craftsmanship Archives - Page 6 of 6

Radiant Engagement Rings – Regal Beauty

How much do you know about radiant cut diamonds? Did you know that the radiant cut was first invented in 1977 by a man named Henry Grossbard, a pioneer in the art of diamond cutting who wanted to synthesize the emerald cut and round stone, thereby creating a cut which combined the elegance and brilliance of both? At Knox Jewelers, we have been crafting unique engagement rings with radiant cut diamonds since our founding in 1984. The radiant cut has a very interesting and rich history – unsurprising for a cut of this intricate beauty. Let’s take a few moments to discuss the history and properties of this beautiful cut, and then take a look at some of the stunning radiant engagement rings we have crafted for our customers in the past.

The History and Development of the Radiant Cut

Once upon a time, an enterprising and clever craftsman named Henry Grossbard wanted to find a way to combine the elegance of emerald cut diamonds with the brilliance of round, brilliant cut diamonds. After thirty-three years of developing his craft, Grossbard finally succeeded in developing a cut which combined the step cut and brilliant cut into one, distinctive, and astounding cut he proudly named the radiant cut due to its synthesis of the properties of the former. Since then, many artists, metal smiths, and craftspeople have endeavored to emulate the precision and dedication to craftsmanship that Grossbard displayed in his work, and at Knox Jewelers we too have carried on Grossbard’s legacy of craftsmanship and attention to detail in the design of all of our unique engagement rings.

The Special Properties of Radiant Cut Diamonds

Radiant cut diamonds are so innovative and important in the recent history of jewelry because prior to their introduction by Grossbard and other craftspeople, all diamonds were cut in the emerald way, thereby limiting their potential brilliance. The radiant cut brought with it a complete revolution of the industry, as now diamonds were up to par with their fellow gemstones in terms of both brilliance and elegance. This evolution in cutting methodology brought with it a number of new styles in jewelry, and allowed for greater creativity by both customers and metal smiths.

Our Radiant Engagement Rings

At Knox Jewelers, we have crafted a number of these stunning, exquisite radiant engagement rings, and we wanted to take some time now to show you some of them we have created from scratch for our customers in the past. Naturally, these are not the sum of our entire portfolio, so please click here to view all of our stunning radiant engagement rings. Without further ado, let’s take a look at three of our unique engagement rings which have incorporated radiant cut diamonds:

Rae – Regal and Luminous

Our Rae design is among our most regal, and the 2.25 carat radiant cut center diamond is absolutely stunning. Its platinum band is detailed with intricate micro pavé that truly gives this ring a brilliant and awe-inspiring appearance. The U-cut micro pavé is present along almost all sides of this ring, including the undersides of the halo.

Radiant North Star – A Fresh Take on a Classic Pattern

Once used by sailors to navigate the oceans of the world, the North Star has a long and rich history. Our signature North Star pattern looks simply exquisite with diamond accents, hand-cut micro pavé, and a .50 carat radiant cut diamond, all framed with a fine milgrain detail. This ring also shows just how versatile a radiant cut diamond can be, and how stunning it can look in any setting.

Heidi – Art Deco Beauty

Inspired from the artistic legacy of the Art Deco movement, our Heidi design places a yellow 1.00 carat radiant cut diamond within a 14k gold bezel and a 14k white gold halo accented with micro pavé diamonds. Heidi is truly a lovely ring, and its unique twist on the Art Deco style gives it a one-of-a-kind character. As you can see from this stunning piece, radiant cut diamonds look great in any size, shape, or form, and we have used them successfully in a variety of different configurations and designs.

Have Any Questions?

If you have any questions at all about the radiant cut or about the radiant engagement rings we offer at Knox Jewelers, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!

Yellow Gold – Pure Decadence

Just what is yellow gold, exactly? Is it special or unique in some way? The answer is a resounding YES. 24k yellow gold is pure gold. It is the baseline for all forms of gold; in other words, yellow gold is what comes out of the mine. Colored golds like white gold are typically alloyed with silver, nickel, and other similar classes of metals to give it that whiteness. Rose gold’s alloy is made up of mostly yellow gold and copper which results in the beautiful, warm peachy hue.

