In case you don’t already know, most of the jewelry worn on the red carpet is borrowed. Big name jewelers lend big ticket items to the stars for the same reason big name designers give away clothes, to get their name out there. I think it’s an awesome way to get publicity and I hope I’m in a position someday to have someone famous wear one of my pieces!

All in all though, it seemed like people were disappointed in the jewels represented. There was almost no color and even the diamonds were understated. By far though, the trends are still clear. Bracelets and earrings–big earrings.

Here are a few designs I’ve done for some bracelets with matching earrings and ring (I had to do rings because they are MY favorite accessory.)

This wide bangle would be great in gold or silver. The rendering is with several different colored stones but you could choose any stones.

This link bracelet with matching earrings and ring would also be great in either gold or silver. This render is with diamonds but you could use color if you wanted!

This bracelet is rendered in white gold and rose gold but you could use any combination of metals and you could use silver for part or all of the pieces to lower the price.

Please browse around enjoy our new site. We look forward to your feedback and to working with you in the future to create a piece of Stunning, Custom, Jewelry just for you!

My husband brought to my attention that sometimes I use terms in reference to how stones are set that need some extra explanation so I thought I would write a post dedicated to all of the ways to set stones in jewelry.

Read on for pictures and explanations of prong settings, basket settings, pave, channel settings, bezels, partial bezels, and gypsy settings.

Prong setting is probably the most common type of setting. Under that heading of “prong setting” there of several options though. The first would be a die cast head which is how some jewelers prefer to set large center stones. The reason they prefer this particular way of prong setting is that it is the most secure type of prong setting. It is more secure for several reasons. The first is that the actual metal is stronger. The process for Die Casting leads to a head with metal that is dense without any “bubbles” that create weak spots. Also, for round stones, die cast heads often have 6 prongs. If 4 prongs are good, 6 are better because there are just that many more prongs to hold the stone in case 1 or more prongs are damaged.

Another type of prong setting is a “basket” This type of head if often cast with the rest of the ring. The nice thing about basket heads is that there are horizontal rails that the stone sits on which stabilizes the stone. Baskets are most often used for center stones but variations can be used for smaller side stones.

Pave is another type of prong-link setting. Real pave is not considered to be prong set because there are no prongs when the jeweler starts setting the stone, he has to dig the metal out to create prongs which is very difficult. These days, pave setting is often just another way of prong setting because the prongs are part of the ring before the jeweler starts setting. Pave is a term used to refer to a lot of stones set very close together on the surface of the a piece of jewelry, “paving” the surface of the metal.

Channel setting is a very popular type of setting where the stones are held with tension between two bars of metal. This type of setting can be used for both large and small stones. The difference between a channel setting and a true tension setting is the band of metal underneath the stone or stones that prevent the bars holding the stone(s) to be pulled apart.

Another type of setting for both small and large stones is a bezel. Bezel set stones have metal all the way around the stone that is bent over the edges of the stone slightly to hold the stone in place. This is my personal favorite type of setting because it is clean and VERY secure. The downside to bezels is that they are more difficult for the jeweler to do well so you have to trust your jeweler to keep the metal thickness around the stone even and smooth.

There is a variation on bezel setting called a partial bezel. This type of setting something between a bezel and a channel. It is like a bezel that doesn’t go all the way around the stone or like a channel that curves to fit the edges of the stone.

The last type of setting that I use is gypsy setting which is also called flush setting. This type of setting is used for smaller stones generally but does not have to be. Gypsy setting is like bezel setting without the bezel. The stone is set down into the metal and the metal of the piece is bent over the stone all the way around to hold the stone in place.

Ideally every type of setting will hold your stone in place forever, but jewelry is not always ideal. Make sure you trust your jeweler to do their best work and also have your jewelry checked periodically to make sure that your setting are still secure to prevent stone loss.

When buying jewelry you should also know the difference between good work done by a jeweler, and bad work done by a jeweler. This can affect you as a consumer when you have a stone set, when you have a repair done, or even when you just have a ring sized or a chain added.

Take a look at the difference in this piece before it was fixed.

Notice how the bezel around the colored stone (which happens to be an Alexandrite) is uneven. Also, the channel set diamonds are not all sitting at the same angle in the channel and some of them look dirty because the jeweler did not clean the piece completely. Also notice how the channel has grooves in it where the jeweler nicked the metal and did not fix it.

Now look at the same piece after it has been fixed by a jeweler who does very good work.

Look at how the bezel around the Alexandite is smooth and the diamonds are evenly spaced, clean, and all at the same angle. Also, the channel around the diamond is the same width all the way around.

These are all specific problems that could come up in this particular piece but it’s just one example of what can happen if you go to a jeweler you don’t trust and you don’t look over the piece before you take it.

This piece is really fun because it has a lot of diamonds and it’s three separate parts so it can be worn in an infinite number of ways (more than just what I’ve shown!)

Enjoy!