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Half Bezel Engagement Rings – A Mesmerizing Focal Point

You might be wondering what the differences are between standard bezel settings and their younger siblings, half bezel settings. The answer is simple: a half bezel setting is just a regular old bezel setting, except that it only encompasses approximately half of the edge of the stone rather than the entirety of it. Now, you probably want to know why on earth someone would only want to have a bezel setting that covers half the edge of the stone rather than all around it. Once again, the answer is simple: By keeping around half the edge of the stone uncovered, you can show off the unique edges and angles of that particular stone. We truly enjoy designing rings with half bezel designs, and we think you’ll love how they look.

An engagement ring or wedding band with a half bezel setting that exposes sides of the center stone tends to fall into the contemporary camp, though this kind of setting can look absolutely stunning in just about any context and with any kind of stone, not simply diamonds. Whether you are working with emeralds, sapphires, rubies, or diamonds, a half bezel setting can add a modern flourish and round out the rest of the design of the ring. Now, let’s take a look at some of the half bezel engagement rings and wedding bands we have crafted for our customers at Knox Jewelers in the past. If you see any you particularly like, be sure to let us know! Onto the rings…

Luna – A Contemporary Half Bezel Ring

The most common contexts where half bezel settings tend to be found are in rings which are generally labeled as contemporary, or modern. Our Luna design is a prime example of these kinds of rings, and it really showcases how a half bezel can add a level of intricacy to more pure designs – being able to view a side cross section of the center stone truly livens up the piece and gives it an elegant appearance.

Here are some other contemporary styles:

Motion Channel – A Diamond Band Half Bezel Design

Of course, half bezel settings are not simply limited to those designs that we might call “contemporary.” Our Motion Channel design is a great example of this fact: Motion Channel incorporates a half bezel that remains fluid with the entirety of the 14k white gold band in order to both show the sides of the round brilliant center cut diamond as well as remain faithful to the broader visual motifs we designed into this piece.

Some additional designs featuring a half bezel setting with a diamond adorned band:

Dreams – The Stunning Synthesis of Filigree and Half Bezel Settings

Our Dreams design is a brilliant example of how filigree and half bezel settings can work together to create an entirely new and distinctive visual style that catches the eye and guides it towards those exposed edges of the center stone. The yellow gold filigree curves gently guide the war towards the center stone, wherein it then views the side perspective of the center stone.

Filigree detailing can be added to half bezel settings in a variety of ways:

Princess Seville – A Half Bezel Ring Inspired by Antique Designs

More examples of beautiful antique inspired half bezel designs:

To demonstrate how a half bezel setting can be used in just about any sort of jewelry context, we wanted you to have a look at our Princess Seville design, an antique-inspired ring which incorporates intricate hand engraving, a beautiful 14k white gold band, and a half bezel setting that shows off the stunning center stone. Truly, half bezel settings can have a place in any kind of ring, and they can truly take them to another level of exquisiteness and fine design.

Interested in Half Bezel Settings? Get in Touch with Knox Jewelers Today!

If you enjoyed this overview of half bezel settings and some of the examples of our fine craftsmanship here at Knox Jewelers, then you may want to consider having an engagement ring or wedding band with a half bezel setting designed by hand for you. We will work together with you throughout the entire design process to ensure you have a piece at the end which is unique, stunning, and crafted specially for you and your loved one. If you have any questions about how a half bezel setting can be best used in an original design, please do not hesitate to contact us today to learn more about getting started. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Amethyst – February’s Regal Birthstone

Amethyst, the stunning February birthstone, has a rich historical legacy that fits its elegance and regal nature. It is also steadily gaining in popularity as customers forgo diamonds as the center stone for their engagement rings for more personalized options, such as birthstones. At Knox Jewelers, we have crafted a plethora of unique amethyst jewelry for our customers, and this lovely stone looks fantastic in a variety of media and designs. Without further ado, let us take a look at the history and lore surrounding amethyst, as well as give you a tour of some of our exquisite custom designs that would look great with an amethyst center stone.

