Top 10 Gemstones for Custom Jewelry Designs

When it comes to custom jewelry designs, selecting the right gemstone is crucial to achieving a piece that is both beautiful and meaningful. Here are the top 10 gemstones that offer versatility, durability, and timeless appeal for custom creations:

1. Diamond: Classic and durable, diamonds are perfect for engagement rings and timeless pieces. They offer unparalleled brilliance and strength (Mohs hardness of 10).

2. Sapphire: Available in a rainbow of colors, sapphires are not only beautiful but also highly durable (Mohs 9). They are a top choice for rings and everyday wear.

3. Ruby: A vibrant red variety of corundum, rubies symbolize passion and love. They share the same durability as sapphires, making them ideal for custom rings and heirloom pieces.

4. Emerald: With their rich green hue, emeralds bring a touch of luxury to any design. They require more care (Mohs 7.5-8) but are worth it for their distinct beauty.

5. Spinel: Often mistaken for ruby or sapphire, spinel offers a range of colors and excellent durability (Mohs 8), providing a budget-friendly yet stunning option.

6. Tourmaline: Known for its color diversity, including vibrant pinks and greens, tourmaline is perfect for unique, custom designs.

7. Aquamarine: This tranquil blue gemstone works beautifully in custom designs with a light, fresh aesthetic. It offers good durability (Mohs 7.5-8) and versatility.

8. Opal: For those seeking something truly unique, opals offer mesmerizing play-of-color. While more delicate (Mohs 5.5-6.5), they can be protected in thoughtful designs.

9. Garnet: Available in many colors, garnets are affordable and durable (Mohs 6.5-7.5). They are perfect for adding rich tones to custom jewelry.

10. Amethyst: With its regal purple hue and good durability (Mohs 7), amethyst is a wonderful choice for custom pieces with a pop of color.

Choosing the right gemstone for your custom jewelry design ensures a finished piece that not only matches your vision but also stands the test of time.

Throughout the history of awards season, certain jewelry pieces have transcended mere accessories to become iconic symbols of glamour and elegance. These standout adornments not only enhance the wearer's ensemble but also often carry rich histories and profound significance.

1. Charlize Theron's 2004 Oscar Ring by Joe Malamed

At the 76th Academy Awards in 2004, Charlize Theron captivated audiences with her portrayal in Monster, earning her the Best Actress award. Complementing her stunning gown by Tom Ford for Gucci, Theron adorned herself with exquisite jewelry, including a ring designed by Joe Malamed of Pejois. Malamed, a master craftsman based in Beverly Hills, has been creating exclusive, custom-designed jewelry for over three decades. His collaboration with Theron for the Oscars exemplifies the seamless blend of artistry and elegance that defines red carpet fashion.

2. The Tiffany Diamond

One of the most renowned pieces in red carpet history is the Tiffany Diamond, a stunning 128.54-carat yellow diamond. Discovered in South Africa in 1877, this gem has been worn by only a select few women, including Audrey Hepburn during the promotion of Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. Its rare appearances make it a symbol of exclusivity and timeless elegance.

3. The Heart of the Ocean Necklace

Inspired by the fictional necklace in the 1997 film Titanic, the Heart of the Ocean became a real-life sensation when a replica was crafted with a 171-carat sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Celine Dion famously wore this piece during her performance at the 1998 Academy Awards, cementing its place in pop culture history.

4. The Lorraine Schwartz Emerald Earrings

At the 2009 Academy Awards, Angelina Jolie captivated audiences with 115-carat emerald drop earrings designed by Lorraine Schwartz. The vibrant green gems provided a striking contrast to her black gown, leading to a surge in popularity for colored gemstones in red carpet jewelry.

5. The Bulgari Heritage Necklace

Jessica Chastain paid homage to vintage glamour at the 2014 Golden Globes by adorning a platinum and diamond necklace from Bulgari's Heritage Collection, circa 1930. This piece exemplifies the trend of celebrities choosing unique, one-of-a-kind vintage jewels to add a dash of classic Hollywood elegance to their red carpet looks.

