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Modern Goldsmith

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Trillion Birthstone Ring With Citrine and Peridot

This year for mother’s day, I designed a 14K yellow gold, custom trillion birthstone ring.

This ring features two birthstones, peridot and citrine, cut in trillion shapes and set into a petite yellow gold ring setting.

The ring design was made to have the the trillion stones sitting up right next to each other, with one of the points running horizontally with the ring band.


What are Trillion Shaped Stones?

2 Stone Mother's Ring with Peridot and Citrine.

Trillion gemstones, simply put, are triangle shaped. The biggest differentiation between a trillion and a trilliant or a triangle is that the term trillion is specifically reserved for gemstones.

Oftentimes trillion shaped gemstones are used as accent stones to a main center stone. In this case, the custom trillion birthstone ring was designed to have the stones themselves be the focal point. They get the lead role this time!

For all custom trillion birthstone ring inquires, or any other custom jewelry inquiry, fill out our customization form!


What is the birthstone for the month of August?

3 loose peridot gemstones. A trillion, pear, and oval shape.

The birthstone for the month of August is peridot. This stone is a beautiful yellowish green. It is found naturally in the earth and is also synthetically produced.

Peridot is only a 6.5 to 7 on the scale of mineral hardness, so it is considered “fair” for every day use. The stone should be shielded from heavy blows and worn with care. To learn more, visit the Gemological Institute of America.


What is the birthstone for the month of November?

6 loose citrine gemstones. An antique square, pear, round, and marquise shape.

The birthstone for the month of November is citrine. Citrine has many different shades of yellow, from light translucent yellow to darker shades.

Citrine is rated a 7 on the scale of mineral hardness and will hold up pretty well with every day wear. It is just a bit harder than peridot, but just that small increase can go a long way in a stones durability. To learn more, read about citrine on the GIA’s website.


Custom Trillion Birthstone Ring: Designed with CAD

A CAD rendering of a custom trillion birthstone ring.

The majority of the time when I do a custom ring, I will first design the ring in CAD. I love doing it this way because it gives my clients the opportunity to see what the ring will look like before it is cast in metal!

Once the clients have the renderings delivered to them, they can request any changes they feel necessary, and we can tweak the design as we go.

Once the design is looking just perfect, then we will proceed to the casting process! For more information, feel free to contact us!

Custom trillion birthstone ring
Custom trillion birthstone ring with a thin yellow gold band

The end result is a ring that looks nearly identical to the CAD renderings! The best part is, the real ring will always look better in person than in renderings, so if you are feeling excited about what you are seeing on a screen, just wait until you get the real piece of jewelry in your hands.

The weight of the gold, the reflection of the stones, the shine and shimmer. These are things that can only be handled and seen in person, and the end result is so satisfying!

To see more custom projects, browse the portfolio!


Filed Under: Custom Jewelry & Repair, Posts Tagged With: august birthstone ring, birthstone ring, CAD, custom jewelry, november birthstone ring, thin band, trillion, trillion birthstone ring, trillion gemstones

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White gold oval cufflinks
Custom made oval cufflinks. 14K white gold.

I recently had the awesome opportunity to make some custom men’s oval cufflinks.

The cufflinks were designed with a thin oval shape and a locking back to keep them in place.

Many cufflinks you find online or in the store will be made out of a non-precious metal (They are usually gold or silver plated), but these cufflinks are special because they are solid 14 karat white gold.


Brush Finish

A brush finish creates a nice matte look.

When creating these cufflinks, the client specifically wanted high quality jewelry that didn’t look too flashy.

One of the best ways to reduce the flashiness of jewelry is to take the bright shine away. By adding a smooth brush finish to the top of the cufflinks, you create a really cool looking texture that is a lot more subtle.

For all custom jewelry inquires, head on over to our customization page!


Hidden Engraving

The cufflinks were designed with hidden engravings on the back.
Hidden engravings on the backs of the cufflinks.

Probably my favorite aspect of this design was the fact that we included hidden engravings on the back of the cufflinks.

Engravings on cufflinks can be added on the front or the back. Engravings on the front are usually some type of insignia or design, while engravings on the back can be more personal in nature.

The really cool thing about hidden engravings is it makes the custom cufflinks even more meaningful.


Quality Made

14KT white gold cufflinks
14K quality stamp with custom engravings.

The custom oval cufflinks were made in solid 14K white gold to make them extra durable.

The great thing about white gold compared to other cufflinks, is that the plating will not wear out. In fact there is no plating at all, so the solid gold will last generations.

How often I see “fake” jewelry that starts to wear out quickly. To learn more about how to turn fake jewelry into the real thing.


Filed Under: Custom Jewelry & Repair, Posts Tagged With: cufflinks, custom cufflinks, oval cufflinks

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I recently shipped out this floral engagement ring with leaf accents.

The center stone features a 1.5 carat moissanite center stone, with colorless moissanite accent stones.


Leaf Accents

My favorite part of this design was the leaf accents on each side of the center stone.

Solid gold leaf accents were added to give a whole different dimension to the engagement ring.

Brilliant Moissanite


In my opinion, moissanite is by far the best diamond alternative available today.

Not only is moissanite super hard like a diamond (9.25 out of 10 on the hardness scale) it is also super brilliant!

To learn more, read our post about the benefits of moissanite engagement rings.


Filed Under: Engagement Rings, Posts Tagged With: engagement ring, floral, leaf, moissanite

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I recently had the opportunity to make a custom 14KT yellow gold men’s band with flush set diamonds.

