engagement ring

Description: Custom made, oval claw-prong, open gallery engagement ring, with a knife edge shank. Literally perfect.

Materials used: 2 carat oval lab-grown diamond. VS1 clarity, D color, ideal cut. Recycled 18K yellow gold.

An “open gallery” style solitaire is one that does not have a gallery rail between the prongs. The point of this is to have as much of the stone visible as possible. One might wonder about the structural integrity of a ring design without a gallery rail. That is a fair concern, so to make sure that the ring still has a lot of structural integrity, this ring was designed with thicker and more substantial prongs. If you are going to remove the gallery rail, it’s best to have a substantial amount of metal holding the stone in.

“Knife edge” shanks create a stunning visual. The ring is tapered to a point in the middle, creating the illusion of narrow ring. This also creates a beautiful line down the middle, which runs all the way around the ring.

While the knife edge shank may appear thin, there is actually a decent amount of depth designed into the ring. This creates a solid foundation while still achieving a minimalist look.

To inquire or learn more about custom jewelry projects, please visit our custom orders page.

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comparing a tulip in bloom to a tulip ring setting — **Inspired by natures beauty.**

Recently I had the opportunity to make a custom tulip engagement ring setting with a Montana sapphire.

The reason for the term “tulip” ring setting has to do with the way the prongs are shaped and designed.

6 Prong Tulip Head

**The raw platinum casting of a tulip ring setting.**

Tulip ring settings can be made a number of different ways. This particular ring was designed with rounded tops and six prongs.

Some tulip ring settings are made with 4 points of contact (basically similar to a 4-prong ring setting) and other tulip designs are not rounded at the top, rather come up to form a “claw” or point.

tulip ring setting with platinum — **Beautiful Montana sapphire secured by a tulip head setting.**

Tulip engagement ring settings can be custom made to fit many different stone types and sizes.

We accept custom orders! If you wish to explore working together, please fill out our customization form.

4 Prong vs 6 Prong Tulip Setting

4 prong vs 6 prong tulip ring setting — **Which option is best?**

In our experience crafting custom tulip engagement rings, we have found that a 4 prong tulip is good for emerald, cushion, and princess cut stones.

computer rendering of a ring — **CAD rendering of a 4 prong tulip style ring setting**.

When designing jewelry, we keep the end in mind. One aspect that we focus a lot on is symmetry. A princess cut or emerald cut will have 4 corners or points, thus a 4 prong tulip head will compliment it nicely.

raw platinum casting with montana sapphire

When it comes to round or oval stones, both 4 and 6 prong tulip heads can work, although 6 prong is generally considered the safer option.

Choosing A Stone For A Tulip Ring Setting

There are many great options for stones. With this particular custom ring project, our client supplied their own sapphire sourced from Montana.

We are able to use our clients stones to craft beautiful engagement rings. Read more about using your own stone for a jewelry project.

If you don’t have your own stone to bring to the table, a goldsmith can help. We specialize in creating sustainable custom jewelry using lab grown diamonds, moissanite, and more. Contact us to learn more.

Floral Inspired

In conclusion, if you are looking for the perfect ring setting that gives off a floral vibe, a tulip ring setting is a stunning option.

Because of the openness of the head design, a lot of the stone is visible when looking through the ring.

Now that is an added bonus!

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Recently I had the opportunity to make a tanzanite halo engagement ring!

Generally when people think about tanzanite halo rings, they picture the tanzanite being the center stone, and the accent stones being diamonds.

However in this case, the center stone was a 1 carat moissanite and the accent stones were tanzanite. This design choice truly makes the ring more unique.

Tanzanite Accent Stones

Tanzanite color ranges from dark blue to lighter purple. The highest quality being a blend of both.

Due to the beautiful color of tanzanite, it works extremely well as an accent stone. In this case, it was paired with a colorless moissanite and white gold. The white stone and white gold blend beautifully with the colorful accent moissanite.

Peekaboo Stone

To add a bit more character and uniqueness to this ring, a “peekaboo stone” was bezel set underneath the halo. There is one set on each side of the ring.

Peekaboo stones, also referred to as “surprise diamonds”, are an interesting addition to a ring when looking at it from a different angle.

Instead of calling them surprise diamonds, In this post I should clarify that they are really “surprise moissanites” as these stones are were selected as moissanite to match the center stone.