The History of Amethyst

The history of amethyst is one steeped in rich lore and symbolism, and its historical roots extend into the past for thousands of years. The color of amethyst is often a rich combination of red and purple hues – that’s why the ancient Greeks associated the stone with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine making, and other revelries. Throughout the ages, amethyst has come to be associated with different gods and symbols to fit the culture and context of the times. The royal and noble families of many European nations also incorporate amethyst stones into their heirloom jewels, thus giving amethyst a certain sense of prestige that can only come from a royal inheritance.

An Overview of Amethyst

Amethyst is a variety of quartz that is well-regarded and known for its purple and red color. Depending on the specific sample, the color can incorporate more tones of red or purple, thus giving amethyst many different possible shades and combinations. Furthermore, amethyst is a prime example of an attribute unique to certain stones called “color zoning.” The phenomenon of color zoning involves different sections (zones) of the stone exhibiting darker or lighter shades, thereby giving the stone a dynamic visual appearance. Truly, amethyst is one of the most stunning purple-colored gemstones in existence.

How to Choose an Amethyst Stone

There are a few different factors of quality you ought to keep in mind when choosing an amethyst stone. The most highly valued and prized amethyst stones are those who have the right balance of red and purple and produce no color zoning. In addition, the presence of brown tints can decrease the value of a particular sample. As for clarity, amethyst follows the pattern for many other stones by deriving more value from inclusion-free samples, though there are a few exceptions to this rule. Finally, there are a variety of custom designer cuts that can give an amethyst stone a signature look and feel – let us know if this is an option you are potentially interested in.

Taking Proper Care of Amethyst Jewelry

Caring for your amethyst jewelry is a relatively simple process. You’ll want to exercise caution and common sense by removing your ring prior to engaging in activities which could potentially expose it to physical or chemical damage. Cleaning an amethyst stone is a matter of gently scrubbing with a soft-bristled toothbrush in a solution of warm, soapy water.

Amethyst Engagement Rings at Knox Jewelers

At Knox Jewelers, crafting stunning custom engagement rings is what we do best. We will work together with you to design a unique engagement ring that successfully incorporates your design touches and a personalized character. Let’s take a look now at a couple of designs to help you acquire an idea of how an amethyst stone could look with one of our beautiful rings:

Bonita

Our Bonita design features hand engraving, filigree, and milgrain texturing in addition to a 1.30 carat round brilliant cut center stone. An amethyst stone would look absolutely stunning in conjunction with these design features and the 14k white gold band.

Design 2231

To demonstrate how versatile and beautiful amethyst can look in any context, take a look at our Design 2231 ring. Imagine combining the lovely accent diamonds with a 0.90 carat cushion cut amethyst center stone along with the 14k yellow-white gold band.

Get In Touch

If you would like to learn more about amethyst engagement rings and how to best incorporate this beautiful birthstone in your own jewelry, get in touch with us today. We are happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to talking to you soon!

Wide Wedding Bands – Boldly Beautiful

What do you think about wide-banded rings and wide wedding bands? Most commonly, our customers at Knox Jewelers order wide bands for use in wedding rings or as anniversary bands. But, these rings are starting to evolve in terms of their function. Today, it is not uncommon to see individuals wearing a wide band for no other reason than “just because,” and that’s great news! When our designers have the opportunity to work with a wide band, they can incorporate far more creative ideas and visual motifs into their designs than when they do not have has much real estate with which to work. When it comes to ring design, every millimeter counts, and wide wedding bands give us a huge canvas from which to craft something truly amazing. But, don’t just take our word for it – let’s have a look at some of these magnificent and unique wide-band design styles.

Organic
These elegant styles capture some of the beauty of nature. Flowing vines are adorned with leaves and flowers that have been fashioned out of precious metals and gemstones.
Some of these bands feature free-flowing borders, while others are framed with bands of micro pave.