6. The Cartier Panthère Collection

Symbolizing strength and elegance, the Cartier Panthère collection has been a favorite among celebrities. Notably, at the 2025 BAFTA Awards, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner showcased matching Panthère de Cartier rings, featuring diamonds, onyx, and emeralds. This modern interpretation highlights the enduring appeal of Cartier's iconic designs.

7. The Recycled Diamond Necklace

In a move towards sustainable fashion, Pamela Anderson graced the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards wearing a 68-carat lab-grown diamond necklace. Designed by Pandora, this piece was reworked from diamonds Anderson had previously worn, reflecting a commitment to eco-conscious luxury.

These pieces, among others, have not only adorned celebrities but have also influenced jewelry trends and red carpet fashion. Their histories, designs, and the moments they created continue to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.

Choosing the perfect engagement ring is an exciting yet significant decision. With so many options available, it’s important to approach this purchase with knowledge and confidence. Here’s your ultimate guide to making the right choice.

1. Set Your Budget Before diving into styles and gemstones, establish a budget. This helps narrow down options and ensures you find a ring that not only suits your partner’s taste but also aligns with your financial comfort.

2. Understand the 4Cs If you’re considering a diamond, familiarize yourself with the 4Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat weight. Each of these factors impacts the diamond’s appearance and value. A well-cut diamond will sparkle brilliantly, while a higher clarity grade means fewer inclusions. Balance these factors according to your budget and preferences.

3. Choose a Gemstone While diamonds are classic, many couples are opting for alternative gemstones like sapphires, emeralds, or even colored diamonds. Each gemstone has unique qualities, so consider what resonates most with your partner’s style and personality.

4. Select the Metal The choice of metal influences the ring’s overall look and durability. Popular options include platinum, white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold. Platinum is highly durable and hypoallergenic, while gold offers versatility in color.

5. Consider the Ring Style From solitaires to vintage designs and halo settings, ring styles are vast. Take note of your partner’s existing jewelry style—do they prefer minimalist pieces, vintage charm, or bold statements? This can guide your selection.

6. Get the Right Size A perfect engagement ring isn’t just about appearance; it should fit comfortably too. If the proposal is a surprise, you might discreetly borrow a ring they wear on the intended finger or ask a close friend for help.

7. Choose a Reputable Jeweler Finally, work with a trusted jeweler who offers certified gemstones, transparent policies, and excellent craftsmanship. A professional can provide guidance, answer questions, and ensure you make a well-informed purchase. If you reach out to me, I’d love to chat!

By considering these factors, you’ll be well on your way to finding an engagement ring that symbolizes your love and makes your proposal truly unforgettable.

Lab-Grown vs. Mined Diamonds: What’s the Difference?

When shopping for diamonds, you may come across two main types: lab-grown and mined diamonds. While both share the same physical and chemical properties, there are key differences worth considering when making your choice.

Origin and Creation Mined diamonds are formed naturally over billions of years under extreme pressure and heat deep within the Earth’s mantle. They are extracted through traditional mining processes, which can involve large-scale industrial operations.

On the other hand, lab-grown diamonds are created in a controlled environment using advanced technology that replicates natural conditions. Methods like High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) allow scientists to produce diamonds with the same crystal structure as mined ones.

Quality and Appearance Visually, lab-grown and mined diamonds are nearly identical. Both types boast the same brilliance, clarity, and sparkle. Even professional gemologists often need specialized equipment to distinguish between the two.

Lab-grown diamonds tend to offer higher quality at a lower price point, as their production process allows for more control over clarity and fewer inclusions.

Environmental and Ethical Considerations Mining diamonds can have significant environmental impacts, including habitat destruction, water pollution, and carbon emissions. Ethical concerns, such as labor practices and conflict diamonds, have also led some consumers to seek alternatives.

Lab-grown diamonds are generally considered a more sustainable option. They typically have a smaller environmental footprint and offer a transparent supply chain, which appeals to ethically-minded shoppers.

Price Differences Lab-grown diamonds are typically 20-40% cheaper than their mined counterparts. This affordability allows buyers to get a larger or higher-quality stone within the same budget.

Which Should You Choose? The choice between lab-grown and mined diamonds ultimately depends on your priorities. If you value tradition, rarity, and natural origins, mined diamonds may be the way to go. However, if you prioritize sustainability, ethical sourcing, and budget-friendliness, lab-grown diamonds are an excellent choice.

By understanding these differences, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your values and style preferences. If you want to see more about this topic, you can head to my Instagram!

January’s birthstone is the beautiful garnet! I wanted to show you 3 amazing, unique rings I’ve designed with garnets, followed by some interesting garnet facts.

This is a coin ring like no other! It was such an honor to be commissioned to make this special ring. The coin is from Camp Waldemar in Hunt, Texas. Camp Waldemar is an all girl’s camp that was founded in 1926.
We set her beautiful yellow gold coin with a delicate halo of diamonds and accented with tsavorite garnets descending down the shank of her ring. The gallery has open petals that make this ring truly one-of-a-kind!

This second ring has a beautiful garnet surrounded by a delicate halo of baguettes. It’s such a pretty and wearable right hand ring! 

This last ring features a Tsavorite garnet that is flanked by a matching pair of round brilliant cut diamonds. It’s a sophisticated way to wear your birth stone as a right hand ring!

Alright friends. Let's talk s little bit about some garnet facts!

Not all garnets are red! Although garnets are more commonly in the red color range, there are also green, orange, and other colors.

Garnets score a 6.5- 7.5 on the Mohh's Scale of Hardness.

The term 'garnet' comes from an old word for pomegranate.

Low-grade garnet is used as an abrasive. When mixed with water, it has the ability to cut through materials like steel.

Tsavorite, a green variety of garnet, was first discovered in Tanzania.

Garnets are the suggested gift for the 2nd wedding anniversary.

If you’ve got a January birthday or know someone that does, shoot me an email to order a custom piece of birthstone jewelry!

This time of year really sneaks up on you, doesn’t it? Especially this year, when we’ve had almost 10 months of blur, running on repeat.

If you’re still looking for last-minute gifts, I’ve got you covered. All of the jewelry below is IN STOCK, ready to be gift wrapped and delivered to your home.

I’ve broken it up into 5 different categories to make your shopping easier. If you see something you’d like to purchase, EMAIL ME! emily@emilysole.com

DIAMOND JEWELRY

PEARL JEWELRY

ANTIQUE JEWELRY

HAND CARVED BOTANICAL JEWELRY

UNIQUE JEWELRY

If you see anything above that you’re interested in purchasing, please email me at emily@emilysole.com. The sooner you contact me, the higher the chance you receive your jewelry before the holidays.

The holidays can be a stressful time! Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to send out a few blogs to help navigate your holiday jewelry purchases. I’ll share lists for those that shop early (read: RIGHT NOW!), a list for those that usually shop in early December, and one for my last-minute shoppers.

We’re kicking off the holiday shopping lists with some really beautiful, custom pieces + ideas that were created using client’s preexisting jewels and old jewelry.

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This piece was made from the stones of 3 rings, as you can see from the photos below. It’s amazing how creative you can get with redesigning jewelry, especially when you’re using jewels from several old pieces to create one new one.

Client's preexisting old jewelry

New piece created with old jewels

Here’s another example of multiple pieces of jewelry being combined to create one new, fabulous piece of jewelry.

Client's preexisting old jewelry

New piece made from client's old jewels

This client had many, many pieces of jewelry that we combined into one bangle that she can wear all of the time! This is one of my favorite pieces to work on. It was a welcomed challenge!

New piece made from client's old jewelry

I love what this next client wanted to do. From her old tennis bracelet we created a reverse cuff bracelet for her granddaughter. I think this is such a great idea! You can repurpose your old jewelry to not only create new pieces for you, but as a gift for someone you love!

