Where Love Takes Root — A Redwoods Proposal | Dawn Vertrees Jewelry

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Some jewelry begins with a stone. Some begins with a story. And sometimes, a story leads us into the forest.

There is something special about creating jewelry for two people who are beginning a life together.

As a jewelry artist, I get to be part of a small but meaningful chapter in someone's life. From the first conversation about a design to the moment a ring is placed on a finger, every step carries a little piece of the story.

This particular story began with David, who reached out to me to create a pair of amazing rings for his proposal. We worked together through the design process, and I had the opportunity to help guide him as we brought his vision to life.

What I didn't know at the time was how beautiful the moment would be when he finally asked her to marry him.

A heartfelt proposal beneath the towering redwoods, where love and nature became part of a beautiful beginning.

The engagement ring features a beautiful blue gemstone held within flowing, organic branches. The rose-gold-colored design embraces the stone, creating the kind of natural movement that has inspired my work for so many years.

My jewelry isn't about making everything perfectly symmetrical. I love the way nature creates its own balance, with branches that curve, overlap, and move in unexpected directions.

That same philosophy is part of what makes each custom piece special.

David and I also worked on a wedding band connected to the design of her engagement ring. The idea was to create something for him that carried a meaningful connection to the ring she would wear.

Jewelry can be beautiful on its own. But when a design carries a story between two people, it becomes something more.

The Happiness of Seeing the Rings Worn

A one-of-a-kind nature-inspired engagement ring, where flowing rose gold branches embrace a deep blue gemstone—created to hold a story as unique as their love.

After the proposal, David reached out to share the wonderful news.

He told me:

"The proposal went off beautifully and my fiancé loved her rings, thank you again for working with us, I cannot express how much I appreciate your help and guidance through the process."

Those words meant so much to me.

Creating custom jewelry is about more than the finished piece. It is about listening, working through ideas, answering questions, and helping someone create a ring that feels right for the person they love.

When a customer comes back to tell me that everything went beautifully, it is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

A Story Worth Carrying Forward

A beautiful beginning to forever—David and his fiancée celebrating their love beneath the towering redwoods, with their custom rings marking a moment they will always remember.

David and his fiancée, thank you for allowing me to share a little piece of your story.

Thank you for trusting me with such an important part of your proposal and for sharing these beautiful photographs. It means a great deal to know that you are both happy with your rings.

I hope your life together is filled with love, adventure, and many wonderful moments.

And to anyone who is beginning to imagine a ring for someone special, remember that your story can be part of the design.

Whether it begins with a leaf, a twig, a gemstone, or simply an idea you have in your heart, I would love to help you explore what we can create together.

With love,

Dawn Vertrees

Dawn Vertrees Jewelry — Nature-inspired, one-of-a-kind jewelry created with heart.

A deep blue gemstone rests within flowing rose-gold branches, creating a one-of-a-kind nature-inspired engagement ring designed to carry a love story.

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When a Simple Berry Tells the Story...

The first glimpse of the Leaf & Berry Twig Ring. A little red berry inspired what would become the beginning of the Berry Collection.

Front view showing the intertwined branches rising to offer the center stone, a guiding principle behind my nature-inspired jewelry designs.

Side profile highlighting the bark texture, leaf detail, and substantial branch structure that form the foundation of the design.

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Every design has a beginning.

Sometimes it starts with a gemstone.
Sometimes it starts with a sketch.
And sometimes it starts with something so small that most people would overlook it.

For me, it started with a simple little red dot.

That tiny berry became the spark that inspired what is now growing into the Leaf & Berry Collection.

The ring shown here represents the earliest stage of that journey. At this point, the design is only about 30% complete. Like the vines and branches that inspire my work, it will continue to grow, change, and evolve as new ideas emerge and future versions are created.

The foundation begins with intertwined twig structures that naturally weave around the finger. Small leaves emerge from the branches while tiny berries appear throughout the design, creating the feeling of a living woodland vine rather than a traditional jewelry setting.

At the center, the branches rise upward and gently offer the stone. This reflects one of the guiding principles behind my work: gemstones should feel lifted and presented by nature, not simply held in place. The stone becomes a gift offered by the branches that grew around it.

