In keep with our tradition of highest class quality we set out
on an exploratory voyage to choose a unique, attractive and, literally, state
of the art ring design that would also be an artistic statement
in its own merit, for our showroom and discriminating diamond clients. The voyage
was short, of sure and unavoidable course and conclusion. An encounter with the
world renowned, award winning and revolutionary jewelry designer par-excellence
Steven Kretchmer of NY.
We visited Steven at his spacious living and work quarters, a copious combination
of workshop (--where all jewelry pieces are hand crafted--) and residence in
a converted old school building. There we were presented with a fascinating
and enlightening tale of quest, research, invention and innovative creativity.
Kretchmer's preoccupation with limitations on creativity imposed by old maxims
and techniques of precious metals metallurgy had led him to fascination with
in-depth metallurgical research, studies under leading Japanese and Italian
metalsmiths and designers, and, finally, to remarkable, ground breaking inventions
& designs of his own. Patented thermal and mechanical processes applied to his
precious metal alloys, primarily gold and platinum alloys, yielded springiness
never before possible in those metals. The process is analogous, in a sense,
to the conversion of iron into steel. The newly created springiness allowed
Kretchmer to introduce a new fashion of diamond setting and, as an immediate
result, a whole new family of creative designs hitherto inconceivable and impossible.
The diamond mounting allowed by those treated, special alloys is the (by now-)
famous tension setting, exerting, in Kretchmer's designs the equivalent of 12,000lb.
per square inch of metallic, springy pressure. Few gems (only those scoring
9 (out of 10) or higher in the hardness scale such as Ruby and Sapphire) can
sustain this enormous pressure, first among which is Diamond, the gem of highest
hardness (10 out of 10). The exerted pressure guarantees, further, safe setting
for longer than a lifetime. Award winning designs such as Kretchmer's renowned
"Omega Ring", through their revolutionary tension setting, allow more of the
diamond to show, more brilliance to explode, more color dispersion to spark,
and a magic-like look of a diamond that almost seems to be suspended in mid-air.
Despite the appearances of "floating in mid air", the mounting is
stronger than most conventional prong and bezel settings which tend to loosen
with time and use (it enjoys, furthermore, the added benefit of eliminating
the unnerving entanglement of prongs in fabrics...). This due to the treated
metal springiness and to the fact that more surface is touched by the setting
but at points that are optically less critical in terms of exposure of beauty,
brilliance and wholesomeness of the Round Brilliant shape: Kretchmer settings
hold their diamond solely by its girdle. The aging and seasoning of the treated
metal in Kretchmer's studio furnaces prevent the brittleness that precious metals
develop over time and guarantee the treated metals longer endurance and longer
retaining of their finish than their standard, untreated 'equivalents'. Statistically,
practically and mechanically speaking a Kretchmer tension setting will never
loose its diamond. Only through the use of specialized tool may a Diamond be
de-mounted from those settings. Similarly, Kretchmer rings can be set and mounted
only in Steven Kretchmer's studios.
Kretchmer's unique tension designs are sold only through selected few distributors of the highest repute. Their exclusive territories, which Kretchmer attempts to assure not to overlap, cover large segments of the US (--they are available upon request). Now, Van-Daaz has been granted the rights to display and sell those designs in its location.
As with other breakthroughs imitations were fast to follow but, as especially commissioned lab reports indicate, their hardness (and therefore safety of mounting) is not as good as Kretchmer's patented process. Beware of such imitations (incidentally, one European tension setting manufacturer and designer, namely, Niessing, using a different patented process, seems, however, to offer designs of, by and large, comparable reliability and of the same class in terms of quality of manufacturing).
The alloy for each Kretchmer ring is processed especially for it and all items are hand crafted by Kretchmer and a small team of craftspeople especially trained and supervised by him (once alloying, thermal and mechanical processing are over). Each ring has to be carefully designed to fit the size of diamond held by it. As a result, delivery time for Kretchmer rings may take up to five weeks. Special care has also to be taken in the process of sizing prior to ordering a Kretchmer tension setting since the processing of the precious metal and the very design do not allow any resizing in some tension setting models and only limited ones in others.
The striking, uncommon results more than justify the patient wait.
Left: V-Ring with a trilliant diamond
Right: A dynamic Kretchmer duo: An Omega and a Flat Setting with
a Trilliant Diamond, in platinum.
Prices of Kretchmer designs are in line with their uniqueness, exclusivity and the invested, elaborate craftsmanship and one of a kind artistic expression. Yet, they are affordable. They are availailable in our Showroom wher you are very welcome.
Your comments are welcome, please write to us.
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