More and more of our valued customers are beginning to opt for yellow gold engagement rings, weddings bands, and more. At Knox Jewelers, we love to work with yellow gold, and we are ecstatic that it is making a come back on the market. Even yellow gold is alloyed with other metals, commonly copper and silver, to create a more durable metal for use in jewelry. Pure gold is very soft and malleable and while some pieces may be made from 24k gold, rings especially should not be made from pure gold because the daily wear and tear will be too much for it. Our favorite is 14k yellow gold because it meets the right balance between durability, cost effectiveness, and aesthetic quality. 18k makes for beautiful rings as well, as you can see in the two rings below. The higher content of gold in the alloy provides a more vibrant yellow color than the 14k gold, but it is not as durable as the 14k gold. It is also more expensive.

What sets us apart at Knox Jewelers is our commitment to ensuring you have the perfect blend of pure gold and metal alloy that balances the issues associated with both. Certain kinds of alloy blends can have issues down the road, including weaknesses in the internal structure of the piece, and a lack of ductility which can also cause many issues. That is why we are dedicated to providing you with alloys which ensure maximum durability, strength, and beauty for your jewelry.

Now that you have a good understanding of the characteristics of yellow gold, let’s take a look at some of the yellow gold engagement rings and wedding bands we have created for customers at Knox Jewelers in the past. Each of these rings has its own unique style, and we hand-tailor each of our exquisite pieces exclusively for our clients. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the stunning examples of engagement rings and wedding bands we have crafted for our customers.

Design 2627 – Inspiration from Nature

Design 2627 is inspired by the natural, fractal patterns of nature, thus evoking a sense of leaves, petals, and other organic entities. It is made of the 14k yellow gold that we described previously, and it has a side weight of .44 ct. The leaves and stem system of the ring circumnavigate the entirety of the band, and they are also accented with beautiful micro pavé diamonds and outlined with a lovely milgrain texture. To complete the natural appearance of this exquisite piece, we then add larger round diamonds to represent the iconic circular shape of the flower center.

Freyja – Intricate and Bold Beauty

Our Frejay design is an absolutely stunning piece. Its baseline material is 14k yellow gold, like our other yellow gold engagement rings and wedding bands. The centerpiece of this exquisite design is the large rare-colored sapphire. Yellow gold is perfect for bringing out the warm tones of this rare sapphire. We then added an uniquely designed halo to the center to orbit the sapphire. It is bead-set with vibrant diamonds to complement the warm tones of the yellow gold and the sapphire. Finally, the hand engraved designs and hand formed filigree curls of the piece truly make it one of our most beautiful rings.

Design 3004 – Luxurious Elegance

Our Design 3004 is the pinnacle of luxury and beauty. 14k yellow gold forms the baseline material for this piece, and two concentric rings of micro pavé diamonds orbit a center stone. As you can see, the diamonds and yellow gold go perfectly together, as the yellow gold band provides a great level of contrast for the stones. Regardless of the angle at which you view Design 3004, it is bound to look stunning in every way.

As you have seen, yellow gold can be used in a variety of designs to accentuate the warm color tones of the other elements. It is perfect for both complementing and contrasting with other elements in a piece. We hope you enjoyed learning about yellow gold; please contact us if you have any questions about using it for your own rings.

Tanzanite: December’s Newest Breathtaking Birthstone

It’s that time of year again. The time when the snow begins to fall, when the world’s major holidays occur, and when one has a valid excuse for curling up inside with a book and a cup of hot tea on a cold and windy day. But, December is also the month of the tanzanite gem – the youngest of all known gems. Though the rare crystal has long been known and used by the native Maasai people of Tanzania, it was only recently discovered in 1967 by Manuel de Souza, a professor and prospector who was searching for rubies in the region. Upon initial discovery, he and other gemstone experts had assumed the gemstone was some form of sapphire with especially vibrant properties. It wasn’t until Henry B. Platt of Tiffany & Co came across it that tanzanite earned its name. So, you might be wondering what is so special about tanzanite. After all, if it was difficult for the people who discovered and named it to differentiate from sapphire, what makes it so unique? The truth is that tanzanite is in an unique class all of its own, a truth reflected by its inclusion in the birthstone list in 2002 due to its growing popularity and widespread understanding of its uniqueness.