The berries may be one of the smallest details in the design, yet they carry the greatest meaning. They serve as a reminder that inspiration can come from the simplest things. A single berry became the seed from which an entire collection began to grow.

This blog will follow the development of the Leaf & Berry Twig Ring as the design progresses from wax model to finished jewelry. Future updates will document design refinements, castings, gemstone variations, finished pieces, and new additions to the Berry Collection.

Today, it begins with a single berry.

Tomorrow, we'll see where it grows.

— Dawn Vertrees

Updated Wax Model & 14k Rose Gold Visualization

"Every design goes through a period of growth. After studying the original wax model, I refined the branch tips so they embrace the diamond more naturally, strengthening the feeling that the stone is being lifted and offered by the surrounding twigs. The updated wax model allowed me to fine-tune these small details before casting."

"Seeing the design visualized in 14k rose gold revealed details that are difficult to see in colored wax. The soft oxidation settles into the bark texture while the polished berries catch the light, creating contrast and bringing the organic elements to life. Comparing the wax model to the rose gold version helps me evaluate the flow, balance, and overall emotion of the piece."

"Sometimes a simple berry tells the story. What begins as a small accent becomes part of a larger journey, guiding the eye through the design and connecting every branch, leaf, and detail to the center stone. Each refinement brings the ring closer to my vision of nature gently presenting a precious gift."

The Beginning of the Oakwood Twig Collection

Oakwood Twig Collection — where growth becomes form.

Oakwood Twig Collection

Inspired by Growth. Made with Meaning.

There are moments in the creative process where everything begins to align—where an idea stops being a thought and starts becoming something real.

This is one of those moments.

The oak leaf—strength,
structure, and naturally guided form.

At the center of this collection is the first ring.

This is where it begins.

I will be starting this piece in wax, shaping it by hand—allowing the form to develop the same way branches do: not forced, but guided. The stone is not simply set; it is lifted and offered, held by the structure like a gift formed by the earth itself.

This is the foundation piece. Everything else grows from here.

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The acorn—small, grounded, and full of potential.
Where growth begins.

Nature doesn’t rush, and it doesn’t repeat itself perfectly—and that’s the point.

The oak leaf carries strength and identity. The acorn represents beginnings—small, grounded, and full of potential. Together, they tell a story of growth, endurance, and quiet power.

That story is what this collection is built on.

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The first ring now begins in wax—
where each curve will be shaped by hand,
guided by the same natural movement that inspired it.

 

Oakwood Twig Collection Sketch Designs

Oakwood Twig Collection Sketch Designs

The Oakwood Twig Collection

The Oakwood Twig Collection begins here—where nature wraps, lifts, and offers each piece like a gift.

You don’t design in straight lines—and this collection doesn’t either.

It grew the same way branches do—naturally, without force, each curve finding its place. Every twig wraps with intention, every leaf settles where it belongs, and every detail is built to feel like it was always meant to be there.

These pieces aren’t just inspired by nature…
They’re guided by it.

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Where It Began

The rings are where this collection first took root.

Twigs wrap around the band like growing branches, forming structure without feeling rigid. Oak leaves layer gently into the design, creating a sense of protection and movement at the same time.

Crafted in sterling silver with 14K rose gold leaves, finished with soft oxidation in the recesses and a gentle polish, these pieces balance contrast and warmth in a way that feels natural and effortless.

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The Collection Grows

From there, the collection began to expand.

A sterling silver pendant lifts and presents a moss agate stone, wrapped in flowing twig forms and accented with oak leaves—never held tightly, always offered.

The earrings carry that same movement—light, organic, and alive—formed from oxidized sterling silver branches with oak leaves and acorns that feel as if they’ve grown into place.

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A Natural Pairing

The collection also moves into more personal pieces.

A solitaire engagement ring with a 1ct round diamond pairs with a coordinating oak leaf band, bringing structure and symbolism together. The design allows the stone to feel lifted and presented, while the band continues the language of natural growth.

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Still Growing

This collection is not finished—and it’s not meant to be.

Some pieces will remain simple and quiet. Others will grow more detailed and layered. But every design will follow the same path—guided by nature, shaped with intention, and created to be felt as much as seen.

These pieces already exist—just not in metal yet.
They’ve taken shape here first.

And I can’t wait to show you what they become.