Contemporary
Minimalistic designs that highlight brilliant, dazzling diamonds, and lustrous high polished or satiny brushed metal. These rings also often feature geometric elements or movement in the band to create dimension.

Mokume Gane
The stunning wood grain patterns of these designs are created from scratch each time, so every ring is truly one-of-a-kind! These bands are easily customized with different color combinations and the addition of diamonds or gemstones.

Hand Engraved
The breathtaking patterns shown are all hand-carved into the metal of these rings with a sharpened steel tool called a graver. When the jeweler creates these intricate designs, they must be very precise with each and every line they make. Changing the pressure and depth of their strokes as they carve into the metal produces dimension when the light hits the engraved design.

Filigree and Scroll-work
Filigree curls of all shapes and sizes create a beautiful movement within a design. These scrolling lines can easily add vintage inspiration to a ring. Many times the sweeping line of metal is accented with diamonds or gem stones, hand engraving, and a beaded milgrain texture.

Two Tone
A great way to create a unique ring is to incorporate two different colors of metal. These two tone designs showcase how much different parts of the design can be highlighted simply by

Like What You See? Get in Touch!

At Knox Jewelers, we’re here to help you design the custom wide wedding band of your dreams. Or, if you are not currently looking for a wedding band, we can help you to design the perfect ring for any context. Any of our pieces can be created with or without a center stone. If you have any questions about the process, or if you just want to get in touch with us, please contact us right away. We are always happy to answer any questions you may have.

Vintage Wedding Rings – A Classic Symbol of your Unity

Why should you choose to invest in vintage wedding rings? After all, what makes them so much more special than any other ordinary set of wedding rings? To answer these questions, let’s step back for a moment and think about what wedding rings symbolize. When you choose to spend your life with your beloved, you are forging a bond that will last through the ages, a bond that is full of love, happiness, and is impenetrable to outside forces. Your wedding ring is a symbol of this eternal, beautiful unity, so why would you choose to represent this unity with a bland, factory-made piece of metal? It is probably not difficult for you to agree with us when we say that representing your timeless bond is far better suited to a handcrafted, unique wedding ring that distinctly encapsulates your special vow. At Knox Jewelers, we are artisans who take great pride in producing only the finest and most extraordinary wedding rings that have the power to capture and express the true meaning of your marriage.

There is no typical vintage wedding ring in our studios. All of our handcrafted, unique wedding rings have specific properties and attributes which imbue them with an individual character, very much unlike ordinary, industrial-fabricated bands. A few of the techniques and flourishes we painstakingly use in crafting these works of vintage art include hand engraving, hand formed filigree and milgrain, and the use of high quality gold and diamonds in perfect harmony. What truly gives our wedding bands a timeless, vintage quality is the delicate interplay of all of their constituent elements – the dance of gold and diamond, the handcrafted filigree and engraving, and the holistic attention to detail that our artisans pay to each and every one of our unique bands. Speaking of gold, white gold is a modern trend, and using yellow gold is a great way of adding a vintage feel to your ring. Rose gold, though also a modern trend, is just as effective in creating the vintage look-and-feel. Capturing the vintage aesthetic is the ultimate goal of our expert artisans, and we think that you will agree upon browsing our fine selection that we have overwhelmingly succeeded in this mission.

All of our vintage wedding rings are made by hand by our brilliant and talented artists and metal smiths, in house. There is a world of difference between the quality work of our craftsmanship and the lifeless kind that comes from a factory. By having complete control over the design and crafting of our unique wedding rings, we can control the creation process down to each individual element, thus giving us the ability to craft a wedding band which perfectly explicates the true meaning of your marriage. The generic products produced by industrial machines cannot keep up with our artists. The machines and industrial processes employed by other jewelry companies simply do not have the artistic minds required to produce wedding rings which have their own unique, innate, and individual characters. Factories will consistently produce substandard results because at the end of the day nothing can replace our talented artists and their exquisite craftsmanship.

These types of vintage wedding rings have a timeless, eternal appeal, and for good reason, too. These styles stand the test of time and have traveled through countless generations with no fall in popularity across the ages. Why? The answer, again, lies in the symbolism and rich meaning connoted by a handcrafted vintage, unique wedding ring. Many of your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents likely had rings which had many of the attributes and elements that our own vintage rings possess – think of our rings as a way of connecting with your past and ancestry. We expertly craft all our rings with the tender loving care they deserve, and their resulting elegance, intricacy, and beauty are unmatched.

Ultimately, a vintage wedding ring is a symbol of your love for your spouse and a future heirloom for your family. Timelessness, rich meaning, and beauty – these are just a few of the qualities of our handcrafted vintage wedding rings, and we know you will love browsing our selection. At Knox Jewelers, we can provide custom, handcrafted design services to turn your ideas into reality, and we look forward to working together with you to design a vintage wedding ring which will stand the test of time and be a symbol of your marriage.

Unique Wide Wedding Rings and Engagement Bands

We receive calls and emails from around the world inquiring about our unique wide wedding bands and unique engagement band designs. The ring designs that generate the most inquires tend to be wider than average designs. Some have center stones, like the cushion cut diamond, while others do not. All are singularly unique in their design and are meticulously and expertly hand crafted from the ground up. We feel these two facts combined help our wedding rings (especially signature designs such as these) stand out from more conventional wedding band or engagement ring styles. In fact, many of these unique rings would translate well as a right hand ring or anniversary band.

Click here to browse our Unique Wedding Bands

We wanted to have an article in our journal that featured some of these wide wedding ring designs along with a little info about each ring. Please note that the images are linked (when possible) to additional photos/videos of the design.

Let’s start with a design that features a wide ring design with an Asscher cut center diamond along with sky blue sapphires set in the filigree between the two diamond pave set outside rails of the ring.

Here are other versions of this beautiful, unique, wide wedding ring:

Shown with a princess cut center diamond and deeper blue sapphires set in hand made filigree.

This unique wide wedding ring is shown with a radiant cut center diamond and rich green natural emeralds set in hand made filigree.

This engagement ring is shown with a princess cut center diamond and bead-set micropave diamond rails. Some of the filigree scrolls have diamonds set in them

This next wide wedding ring was a real labor of love for our artisans and we think this fact ‘shines through’ in the beautifully intricate detailing of the unique ring design. This is one of our wider ring designs at approximately 15mm

Since our original “Caledonia” design was created we’ve had a few custom versions made with center diamonds and sapphires.

Here are two versions of our Dolce design. A very unique wide wedding ring, set with fancy colored diamonds in two tone gold to accentuate the diamond color.

Here is our “Dolce” wedding ring set up with fancy yellow diamonds in 18k Yellow Gold with 18k White Gold.

Here is Dolce set up with fancy pink diamonds in 14k Rose Gold.

This is another unique wide wedding ring with an open pattern flower, leaf and vine motif.

Here is our “North Star” Design… A very vintage style engagement ring when set up with a center diamond. Or can be used as an engagement or anniversary band (right hand band).

“North Star” with a low set center diamond.

Our Original “North Star” Wedding Band.

Allamanda features a flowing leaf and vine pattern. Set with several smaller round diamonds, this ring would also make a lovely right hand ring.

The following engagement ring was a big favorite when it came through the shop. The interplay of the deep blue sapphire with the bright white of this polished white gold makes for a stunning contrast. Similar to Allamanda, this unique ring features an organic leaf pattern.

The wedding ring below was created using 18kt white gold and 18k yellow gold. To truly appreciate the craftsmanship on this wedding ring, click on the photo to see other views, as well as a video.

Click here to see more of our Unique Wedding Rings