New pieces made from client's old jewelry

I hope these have given you some ideas as to what you can do this holiday season with old jewelry that you have in your jewelry box. Happy Holidays!

xo,

Emily

One of my favorite colored gemstones to design with is the sapphire. Typically blue in color, it is September’s birthstone and the traditional gemstone for 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries. Sapphires are one of the gemstones I work with the most, and for a couple of good reasons! On the Moh’s scale of hardness, the sapphire ranks a 9, so it is very durable and strong…perfect for everyday wear. The only stone that ranks higher is a diamond! Sapphires often contain delicate intersecting needles of rutile that gemologists call silk. The Gem nerd in me LOVES natural inclusions! And lastly, sapphires come in a variety of colors. Most only think of the traditional, saturated, deep blue color. But there are so many different natural colors that a sapphire can have.

Besides blue sapphire and ruby, the corundum family also includes so-called “fancy sapphires.” They come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues. Some stones exhibit the phenomenon known as color change, most often going from blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting, to purple under incandescent light. Sapphires can even be gray, black, or brown.

Today I’d like to highlight a personal favorite: the redesign transformation that I recently worked on. My client stumbled upon a past ring redesign that I shared on my Instagram account. It must have jogged her memory a bit, because it reminded her of a sapphire ring that she had with similarly shaped stones! She sent me her rings and we worked together to come up with a gorgeous new setting for her sapphires. Below are photos of: her old rings, the CAD of her new ring, the wax model of the new ring, and the final masterpiece.

If you've got a 5th, 45th, or September birthday celebration coming up, I'd love to chat with you about creating a beautiful custom sapphire piece with you! Click here to contact me today!

Can you believe 2020 is practically halfway over? The past couple of months have definitely been unpredictable and unchartered, and I’m so grateful to have wonderful and understanding clients who have supported me and my business throughout it all.

Without further ado, I’d love to talk about one of my favorite gems to work with- pearls! It’s 1 of 3 June birthstones, with the others being moonstone and alexandrite. A quick couple of facts about the latter before I begin chatting about pearls:

Alexandrite:

1. Alexandrite was originally discovered in Russia, 1834.

2. Alexandrite is known as “Emerald by Day / Ruby by Night” because of its color change phenomenon.

3. Alexandrite is relatively hard—8.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Moonstone:

1. Moonstone ranks between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

2. Moonstone is a member of the orthoclase feldspar mineral family.

3. Moonstones are translucent with a blue sheen that is a result of the phenomenon “Adularescence”, which is the light that appears to billow across a gemstone, giving its surface a glowing appearance.

Now onto one of my favorite materials to work with. PEARLS. If you follow me on Instagram or have visited my online shop, you’ve seen my love for pearls shine through some of the pieces I design. I use a variety of pearls, including Tahitian, Keshi, and South Sea, that come in a variety of colors. Here are some current favorites:

Here is some wonderful pearl information from my alma mater, GIA.

This enchanting June birthstone originates from oceans, lakes and rivers around the world. It is a timeless wardrobe staple, beloved by women of all ages. The origin of pearls fascinated our forebears. Ancients from the Middle East believed that pearls were teardrops fallen from heaven. The Chinese fancied that the June birthstone came from the brain of a dragon. Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries thought that mollusks formed pearls from dew drops.

Pearls are organic gems that grow inside the tissue of a living saltwater or freshwater mollusk (either an oyster or a mussel). Natural pearls form when the mollusk secretes a substance called nacre around an irritant such as a piece of sand or a parasite that has invaded its shell. Cultured pearls are a product of human intervention. Technicians implant a piece of mantle tissue alone (common for freshwater cultured pearls) or with a mother-of-pearl shell bead (all saltwater) into a host mollusk. The mollusk covers the irritant with nacre, just like a natural pearl. Cultured pearls are raised in pearl farms – saltwater or freshwater operations where the mollusks are cleaned, protected from predators and eventually harvested. Thousands of years of pearl fishing have decimated the natural pearl beds, so cultured pearls account for the vast majority of pearl sales today. These cultured pearl birthstones come in a dazzling array of sizes, colors and shapes.

Pearls have long been associated with purity, humility and innocence. So it may be said that the June birthstone meaning is "sweet simplicity." As such, pearls were traditionally given as a wedding gift.

If you’re looking for some of your very own pearl or June birthstone jewelry, send me an email. I’d love to visit with you and hear all about your jewelry needs!

