Blog — engagement rings

Birthstone month: July Color: Red Family: Corundum Moh's Hardness: 9 Transparency: Transparent Rubies are part of the corundum family, and are, in fact, simply red sapphires. Sapphires come in every color, but red sapphires are differentiated as rubies. They are brilliant red in color, with the highest quality stones leaning slightly towards purple-red. Corundum that is a paler red, leaning towards pink, is sometimes classified as a pink sapphire, instead of as ruby. The determination is often at the discretion of the dealer. Most natural rubies have some kind of inclusion, often displayed as a milky or "silk" look from...

Birthstone month: AprilColor: Ideally colorless, though many diamonds have a hint of yellow or brownFamily: DiamondMoh's Hardness: 10Transparency: Transparent Typically, gem-quality diamonds are colorless or nearly colorless. When the discoloration in a diamond is intense enough to be viewed as an entirely different color, though, these diamonds are intentionally marketed for their color and inclusions. Yellow diamonds, blue diamonds, black diamonds, gray/salt and pepper diamonds, champagne diamonds, and cognac diamonds are all variations valued for their non-standard look. Here's an example of a raw, uncut diamond: Diamonds are unusual in that they are the only gemstones that are comprised of...

My brother Ben asked me to create a custom engagement ring for his girlfriend, Meg. He had a few images of vintage-inspired rings that Meg mentioned she was interested in. I had been picking up clues over time, as well. I already knew her finger size, that she likes round diamonds, and prefers bezel settings. That's enough to start with! (Ready to start dropping hints yourself? Send me a message!) I created two options for Ben to look over. The first option featured a round brilliant center diamond with a simple split-prong halo. I added some leaf-shaped filigree underneath the...

  It's engagement season! I've been designing a number of custom engagement rings this month, so my sketchbook has been filled with ideas for halo rings, one-of-kind solitaire stunners, and vintage-inspired engraved rings. xo, Christine

The alternative title for this blog post is "My First Engagement Ring". So glad it was for my sister! On Halloween weekend in 2009, my sister Tania and her boyfriend Chris came to the city for a Halloween house party in South Philly. Tania's always been a little craftier than me, so while she helped my boyfriend whip together a last minute costume, Chris and I went out to the corner store. On that walk, Chris asked if I'd be willing to design an engagement ring for Tania using a diamond he had researched and sourced from Blue Nile. My...