Read more about the benefits of moissanite engagement rings

CAD Renderings Help Create A Visual

CAD rendering of tanzanite halo engagement ring

CAD renderings allow clients to see what their ring will look like before it is cast in metal.

As a result, the client can request any changes they want to see. It is not uncommon for there to be a few “rounds” of renderings before the final design is approved.

To get started with a custom jewelry project, fill out our customization form!

VIDEO

See how this ring looks with unedited coloring under natural light. The moissanite and the tanzanites pair beautifully together.

For all inquiries, do not hesitate to contact us!

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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.

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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!

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**Moissanite—brilliant, environmentally friendly, and affordable**. Photo by Taylor Cross Photography

Recently I had the opportunity to create a beautiful and minimalist princess cut moissanite engagement ring. The platinum design features the combination of a 1 carat princess cut moissanite center stone with round lab-diamond accent stones.

In this post we will talk about the benefits of using moissanite for an engagement ring. Find out why moissanite has quickly become a favorite among couples getting engaged.

The Benefits Of Moissanite

*Moissanite is one of the most popular diamond alternatives for engagement rings.*

There are many reasons to love moissanite, Here are our top 5 benefits for using moissanite in an engagement ring!

#1. Moissanite is lab-grown.

What’s to love about lab-grown gemstones like moissanite? First and foremost, lab-grown stones are not mined in the earth, therefore they are environmentally friendly and 100% conflict free.

#2. Affordable.

With moissanite, you can get a beautiful gemstone that is far less expensive than a diamond. Why go broke on a diamond when it’s the symbolism that counts? Not to mention, they are just as lovely. (For pricing, contact us!)

#3. Moissanite is “hard” like a diamond.

While diamonds are the hardest minerals on earth—scoring a 10 out of 10 on the scale of mineral hardness—moissanite is also rated very well in terms of hardness. Moissanite is rated 9.25 out of 10 on the hardness scale!

Why is this important? Well hardness is an indication of how well a stone will hold up over the years. Moissanite is near the top!

#4. Moissanite is now colorless.

Not too long ago, moissanites gave off a bit of yellow tint. Later, they were improved and made “near colorless”. It didn’t stop there! Charles and Colvard, the premiere manufacturer of moissanite, recently introduced a true colorless stone known as the “Forever One” moissanite. See how they compare to the older stones.

By default, Modern Goldsmith always uses colorless moissanite in our engagement rings.

#5. Many shapes and sizes.

Moissanite is made in many different shapes and sizes! Whatever your personal preference is for stone shape and size, you’ll be able to find a beautiful colorless moissanite to fit your tastes.

For custom jewelry inquires, fill out our custom jewelry form!

The best of both worlds—combining moissanite and lab diamonds.

*A thin band leading up to graduating accent stones.*

There is something stunning about combining a moissanite center stone with lab-diamond accent stones. They are a beautiful and radiant combination. This is usually our go-to method when creating custom engagement rings.

To view moissanite engagement rings currently for sale, visit our shop!

The ring featured above is a minimalist engagement ring with a thin 1.3 millimeter band. 1.3 millimeters is very thin band! There used to be a time when I would rarely make anything thinner than a 2 millimeters when designing an engagement ring. There was also a time where nobody knew what moissanite was, either. Things are heading in a new and exciting direction.

**Custom jewelry for one-of-a-kind people.** Photo by Taylor Cross Photography.

Finally, the greatest benefit to using moissanite for an engagement ring (in our opinion) is knowing that you don’t need to fall into the tradition of buying a mined diamond!

You can create a beautiful ring that works for you and your partner, and save a lot of money in the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: “What is the average cost of a moissanite engagement ring?”

A: The average cost of a custom moissanite engagement ring is $800 to $2,400. There are many factors that make up a final price! Get a free quote.

Q: “Can you tell the difference between diamond and moissanite?”

A: To the trained eye, yes you can! However this is not a bad thing. Moissanite reflects light differently than a diamond does. Moissanite is actually more brilliant than a diamond.

Q: “Can I upgrade my moissanite for a diamond later?”

A: If you so desire, absolutely! Most engagement rings can accommodate swapping out the center stone. Whether it be for a larger moissanite or a lab-diamond. There are many possibilities!