Another month has come and gone. Life seems like such a blur these days with limited access to normalcy like running errands, kids at school, and big changes to everyday life. A new month means a new birthstone! I’m excited to talk to you today about emeralds! I love colored gemstones, and this is one of my favorites!

Some quick, easy facts about emeralds:

• Emerald is one of the four recognized precious gemstones. The others are ruby, sapphire, and diamond.

• Emerald is the birthstone of May and is the traditional gift for the 20th, 35th and 55th wedding anniversary in the US. 

• Emerald is made from beryl just like the gemstone aquamarine.Emerald gets its green coloring from trace amounts of chromium and/or vanadium.

• A 1-carat emerald appears larger than a 1-carat diamond because of its lower density.

• Emerald measures between 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. Though they are durable stones, emeralds are susceptible to chipping and cracking. This makes emeralds more expensive to set into jewelry due to the risk involved. 

• Colombia yields the largest amount of emeralds, contributing to more than 50 percent of all emerald production worldwide. -The Spruce Facts

For extensive articles and much more information on emeralds, you can visit my alma mater, GIA’s, website.

I also wanted to talk to you today about a specific pair of emerald earrings I designed for a client, pictured below.

The fan shape emeralds in the earrings are from the Muzo mine in Columbia. Columbia produces up to 2/3 of the world’s emeralds in their mines. You can read all about the Muzo mines by clicking here.

These earrings were an anniversary gift for a very special woman! Her husband wanted an earring that was simple yet very special… I think these turned out perfect! I paired them with beautiful matching pair of pear shape diamonds as a simple delicate stud earring. 

If you have any questions or would like your own emerald jewelry, please reach out and email me!

We've all, myself included, heard far too much about Covid-19 in the past couple of weeks. Stress, shelter-in-place, social distancing, and Lysol. Lots and lots of Lysol. 

Today I'm here to bring a little bit of stress relief to your life. Last Friday I sent out a newsletter with some fun kid’s activities to do during the shelter in place. I had such a positive response to the newsletter that I thought I’d make it public for all to access.

Click on the printables below to print these out. Take some time to yourself as you or your kids color these as a small family friendly activity. All coloring sheets were sourced online.

Another resource I want to share with you is GemKids. GemKids is a fun and interactive branch of Gemological Institute of America. Send your kids here to learn about different gems + jewels, fun history, word of the day everyday, and other fun gems! It's a safe and interesting website that your kids can peruse when they need something to do! Click the photo below to be redirected to the site.

I hope these things help to ease you + your kiddos minds during this shelter in place. If you’e like to see more things like this, please shoot me an email! Have a wonderful rest of your week!

It's National Cherish an Antique Day! A lot of what I do involves working with antique jewelry, family heirlooms, or older jewelry either for a repair or redesign service. I’m around antique jewelry all of the time, so I wanted to take a little bit of time today to talk about two antique jewelry stories that are near to my heart + interesting to me!

First and foremost, my family jewelry story. I want to talk a little bit today about everything going on this photo.

The portrait is of my great grandmother. Her name was Gwendolyn Eaton Rush…..I named my daughter Gwendolyn after her, and my son’s middle name is Rush. She was quite the Southern lady! She lived her whole life in Louisiana, loved jewelry and was a Flapper in the roaring 20’s! She had hazel eyes just like my daughter, too!

The necklace in the picture is one that I designed when my daughter was born. The chain means so much to me because my mentor made it by hand. I love oval diamonds and that is what is featured in the center of the pendant. I hope that one day Gigi will wear, too! The ring on the portrait is a delicate heirloom that represents another special woman in my life!

The next piece of jewelry has an old diamond in the center and has had a crazier story than most diamonds I know!

My client inherited the center diamond from her grandfather that won the stone in a poker tournament! The diamond also took a turn in the garbage disposal at one point leaving it with a damaged girdle. Poor diamond! I think it’s fair to say this is a pretty interesting diamond that deserved some love. It came to me in a six prong solitaire setting (which she never wore, pictured).

She wanted to put in a bezel setting to hide the damage to the girdle. If you look through the photos, you can see the CAD I designed for her new setting.

Her center stone is protected now and she has a gorgeous antique reproduction setting that suits her style perfectly!

There are SO many memories in one piece of jewelry. I ADORE listening to the stories that come along with my client’s jewelry. I really miss that one-on-one personal connection right now, with all of the Covid-19 precautions that we must take. It drives me and feeds my soul!

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these jewelry pieces with interesting stories- thanks for stopping by!

In this time of uncertainty and abnormal schedules, new norms, and quarantine for most of the globe, I just wanted to update you on the changes that I’ve had to make for my business at this time.

My family and I have been closely monitoring the Covid-19 developments and have decided that in-person appointments are temporarily unavailable. The safety of my family + my clients is top priority.
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Here are the specific changes I’ve decided to implement for the safety + health of my clients + my family:

Redesign + new jewelry is business as usual, expect a slower process due to other business closures

Please contact me if you’re planning on purchasing jewelry for a loved one during this time! Although the world seems to be at a standstill, high school seniors and college seniors are still graduating, Mother’s Day is still May 10, birthdays are still happening, and people need a little sparkle in their lives now more than ever. Email me today if you’d like to chat with me about your jewelry needs.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Virtual appointments

In lieu of in-person appointments, I am happy to be scheduling virtual appointments! You can email me to set one up: emily@emilysole.com. We can chat ‘face to face’ over technology, you can show me your jewelry, or we can chat about any jewelry ideas you had in mind!

Free Delivery + pickups

To keep everyone safe and happy at this time, I’m offering free delivery or pickup of your jewelry from your front porch. I’ll drive to your home at an agreed upon time and, making sure you’re at the door, I can set your jewelry in a safe jewelry bag. I’ll step back and make sure I watch you take the jewelry or vice versa, so you know it’s in safe hands!

No repairs at this time

Due to circumstances out of my control, the jewelers I work closely with on repairs have had to close due to the Covid-19 outbreak. At this time, I cannot do any jewelry repairs.

I will be posting regularly on Instagram in order to add a little sparkle to your feeds and distract you from the current state of things with fun games, tips and tricks to make staying home more fun, and to stay in contact with this amazing online community. We’re all in this together! If you'd like to say hi, just send me an email. Let's bridge this gap between us while we are all staying within the walls of our homes.
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With all of the uncertainty happening in the world right now, let's band together as a community to make sure we come out of this stronger than before. Remember to wash your hands, stay inside, and be safe! ⠀

I see jewelry in every shape and form possible- old, new, well taken care of, sparkling clean, with globs of lotion stuck between the prongs, or plain dirty. No matter what I am working on with a client, I always make sure to clean every piece of jewelry that I work on for a client. A large portion of what I work with are engagement rings.

The first thing I do when a client brings me an engagement ring to be cleaned, resized, or maintained is to view the piece with my loupe. A loupe is essentially a small magnifying glass. It makes viewing small details of the jewelry much easier, and I don’t leave home without it!

In the above photo is my loupe along with a client’s beautiful solitaire engagement ring. In this particular case, she hadn’t worn the ring in a couple of years because it no longer fit her. She brought it in to be resized which would automatically come with a cleaning. As always I inspected the ring with my trusty loupe. I even took pictures with my phone, through the loupe so you can see what I saw! Check out how much this ring needed some love:

The client left her ring with me, I resized and cleaned it, and we set a date to get her ring back to her. That’s one of my favorite parts of working with clients. I love being able to see their faces when they’re getting their beautiful jewelry back. She was very happy with the work I was able to do to her ring, and she said it truly looked like an entirely new piece of jewelry! Take a look:

If you’d like to clean your own diamond jewelry at home, follow these simple steps:

1) grab a bowl some very warm water, a soft bristle toothbrush, dish soap, and a hand towel

2) put a small amount of dish soap into the warm water and mix it together

3) place your ring in the bowl of soapy water and leave it for 30 minutes

4) Remove ring and brush it gently with the soft bristle toothbrush

5) Rinse under warm running water, and dry with the hand towel

To keep your ring looking it’s very best, I recommend cleaning it once every week or two. For a more thorough cleaning, I recommend bringing it to a professional jewelry or Gemologist (such as myself) once or twice a year where it can be professionally cleaned and maintained. If you’d like your jewelry polished, resized, maintained after years of use, I’d love to chat with you! Click here to contact me!

It’s November, another 2-birthstone month! Citrine and topaz are the gems that represent November, and today I’ll be talking all about a trip I took to hunt for one of these gems; topaz.

This trip was a blast! It was the first Houston GIA Alumni Association “field trip” that I had been on. We decided to plan this trip since Topaz is the state gemstone of Texas and my friend, Bob, had a great contact. Bob was wonderful to coordinate and plan the trip to the Lindsay Ranch in Mason, Texas. It’s one of only three private ranches in Texas where you can hunt for Topaz.

Minerals on the ranch include limestone, granite, tourmaline, sandstone, quartz, garnet, schist, and some that no one has been able to identify. Petrified wood, petrified bone, fossils, arrowheads, hand axes, and other artifacts have also been found at Lindsay Ranch. Amongst all of the wonderful stones and artifacts found there, Topaz was what we had our eyes set on.

Topaz was designated the Texas state gemstone in 1969 and the Lone Star cut was designated the state cut in 1979. The name Topaz has been used to refer to yellowish gemstones for at least 2000 years although early gem traders did not realize that these yellow stones could be a variety of different crystals. As gem traders began to get more sophisticated, they came to know that these yellow stones may be quartz, beryl, sapphire or what we now know as topaz. Topaz makes an ideal gemstone, it comes in a wide range of colors and its relatively hard qualities allow for many uses. We were very excited to get to work looking for Topaz!

The ranch was beautiful and the weather held up for our hunt. We started early and broke away from a yummy BBQ lunch. I wasn’t lucky enough to find any Topaz, but I loved getting to meet other Gemologists and collectors from Texas who have similar interests as me. A fun time was had by all! I highly recommend taking a trip to the Lindsay Ranch in Mason, Texas.

Custom Marquise Engagement Ring

Emily Sole Jewelry | Houston Jeweler

What a fun engagement ring this was to make! Brad and I met a few months ago during an initial engagement ring consultation. He is an engineer and very artistic! He sent me a few sketches that he made before we met. How special that he is so talented and contribute to the process in such a unique way? Brad needed a center diamond so I sourced a few different shapes and sizes of diamonds for him to look at. Emily (his now fiancee!) had mentioned to him that she might want either an oval or marquise shape diamond, so we looked at both. This is one of my favorite parts of the process ~ I love educating my clients! After looking at many diamonds together, Brad and Emily chose this gorgeous D color marquise shape diamond.

Once her center stone was chosen we were able to design the setting. She knew that she wanted to incorporate sapphires in her setting so we drew a CAD so she could see what it would look like before making the ring. CAD (computer-aided design) software is used by architects, engineers, drafters, artists, and others to create precision drawings or technical illustrations. CADs really help my clients envision what their final piece of jewelry will look like before the physical jewelry is even produced. We made a couple of changes to the CAD along the way but Brad & Emily knew what they wanted. They added small sapphires in the gallery of the setting and beautiful baguettes down the shank. This was such a fun project!

CADs of the ring to help Brad and Emily see what the final product would look like

Their design came to fruition once they saw the wax of her new setting. All the fine details (scale, height, width etc) that I work on had come together!

Emily’s ring was ready to pick up just in time for her birthday. Brad came in and I was stunned to see that he made his OWN wooden ring box! In nearly 20 years in this business this was a first for me. What a treat! I love my engagement ring clients!!

Wooden box that Brad made just for Emily’s ring

If you’d like to get started on your own custom engagement ring, please send me an email to get started!

October Birthstones

Emily Sole Jewelry

We are in one of the months of the year that possesses multiple birthstones! October’s birthstones are tourmaline and opal. Let’s take a minute to talk about the interesting qualities of these gemstones, along with some of my favorite jewelry I’ve created using tourmaline + opal.

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Tourmaline

Tourmaline is one of the most popular gemstones because it occurs in every color of the spectrum. The intense saturation of the tourmaline makes the gemstone more valuable.