There are many aspects of tanzanite that make this gemstone so unique and aesthetically intriguing, as well as making it the perfect December birthstone. The first aspect you will notice about a tanzanite gemstone is its alluring and very beautiful violet blue color. However, it is rare for a tanzanite freshly mined from the earth to have this intense blue color. It is a common process to heat treat tanzanite to give it the luminous color portrayed in pictures of the gemstone. This brings us to another important topic: The problems with color coating. You see, while heat treatments are a permanent change and do not have any negative impact on the stone, it has been discovered that some tanzanite gems have been coated in a thin layer of material to give them the blue and violet appearance many strive to achieve. However, these methods have come under intense scrutiny due to their unreliability. In fact, industry professionals do not recommend coating as the material applied during the process wears off very easily. That’s why you should always ensure that the tanzanite jewelry you purchase is HEAT treated, not coated. Here in the United States it is required that any coatings be disclosed at the point of sale.

One of the most important steps in preparing a tanzanite gem for market is the cutting process. Tanzanite possesses a very peculiar quality that makes the cutting process more complex than usual. The gemstone is pleochroic which means if you try to view tanzanite from different angles, you will see different colors. In the case of tanzanite you will see a burgundy-brown from one angle, violet from another, and blue from the third. When the gems are heat treated it removes the burgundy-brown, creating a dichroic stone and leaving only the blue-violet colors that are so prized for this gem. Because of this dichroic property, the direction of the cutting will play a pivotal role in determining the general face-up color of the tanzanite piece, a variable which must also correspond with the financial considerations involved in cutting any gemstone. In general, cutting tanzanite so that it shows an intense blue color in its face-up position is likely to result in more weight loss than cutting it to emphasize its violet-blue color.

There are a few more considerations to take into account for customers looking to purchase one of our hand-crafted tanzanite jewelry pieces. Firstly, tanzanite is rated around 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale, making it fair to below average in durability. That’s why we recommend using tanzanite in non-ring pieces such as pendants, earrings, and necklaces, as this will reduce the risk of damage occurring to the gemstone during normal, daily wear. For someone who is aware of the risks and takes care of their piece however, it makes for a stunning center stone in an engagement ring! As for carats, tanzanite is more often found in larger carat sizes which makes it a great option for the focal point of any piece. Smaller tanzanite stones tend to be less vibrant in color (while, of course, being less expensive). Finally, tanzanite can be cleaned gently with warm, soapy water and a soft tooth brush or other implement.

Make this December one to remember with a beautiful, elegant tanzanite piece. At Knox Jewelers, we are experts in crafting beautiful engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, pendants, necklaces, and more. Choosing tanzanite for your custom jewelry is certainly a unique experience, and we would love to help you through the process and choose a beautiful tanzanite gemstone for your next idea. Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions at all about these beautiful gemstones, and happy holidays from everyone at Knox Jewelers!

Engagement Ring Photos and the Importance of Real Photography

As we approach 6000 “real” photos of engagement rings and wedding bands, we’re reminded of all the work we’ve done in getting our designs on this very website. It’s important to understand that our quality and workmanship have to be top-notch when photographing at the macro level. Our jewelers and craftsmen must execute with the same passion as our designers. It takes years of experience across these many dedicated individuals to deliver a quality piece, something that a virtual image will never convey.

Sometimes we wish our photos could be produced by the touch of a button. It would be much easier to generate 6000 perfect computer renderings and not worry about capturing the countless hours of detail and passion put into our pieces. One slight problem, our customers don’t wear virtual rings.

2082_flower_image Unique Engagement Rings — Photograph taken of Caledonia Design - Unique Engagement Rings

The key to our business is heirloom quality unique engagement rings. The designing is only half of the battle. The craftsmanship yields the end product and is where we really shine as you can see in every one of our engagement ring photos. Our designs are handmade and given meticulously attention to in every detail. How would anyone be able to see our quality if our collection was all computer generated? The diamonds still have to be precisely set, the metal still has to be polished smooth, and the engraving still has to be cut by hand.

Our customers come to us because they want to cherish the beauty and art put into everyone of our designs. They don’t want the same design that has been made ten thousand times by an overworked, underpaid worker overseas. They want unique, they want one-of-a-kind, and they want heirloom quality.

Virtual jewelry only shows 50 percent of any given design. It’s a mere concept of how a design should look. The design still has to executed into a beautiful piece of art and that feat takes years of experience. Quality and craftsmanship come with no easy button.