Nature Designs the Prongs... I Simply Follow

 

Tree branches growing vertically, naturally forming twig-like prongs that inspired Dawn Vertrees' floating gemstone jewelry designs and handcrafted lost wax jewelry.

Horizontal tree branch resembling an organic gemstone setting with natural twig prongs, inspiring Dawn Vertrees' nature-inspired engagement ring designs.

Nature Designs the Prongs... I Simply Follow

When a Tree Teaches a Jeweler

There are moments when inspiration doesn't come from a jewelry store, a design book, or a sketch on paper.

Sometimes it comes from standing beneath a tree.

Recently, I found myself looking up into a canopy of branches. Most people would have seen beautiful leaves, twisting limbs, and filtered sunlight. I saw something different.

I saw prongs.

Not the manufactured, perfectly symmetrical prongs found in traditional jewelry, but something far more elegant. Nature doesn't force balance—it creates harmony. Every branch grows with purpose, supporting the next until something beautiful is lifted toward the light.

That is exactly how I have designed jewelry for years.

Nature Never Uses Four Identical Prongs

When I sculpt in soft wax, I don't begin by asking, "Where do the prongs go?"

Instead, I ask,

"How would nature hold this gemstone?"

A tree doesn't grow identical branches around a leaf. A vine doesn't wrap perfectly around a flower. Every curve has movement, every twig has a purpose, and every branch supports the life growing from it.

That philosophy has become the foundation of my jewelry.

A gemstone shouldn't look trapped.

It should look as though it has grown there.

The Floating Gemstone

One of the signatures of my designs is what I call my Floating Diamond Collection.

Rather than forcing a diamond into a traditional setting, I allow graceful twigs and branches to rise naturally beneath the stone, gently lifting it as if presenting a gift from the forest itself.

The result is light.

Air.

Movement.

The gemstone appears to float while remaining securely held by nature-inspired forms.

Nature Solves the Engineering

As I studied these branches, I realized something that made me smile.

Nature had already solved the hardest part.

Every twist and intersection creates incredible strength without looking heavy. The branches divide naturally, creating support points that are both beautiful and functional.

As a jeweler, my job isn't to improve upon nature.

My job is simply to listen.

More Than Jewelry

Every ring, pendant, and pair of earrings I create begins with observation.

A walk beneath the trees.

A winding root.

A tiny twig reaching toward the sunlight.

These quiet moments become precious metals, gemstones, and heirlooms that carry the spirit of the forest into everyday life.

When someone wears one of my designs, I hope they feel more than beauty.

I hope they feel connected to something timeless.

To growth.

To strength.

To nature itself.

Because sometimes the greatest designer has always been standing silently in the forest.

And I'm simply grateful to translate its work into jewelry.

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❤️ Dawn Vertrees
Master Lost Wax Artist | Nature-Inspired Jewelry Designer

"Nature designs the prongs... I simply follow." 🌿💎