The ring was made 6mm wide, with 9 flush set diamonds even spaced apart.

Side note: I’m giving away a pair of 14K rose gold earrings for Mother’s Day! Just subscribe here to enter! Giveaway ends May 5.


Each Stone Has Meaning

When I was collaborating with my client, they came up with the super sentimental idea of having one stone for each family member in their life!

I thought this was a super cool idea and contemplated on whether or not the stones should be all close together or spaced out.

Having them close together could have been a nice way to represent a “tight knit” family vibe.

In playing around with the design however, I really liked doing a design where stones were spaced out. It gives more meaning to each individual.


The Custom Design Process


A vast majority of the time that I do custom jewelry, I’m utilizing CAD software to give the client renderings of how a ring will look before it is cast in metal!

This gives the client the opportunity to see in high detail how their ring will look, and they can also request any changes they might want to make to the design.

Want to work with me on a project? Fill out the Custom Jewelry form!


Why Flush Set

Flush set stones are perfect for men’s bands that want to use diamonds, but also keep a masculine appearance.

Flush set stones are also excellent due to their low profile. That means they don’t have any prongs to scratch or snag on anything!


Filed Under: Custom Jewelry & Repair, Men's Wedding Bands, Posts Tagged With: CAD, custom jewelry, flush set, flush set diamonds, men's band, men's wedding band

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Custom platinum wedding set. Invisible gallery engagement ring with custom wedding band to match.

This custom platinum wedding set features an invisible gallery on the engagement ring and a custom matching wedding band.

The 2 carat center stone is supported by a hidden rail underneath that reveals diamonds on the sides. The bands were made to be on the thinner side to achieve a beautiful modern look.


Custom Matching Wedding Band

This platinum wedding set was designed to be a cohesive look between the engagement ring and wedding band.

The wedding band sits up perfectly next to the engagement ring and runs underneath the rail of the center stone. This allows the set to be worn together without any visible gaps between the two rings.

For all custom wedding band inquires, fill out our customization form!


What is an ‘invisible gallery’?

A CAD rendering of what an invisible gallery engagement ring looks like.

The gallery of a ring is the section that is seen from the side, or looking through the ring. Many times this can be solid metal or some sort of decorative design.

In this case the ring was designed to have an “invisible gallery” or simply, no gallery at all.

This allows you to see the bottom quarter of the center stone, including the bottom point, or culet.

The rail that makes up the center stone setting was designed to have diamonds set down into the sides.

This is a really neat feature as these diamonds cannot be seen when looking down at the ring, however if you look at the ring from the sides, the shimmering diamonds reveal themselves.

Clickhere to shop our engagement ring collection!



Filed Under: Engagement Rings, Posts Tagged With: custom jewelry, custom wedding band, engagement ring, hidden stones, invisible gallery, moissanite, platinum wedding set, thin band, wedding set

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I recently had the opportunity to create this beautiful 4 row pave band.

Pavè (pronounced pa-vey) rings are generally defined as rings with stones so close together that you can’t see much metal between them.

In this post I will lay out the benefits of pave rings and why choosing custom made is the best choice.


The Benefits of a Pave Band

Pave rings come with a number of benefits. Here are a few:

  • #1—Pave bands keep a low profile.

One of the greatest advantages of wearing a pave band is that the stones can be set virtually flush with the band itself. This makes it optimal for people looking for a ring that wont catch or scratch anything.

  • #2— No need for a center stone.

The diamonds in a pave band work together to create a lot of brilliance. It is also less expensive than buying a single large stone.

  • #3— Greater flexibility!

A pave band can be worn both as a wedding band (accompanied with an engagement ring) or it can be worn all by itself. It’s very nice to have the option to wear a pave band in lieu of an solitaire or halo style engagement ring.


Questions? Ask a goldsmith! We strive to answer all messages within 24 hours.


Why custom is best

  • #1—Less potential for stones falling out.

Pave rings generally have a lot of stones. In this particular ring there were over 60 diamonds—66 to be exact. Having more stones increases the risk of one of them potentially coming loose and falling out.

Some pave rings are made with setting beads that are so small you can barely see them! While this creates a very cool look, they are more prone to having issues in the future, unless they are done right.

Solution: Pave doesn’t always have to be micro, I made this custom pave ring have slightly more gold in the beads! The extra gold provides more coverage over the stones, meaning you’ll get a lot more life out of the ring before maintenance is needed.


note: regardless of your ring style, it is always good to get your ring inspected every 6 months to ensure everything is looking good! Prevention is always less expensive than repairs later!


Get the right finger size

CAD rendering of the 4 row pave band. The stones only go half way down the sides.

  • #2—Pave rings can be harder to size, thus making custom a better option.

Some pave rings are very hard to size due to the way they are designed. Often the stones can come far down the sides of the ring, making it difficult to size without many stones falling out.

Solution: Custom pave rings can be cast in the correct size! For example, instead of buying a size 7 pave ring and getting is sized down to a 5…you can get the ring custom made in a 5 to begin with. This way, the diamonds have a much better chance of staying tight in their settings. The end result is a ring that is more secure.

In addition, This custom pave band was designed to have the diamonds only go half way down the sides. This way the ring can easily be sized without interfering with the rows of diamonds!


note: It is always better to have a pave band custom made in the correct finger size. For all custom inquires, fill out our customization form!



Filed Under: Custom Jewelry & Repair, Engagement Rings, Posts Tagged With: 4 row pave band, pave, pave band

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