Emerald and Diamond V Ring

Spanner & Wingnut captures sleek and sophisticated jewellery. Inspired by nature, architecture, space and imagination, each piece combines lustrous edges with accents of luxury.

Each piece is handmade in London’s Hatton Garden, and within the S&W studio in Clerkenwell, combining traditional and modern manufacturing techniques with precious metals and gemstones.

Emeralds are a green coloured precious gemstone, and one of the four most desirable gemstones worldwide, alongside diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

Emeralds fall below diamonds, rubies and sapphires in terms of hardness, due to the fact that most emeralds have a high number of inclusions in them - small splits and breakages visible in the stone - so they can shatter quite easily and are considered a fragile gemstone.

As emeralds are usually quite ‘included’ - where there are marks that are clearly visible in the stone - the colour and the clarity are considered to be the most important factor in determining value. So as with all gemstones the colour is king, and tends to determine price, with emeralds it’s also how clear the gemstone is. It’s normal to have a few inclusions in an emerald, so instead it’s important to choose a bright colour that sparkles and glows a deep green. Emeralds too pale will show the inclusions even more, and too dark will appear dull.

It’s also important to set emeralds securely, usually in a bezel setting rather than a claw setting, so the metal goes all the way around the stone, protecting it.

Emerald is traditionally the birthstone of May. View all emerald rings here.

Princess cut diamonds are a square shape when viewed from above, and taper to a point below the surface, like an inverted pyramid. They were at their most popular in the 1980s and 90s, and remain the second most popular diamond cut after the round shape. A classic style featuring a princess cut diamond would be the princess diamond in the centre, flanked by two trillion (triangular) cut diamonds, or two round cuts. Many designers featured on The Cut London have subverted these more traditional styles and are setting princess cuts in modern and unique ways.

If you like the princess cut but would like something less conventional, consider looking at the more rare carré cuts or a cushion cut for an alternative square diamond shape.

See all princess or square cut diamonds rings here.

Platinum is a bright, white precious metal that is commonly used in wedding bands and engagement rings as an alternative to white gold. It is more durable than gold due to a higher density and chemical composition, so it is less likely to break and suffer wear and tear. It is excellent and staying bright and shiny and resists tarnishing very well.