Peony

Peony

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With its stately form, vivid color, and rich fragrance, the peony has long been regarded by Chinese poets and scholars as the “king of flowers,” celebrated for its natural associations with beauty and prosperity.

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The Tang Dynasty poet Xu Ning captured the flower’s enchanting beauty in his poem Peony, comparing it to the legendary goddess of the Luo River and describing its many graceful forms as surpassing the colors of the dawn.

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Inspired by this timeless imagery, designer Arista Lee created a three-layered composition that brings the peony’s petals to life through intricate craftsmanship, revealing their depth, fullness, and graceful movement. At the center, a cabochon-cut star ruby evokes a dewdrop in the early morning, its star-like rays recalling the dawn light and celestial brilliance of Xu Ning’s verse. The result is a vivid interpretation of the legend, with the wearer envisioned as a woman of beauty, grace, and prosperity.

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Star Ruby

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Star ruby is among the most prized gemstones displaying asterism, a phenomenon caused by fine rutile needles naturally contained within the ruby. These needle-like inclusions intersect in three sets of parallel orientations. When the stone is carefully oriented and cut into a cabochon, they reflect light to form three rays that meet at the surface, creating the distinctive six-rayed star.

Rubies are commonly heat-treated to enhance their color. However, the asterism in star ruby depends on the presence of natural rutile inclusions, which can be altered or dissolved by heating, causing the star effect to disappear. At the same time, excessive inclusions can compromise the stone’s clarity. A natural star ruby with vivid color, sharp star rays, and a pleasing degree of clarity is therefore exceptionally rare and highly sought after.