Many tourmaline color varieties have inspired their own trade names:

• Rubellite is a name for pink, red, purplish red, orangy red, or brownish red tourmaline, although some in the trade argue that the term shouldn’t apply to pink tourmaline.

• Indicolite is dark violetish blue, blue, or greenish blue tourmaline.

• Paraíba is an intense violetish blue, greenish blue, or blue tourmaline from the state of Paraíba, Brazil.

• Chrome tourmaline is intense green. In spite of its name, it’s colored mostly by vanadium, the same element that colors many Brazilian and African emeralds.

• Parti-colored tourmaline displays more than one color. One of the most common combinations is green and pink, but many others are possible.

• Watermelon tourmaline is pink in the center and green around the outside. Crystals of this material are typically cut in slices to display this special arrangement.

The following are photos of tourmaline pieces I have made.

Opal

Opal is the product of seasonal rains that drenched dry ground in regions such as Australia’s semi-desert “outback.” The showers soaked deep into ancient underground rock, carrying dissolved silica (a compound of silicon and oxygen) downward.

During dry periods, much of the water evaporated, leaving solid deposits of silica in the cracks and between the layers of underground sedimentary rock. The silica deposits formed opal.

Within the opal family, there are many different varieties of opal. Each has their own unique color combinations and character traits. Although experts divide gem opals into many different categories, five of the main types are:

• White or light opal: Translucent to semitranslucent, with play-of-color against a white or light gray background color, called bodycolor.

• Black opal: Translucent to opaque, with play-of-color against a black or other dark background.

• Fire opal: Transparent to translucent, with brown, yellow, orange, or red bodycolor. This material—which often doesn’t show play-of-color—is also known as “Mexican opal.”

• Boulder opal: Translucent to opaque, with play-of-color against a light to dark background. Fragments of the surrounding rock, called matrix, become part of the finished gem.

• Crystal or water opal: Transparent to semitransparent, with a clear background. This type shows exceptional play-of-color.

The following are photos of opal pieces I have made.

All info from Gemological Institute of America

Thank you for reading through this week’s post! If you’d like any birthstone jewelry of your own, feel to reach out using the contact tab below!

Emily’s 3 Favorite Ring Boxes

Houston Jeweler

If you have any special family jewelry, rings that aren’t worn daily, or if you need to temporarily store your beautiful wedding ring, you can’t beat a good old fashioned ring box. I believe the box should have just as much personality as the precious cargo inside the box, so today I’m sharing some of my favorite ring boxes with you!

The Mrs Box

This has got to be one of my favorite options for a couple of reasons. The velvet texture is just so perfect for storing precious rings. The huge range of color selections they offer go perfectly with diamonds and colored stones. You can purchase whatever color you want, whether you’re choosing one that matches your wedding color palette or one in your favorite color. While The Mrs. Box used to only offer one size and shape of ring box, they now offer different sizes, shapes, and number of rings it hold (which is very nifty if you want to place your engagement ring and your band in the box). And to top it all off (literally and figuratively) they will custom foil monograms and engravings onto the tops of the ring boxes, if you so choose. So many different ways to completely customize these ring boxes and make it exactly what you want!

Images via The Mrs Box website by Jose Villa

Antique Ring Boxes

If you’re more of a nostalgic, story-loving kind of person, this one is for you. Antique ring boxes are unique and have so much character. Each one is different, just like antique jewelry. I love imagining the story behind the box and the piece of jewelry that originally came in it.

Images via Pinterest

Classic Red Jewelry Box

These beauties are classic and elegant. It’s very timeless and sturdy, making sure that your jewelry isn’t going anywhere! Red is a meaningful color for love, so this box is perfect for engagements and anniversaries. It’s also a festive color for the holidays, perfect for those Christmastime engagements and gifts! These boxes are also available in different shapes and sizes to accommodate different types of jewelry.

Image via Pinterest

So there you have it! My 3 favorite types of ring boxes. Make sure your rings are safe, secure, and looking good when they’re being photographed or stored in one of these boxes. Have a wonderful weekend!