S925 Silver Turquoise Five-petal Flower Open Ring

A five-petal flower in traditional design usually means plum blossom. Plum has five petals, and folk usage pairs them with the five blessings, fortune, office, longevity, joy and wealth, one to a petal. Some read it as no more than a plain flower and let the wearer decide. The petals turn around a single centre, all five the same size; the carver sets the centre first, then divides it into five, and a hair off shows as a lean. The five-petal motif appears on porcelain too, where the petal tips should be rounded, since sharpen them and it becomes another flower.

Turquoise is a hydrated copper aluminium phosphate, running from sky blue to apple green, with brown veins of associated minerals that the trade calls matrix. It is porous, and dislikes acid, alkali, heat and cosmetics. Colour varies across a single piece: paler near the surface, blue only in the core. Turquoise deepens with wear as sweat and oil soak in, and the blue drifts towards green. Stones with heavy matrix cost less and crack more easily; when choosing, avoid thick lines running across the face, especially where they meet the rim.

In a silver setting, what matters is how the bezel sits. Too loose and the stone shifts; too tight and the corners crush. A good setting holds the stone steady and still lets a little light through from behind. Prongs are rare, because turquoise is soft and a tight prong leaves a mark. The bezel should be even in thickness, since a thin side and a thick side show the moment light hits them.

The band is open: slide it on from the side of the finger and close it slightly to steady it. The flower covers a fair amount of ground, so short fingers do better with a narrower version, or the hand looks shorter still. The face turns outward; it shows best on the index finger, and on the ring finger it drifts to one side. Open bands loosen with wear, so pinch one now and then instead of waiting for it to slide off over a drain.

Turquoise must not be soaked. Take the ring off to wash your hands, shower or swim, and spray perfume before putting it on. The silver will darken, but keep the silver cloth off the stone, because the polishing compound in the cloth will dull the surface. Store it in a small pouch, not on a keyring: turquoise is softer than silver and a knock leaves a white mark. It also dislikes bleach, so do not wear it doing laundry. When the bezel darkens, run a cotton bud with a little soapy water along the edge and do not let water seep behind the setting.