rose gold feather ring

I love the softness of the feather ring in rose gold that I created for a proposal.

beauty

I adore this version of the twig ring in 18k yellow gold with diamonds nested on either side of the center stone.  Congratulations to the lucky lady that received this beauty!

how sweet it is

This ring has the most darling story behind it.  The client approached me because he knew his girlfriend would love my twig ring.  He then had the wonderful idea to make her a custom ring cast from a branch he sourced from the backyard of her childhood home.  I thought this was the sweetest idea and loved being in on the secret.  In fact, he snuck all the way down to Southern California to the house she grew up in to pull it off!  He wanted a dainty vintage feel, so we went with a beautiful princess cut diamond.  She was wonderfully surprised and he can now call her his fiancé.  I want to start offering this customization service to others as well.  Have a favorite place that you can pluck a small branch from?  Turn it into a gorgeous custom ring that she'll never forget.  Contact me if you're interested in making your very own special ring.

all mine

Things have been very busy, as they so often are around the holidays, and even more so when you make something that people want to buy to give for the holidays.

Last week I had a moment to breathe and I decided it was about time that I make my engagement ring.

My fiancé took my advice (good boy) when he proposed and did so with what will become by wedding band. I had my Grammy's gorgeous diamond that I wanted to use, and seriously....trying to find a jeweler the engagement ring of her dreams? Good luck.

My ring is inspired by the heavy Egyptian influence during the Art Deco design period after the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. I've always been fascinated by the mystery that surrounded the excavation, as well as the allure of far away places.

I hand carved my ring in wax and then cast it in 18k yellow gold, my absolute favorite. Two pyramids capture the bezel set diamond, flanked by slithering snakes with diamonds in their heads. Just strangely awesome enough for my taste.

Ahhh, to be in love!

love grows

I've pretty much fallen in love with every engagement ring I have created thus far. This one in particular really stole my heart. There comes a point in the design process where grand ideas must be translated into a piece of jewelry that is wearable. This is most important with an engagement ring because it is worn always and forever. This piece really nails that delicate balance. The ring was created to look as much like a tree branch as possible without being too literal. It is earthy and organic without compromising a modern sophisticated elegance. Not to mention, the diamond-wow! The ring has moved on to its new happy home, but that doesn't mean I'm not still dreaming about it....

The Color of Love

Being a jewelry designer, I often wonder what my own engagement ring may look like. My man sure does have a lot to live up to, and knows very well that a mall store special simply will not do. I'm not saying that I need a big rock, or even a diamond at all, just something unique and stunning in its simplicity. Often times jewelry is like art; you can't put your finger on what makes it work, it just does.

This was the case recently when I was asked to design a non-traditional engagement ring. The client wanted something simple and ancient looking. Perhaps the most important part of this ring was finding the stone. The color we were going for was "the Atlantic ocean on an overcast day." Quite specific. When I came across this amazing Australian Sapphire, I knew it was perfect. The subdued blue/gray/green color would be amazing against the regal gold color of 18 karat. The result is so perfect in my eyes. Jewelry need not be complicated. In this instance, the beauty was in the marriage of perfect simplicity, amazingly harmonious color, and the meaning behind the chosen stone.

The proposal took place during a routine stroll along the pair's favorite beach on the rugged New England coast. She enthusiastically said "yes," and will forever have the memory of her special day captured in the sea-blue color of the stone.

A Love Story

Making an engagement ring can easily become stressful and nerve racking.  Strict timelines, hazy concepts and the fact that I'm responsible for pleasing two parties; the proposer whom often has no idea what the proposee is pining for, and the (hopefully) soon to be fiance who usually has a very clear vision of the perfect moment with the perfect ring.

Luckily for me, I recently had the chance to make a wonderful ring for dear friends that included none of the above dilemmas. 

John, who works on the San Francisco Bay, came to me with idea of using coral somehow to create a "lace-like" engagement ring.  I instantly thought of using a sea-fan to create an interesting pattern for the band.   I used an actual piece of coral, made a mold into which I injected wax.  I then took the wax and sculpted the band of the ring which was cast in white gold.  I selected a 1/3 ct stunningly cut, clean and white sparkler which I bezel set and sunk into the band.  

Serena, an amazing graphic designer, obviously has a great eye for design.  I thought she would appreciate the nod to nature in a subtle and interesting way.  The result was a totally unique, organic ring that also reads as somewhat architectural and modern.

The proposal went down at one of the couple's monthly "movie nights" held in the backyard of their SF home.  I was honored to be in the audience as the sailor man crouched on bended knee and asked his fair maiden for her hand in marriage, to which she said YES!

                      

  The ring in wax prior to casting