displays a generous play of color ranging from blue-green to yellow-red flashes (this play of color will determine the overall price as well).
Carving
When you carefully look at our inlay, you will notice that it is high quality. There are no gaps, only uniform design and symmetry when inspected from all angles.
Bonding
Once a stone is ready to be inlaid it is gently bonded to the bottom of the jewelry channel. Provided that all the stones are securely set, there are no traces of epoxy on the metal and stones.
Polishing
The most important and last process is polishing the stones. We make sure each and every stone that is inlaid is polished to its highest luster. There will be no scratches, just high polished gem quality inlaid stones. As for opal, we hold on to a finished opal inlay piece for months, sometimes years before displaying it for sale to make sure no crazing or cracks occur.
Lightning Ridge
The most prized gemstone that we use for our inlay jewelry is Lightning Ridge Black Opal from Australia. Natural Opal from Lightning Ridge is considered the rarest and most expensive opal in the world. After working with this magnificent gem we found that it is more stable than other types of natural opal. We tend to tell our customers to research more on natural opal before purchasing. If you are interested in Natural Opal, then why not be interested in the finest opal in the world?
