About
Sapphires have few rivals in the world of
gemstones. They belong to the corundum group of minerals, classified as
a 9 on the Mohs scale: only diamonds are harder than sapphires. While
this gem is largely cherished for its beauty today, it was often used in
the making of axes and other sharp tools in China as early as 4000 BCE.
Perhaps this durability has lead many to attach the sapphire to
attributes such as truth, faithfulness, and permanence.
Artist
Cathy Heinz can’t remember a time when she wasn’t creating jewelry and has been selling her creations professionally for the past 11 years. She describes her style as refined, modern, simple, and feminine but not cutesy and says that her favorite part of being a jeweler is having the ability to create any design she can imagine and making pieces that strike an emotional chord with people because "being able to participate in [people’s] lives that way is something special."�
The design Ms. Heinz submitted to the contest, featuring a stone rising out of a round lake of silver, was inspired both by the legend of the Lady of the Lake and by her customers. "I’ve done quite a few engagement ring makeovers,"� she says, "I wanted to make something timeless that would look just as good on the 25th anniversary as it did at the wedding."�
