An Ole to Flow: Sculpting the Riverbend Creek Ring

I am thrilled to announce the launch of a brand new design series that is deeply personal and incredibly detailed, starting right here on the drawing board. This design has been brewing for a while, and it's time to translate the beauty of an idea into the precision of a wearable sculpture.

Part One

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Introducing: The Riverbend Creek Collection

Every piece I create needs a name that captures its essence, its origins, and its movement. This collection is called The Riverbend Creek Collection.

The name is a nod to the flowing, sinuous lines of the leaves and vines that weave around the center stone, mimicking the curves of a creek winding through the landscape. More personally, it honors my roots in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains—a place of rich, natural, and enduring beauty. The "creek" represents the steady, organic movement I strive to capture in the metal.

From Idea to Pencil

Right now, my workspace is set up to capture the design's intricate "flow." This is where the magic begins—where the design is first translated from a mental image to paper. I am using my sketching tools to map out the exact dimensions and the graceful movement of the metalwork.

My Studio

The sketch I just completed establishes the foundation for the entire ring, ensuring that the final wax model will have that perfect, hand-sculpted quality. This initial drawing dictates the precise path of every stem and the placement of every tiny diamond accent, all flowing naturally toward the star of the show.

The Riverbend Creek Collection
Sketch

The Heart of the Creek: Alexandrite

Anchoring this flowing design will be a magnificent 6 x 8mm Oval Lab-Created Alexandrite. I keep the stone right here on my desk as I sketch because its unique personality dictates the dimensions of the entire setting. In the next few posts, I'll share why this specific USA-made gemstone—with its incredible color-change magic—is the perfect choice for the warmth of our chosen metal.

Stay tuned! The sketch is done. Next, we will dive into the materials—the beautiful 14k Rose Gold sourced from our Upstate New York refinery—and the Light Antique finish that will bring the Riverbend Creek design to life.

Bringing a Wax Model to Life: A Nature-Inspired Ring in Rose Gold, Moissanite, and Sapphire

Designing jewelry is always a journey—one that begins with an idea, transforms through careful craftsmanship, and finally blossoms into a finished piece that reflects both imagination and artistry. Today, I’m excited to share the evolution of one of my newest creations: a wax model featuring a 6 × 8 mm pear-shaped moissanite, which has now been beautifully rendered in 14k rose gold, complete with two different gemstone options.

From Wax to Wonder

The first stage of every one of my designs begins in wax. This is where the organic shapes, branches, and leaves take form. In this particular piece, the center stone sits nestled inside hand-shaped leaves that curl upward as if nature itself is holding the gemstone in place. A small 2 mm round moissanite on the second band adds a soft touch of sparkle—almost like a dew drop resting on a petal.

These wax models capture the rawness and honesty of the design. They allow me to shape, carve, and adjust the details until everything feels true to the vision.

AI Rendering: A Helpful Preview, Not a Replacement

I often use AI tools to generate clean, metallic previews of what the final ring could look like once cast. This is especially helpful for showing customers different gemstone choices, metal colors, and setting variations before the physical piece is completed.

AI didn’t create the design—you’ll see that it simply transformed my original wax model into polished 14k rose gold renderings. This helps me visualize how the leaves will catch the light, how the prongs will cradle the pear-shaped stone, and how alternate gemstones might appear in the same design.

Two Beautiful Interpretations

Once the model was translated into a metal preview, two stunning options emerged:

✨ Option 1: Rose Gold & Moissanite

The warm glow of 14k rose gold enhances the organic details of the leaves. The moissanite center stone glitters with fire and brilliance, making the entire design feel romantic and timeless.

💙 Option 2: Rose Gold & Blue Sapphire

The same ring transforms dramatically when set with a pear-shaped blue sapphire. The deep, velvety blues contrast beautifully with rose gold—almost like a midnight garden wrapped around the finger.

Customizable for Every Customer

One of the things I love most about designing jewelry is flexibility. This ring can be customized to suit any preference:

• Metal Options: white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum

• Center Stones: moissanite, sapphire, morganite, lab diamond, or natural gemstone

• Accent Gems: moissanite, diamonds, sapphires, or any color that complements the main stone

Each version becomes personal—unique to the wearer, yet connected to the same artistic roots.

A Piece That Grows With You

Even in its wax stage, this design already held movement, emotion, and presence. Seeing it reimagined in rose gold with both moissanite and sapphire brings it to life in a way that celebrates the beauty of nature and the uniqueness of each client’s vision.

I can’t wait to cast the final piece and share the fully finished version with you soon!

 

The Floating Gemstone Collection: Crafting Nature-Inspired Jewelry With Heart

In the world of jewelry design, every new piece begins long before metal meets flame. It starts with an idea—a spark that grows, branches, and evolves into something tangible. Over the past few months, my creative journey has been shaped by a design that has quickly become one of my most requested and personally meaningful pieces: my floating gemstone branch ring.

This blog is a behind-the-scenes look at how these pieces are created, why they resonate with so many people, and how I use modern tools like AI ethically and transparently to help me refine ideas that originate from my own designs.

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Where the Design First Took Root

The foundation of this ring comes from one of my original pieces—an organic, branch-like design that wraps naturally around a gemstone. This style developed from my fascination with nature: twisting roots, growing limbs, and the way light gets caught between them. The first iteration was raw, wild, and textural, almost as if the ring had grown on its own.

Soon after sharing it, people were drawn to its shape and story. Customers began asking for variations—different stones, sizes, and moods—while still keeping the essence of that original, organic design.

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How AI Fits Into My Creative Process

I want to address this directly, because transparency matters: the designs you see here are mine—conceptually, structurally, creatively, and physically. Every ring I make begins with my own sketches, my own original finished pieces, and my own design language.

I sometimes use AI as a sketching assistant, not as a designer. By feeding the AI images of my own work, I can explore alternate angles, stone proportions, or textural variations. AI helps generate rough visual prompts so I can better imagine how a stone of a different size or shape might look in my existing design.

Another important way I use AI is to help customers visualize options. Once I complete the wax carving and later the finished cast, I upload a photo of the real piece into my AI preview tool. From that single real ring, I can show clients how the design would look in silver, white gold, yellow gold, or rose gold—without recasting it. I can also swap gemstones, such as previewing the ring with a white moissanite or a vivid green peridot.

This feature has become one of my customers’ favorites because it lets them confidently choose both metal and stone based on an accurate visual reference of their exact ring design. It saves time, reduces guesswork, and empowers them to personalize their piece.

But the hands that carve the wax, sculpt the branches, and set the gemstone—those are mine.

AI is a tool. The artistry is the craft.

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The Wax Carving: Where the New Piece Begins

With customer requests building around a white moissanite version of this design, I moved from concept to creation. Using jewelers’ wax, I began carving the branches—letting them rise, curve, and divide in a way that feels natural and alive.

The wax is where the gemstone first begins to "float." I carve negative spaces intentionally—allowing light to pass through, ensuring the stone is supported but not enclosed, creating the illusion that it hovers between branches.

This is the heart of my floating gemstone style. It’s not about making the stone sit higher—it’s about making it appear naturally suspended, like a drop of light balanced within the structure of the ring.

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From Wax to Metal: The Final Transformation

This design will soon be cast in Sterling Silver and set with a 1.5ct (6×8mm) white moissanite, a gemstone whose brilliance enhances the floating effect beautifully. The process takes about 3 to 4 weeks from carving to completion.

Once cast, the branches will gain strength and detail, the prongs will be refined, and the stone will be secured in its airy, living setting. The finished piece will retain the same organic motion as the wax—just crystallized into its final, lasting form.

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Why This Design Matters to Me

This branch ring is more than a commission or a popular request—it’s a milestone in my journey as an artist. It blends:

• my original design language
• my love for nature
• my carving work
• modern tools used ethically
• my customers’ trust

And most importantly, it represents the moment where an idea becomes a form—a place where a new piece begins.

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Thank You For Being Part of the Journey

To everyone who has asked for this design, who has followed its variations, or who has simply appreciated its style—thank you. Your support allows me to keep pushing my craft in new directions while staying rooted in the work I love.

More updates will come soon, including the finished cast and final stone setting. I can’t wait to share the completed piece with you.

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If you’d like to follow more of my creative process or commission your own variation of this design, feel free to reach out. Every ring has a story, and I’m honored to help create yours.

Enchanted Hibiscus Morganite Ring by Dawn Vertrees

Introducing the Enchanted Hibiscus Morganite Ring, a stunning new design crafted through the lost wax process. This unique piece features a radiant 6.5mm round morganite gemstone, elegantly framed by hand-sculpted leaves, a delicate hibiscus flower, and a subtle twig detail. Cast in Sterling Silver with a light oxidation, this ring highlights the intricate depth of each component, offering a nature-inspired masterpiece for your collection.

Once cast, this ring will be featured on Shopify and Etsy. 

Behind the Craft: Bringing the Olive Branch Collection to Life with Hand-Drawn Designs (Part 1)

"Material Choices"

The process starts with a pencil and paper, where I outline the organic shapes, you see here. Each leaf is carefully carved to mimic the natural flow of an olive branch, with small berries adding a touch of detail. This initial drawing (shown above) serves as the blueprint for the wax model I’ll sculpt next. Using fine carving tools, I bring the sketch to life in wax, refining every curve and texture to ensure the final silver cast reflects the handcrafted essence.

"Working with Material"

Behind the Craft: Bringing the Olive Branch Collection to Life with Hand-Drawn Designs

It all begins with a sketch. The Olive Branch Collection, inspired by the resilience and beauty of nature, starts with these hand-drawn designs that capture the delicate curves of olive leaves and the subtle elegance of their berries. As a lost wax jewelry artist, I pour my creativity into every line, laying the foundation for pieces that tell a story of hope and strength—especially meaningful in today’s economic climate.

"Optional Two-Tone Concept"

The process starts with a pencil and paper, where I outline the organic shapes, you see here. Each leaf is carefully carved to mimic the natural flow of an olive branch, with small berries adding a touch of detail. This initial drawing (shown above) serves as the blueprint for the wax model I’ll sculpt next. Using fine carving tools, I bring the sketch to life in wax, refining every curve and texture to ensure the final silver cast reflects the handcrafted essence.

For this collection, I’ve chosen sterling silver to keep the designs accessible, given the soaring gold prices. But I don’t stop there—I use advanced visualization tools to show you how these pieces could glow in rose gold or even feature a gemstone like peridot, as seen in the colored sketch. This allows me to offer variations without the high material costs, blending affordability with the luxury you expect from custom jewelry.

Part 2

"Creating My Wax Model"

From the wax model, the piece moves to the lost wax casting process, where molten silver transforms my sketch into a wearable work of art. The final steps involve polishing and setting any stones, ensuring each ring or band carries the same care that went into its initial drawing.

This collection is more than jewelry—it’s a reflection of perseverance, much like the olive branch itself.

Custom-Made Men's Ring - Twig Design by Dawn Vertrees Designs

This custom-made men's ring features a square-cut labradorite gemstone with a striking blue-green iridescence, set in a textured silver band. The band is intricately designed to resemble twisted twigs, with organic, branch-like patterns wrapping around the finger, giving it a rugged, nature-inspired look. The craftsmanship highlights the stone's natural beauty and the metallic finish adds a bold, masculine touch.

5 STARS 

Customer service with this company was amazing as we had ordered a custom ring. Every step of the way , Dawn and her team went above and beyond to make the ring of my dreams for my engagement. Thank you again Dawn. You and your team work wonders!

        

         Email Us for additional Information

 

Moss Agate Gemstone Twig Ring in Sterling Silver by Dawn Vertrees

 Moss Agate Twig Ring

A Crown of Twigs Encircled an Oval Gemstone, Representing Nature's Enduring Beauty.

Hand-sculpted Sterling Silver Ring with an Oval Moss Agate

Material: Sterling Silver

Finish: Oxidized (Shown)

Gemstone: Natural 14 x 10mm Oval Moss Agate Cabochon Gemstone

Overall Ring Length: 14.7mm

Band Width: 3.4mm

https://dawnvertreesjewelry.etsy.com/listing/1826449974

Available gemstones: Green Tourmaline, Opal, Appetite, Pink Tourmaline, Citrine, Moonstone, Australian Blue Opal, Spinel, and Peridot, to name a few.

Your ring will come with a ring box and a small ring tote.

New Design: Leaf and Twig Floating Rough Diamond Engagement Ring

Update: I will be casting this design in either 

14k Rose Gold or 14k Yellow Gold on 3/29/2024

Cost: $3,500.00

If you have any questions please contact us at: 

dvjewelrydesigns@gmail.com

Please mention the 1.72ct Octahedron Diamond Ring

Floating 1.72ct Natural Octahedron Rough Diamond

Beautiful floating Diamond 

Custom non-traditional setting using the 

leaves & twigs to hold the setting in place.

All of my rings are hand sculpted using the lost wax method. 

I love taking a piece of jewelers wax and creating unique designs pushing the limits on traditional machined settings and bringing back the love into each design I create.

My Processes

Creative Process: Hand sculpted wax model using the Lost-wax-process.

Cast-in-place: A process where the stone and the wax model I create is cast simultaneously in solid gold or silver. The stone and metal become one thing, making the one-of-a-kind piece each time.

Materials:

We cast in Sterling Silver, 14 & 18k Gold and Platinum.

Gemstones:

Rough Gemstones, hand-cut in-house, Rough & Faceted Diamonds, Moissanite Diamonds as well as Lab Diamonds & Gemstones.

Thanks for looking. -Dawn

Sarah's Orchid Cuff - Step by Step Completed

Orchid Wax Cuff Completed...if she likes it.

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Had a little change...

...We changed out the sesquipedales (on each side of the cuff) for the Aerangis articulata. It took some work but I totally understands her reasoning but glad we kept the main orchid, the sobennikoffia.

I can't really show off her beautiful photographs but look up the Aerangis articulata and you can see where I'm going with this.

Everything a little sharp right now...nothing has been attached, sort of laying on my frame at this point.

Making progress, all of the orchids will have a polished finish but I still have a lot of fine tuning before that can happen.

Sculpting three of these little orchids to put on 

the other side of cuff.

Working on the side of the cuff today.

I have added Orchid leaves, couple of buds and another smaller orchid to one side.
The other side is going to have a cluster of smaller orchids.

Once the whole concept is completed, I'll take all of the pieces off and fine tune every piece and add  the final detail to everything.

Fiddled with the design a bit, took the orchid off and now I'm re-sculpting it to look like a angraecoid orchid based on the photos Sarah has sent me. It has to be perfect and that's tough because I'm taking a very three dimensional flower and having to flatten it out yet have all the characteristics. I did make a little change in the design but that's why I quickly made the orchid and wanted to see it on the cuff. Great thing about wax...it allows you to melt, scrape, & cut until it's exactly like you want it.

Well so far, this was what I saw in my head...now I have to add the leaves, more buds plus add several smaller orchids to the right and left side of the center flower.

I have a lot more work to do...only about 20% completed so I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Well its time to start sculpting on Sarah's Cuff. I spent yesterday feeding my mind on orchid pictures, 

looking at stems, buds and flowers...

...so now its time to make the base of the cuff which I've decided to make based on the curly stems. I know those have a different name but "stem" is working for me at the moment. Once I make a base, I can start sculpting the orchid components...one petal at a time.

I have a new toy!

New Tip for my Kerr Waxer II

Just completed a huge job so I decided to treat myself to a new toy! It's still pretty shiney, haven't had a chance to use it but it's going to help clean out the wax from the back of my cuffs. I'm hoping to find the perfect temperature for scraping the wax out. If too hot, it will just melt through to the front of the cuff but the Shell Cuff has been a labor of love. When you're matching the  design in the shell, you have to get as accurate with the design as possible...you don't want someone saying, What Is It?

Once cast in silver...it's going to be awesome, totally unique!

Made to Order Calla Lily Cuff - Sketch

Calla Lily Cuff

Beautiful flowing Calla Lily Cuff with two leaves, one slightly covering the lily and the other tucked under the lily, each design of mine is hand-sculpted in wax before cast in sterling silver.

Each piece is then finished with a high-end polish for a quick cleaning.

The finished piece will be 3/4" wide (Lily and Leaf width) smallest width will be 1/4" cuff band.

This piece will be a Limited Edition of 20 which will be signed plus a Certificate of Authenticity will come with each piece.

I will make a mold of the piece but for only 20, this way I can spend the necessary time to sculpt the original. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and will spend weeks just sculpting the wax. I look at every piece as though I would wear it.

Below I have posted one of my Calla Lily Necklaces so that you can get a good idea about the work I sculpt plus my finishes.

To Pre-Order This Piece, Click Here or Go to my Online Shop

Options: This piece is priced based on Sterling Silver.  If you would like to add gold accents, please e-mail me for a quote based on current gold prices. A Rhodium and Yellow Gold Plated are also optional, please e-mail me for additional cost.

Note: This cuff is "M A D E - T O - O R D E R" and process of my wax will be photographed and posted weekly so that you can see my process...it's a pretty amazing process that I don't mind showing you.

Sizing your Cuff: Please indicate your wrist size in the "Note to Seller" box, I will customize the cuff to fit you by adjusting the wax before casting. A soft measuring tape wrapped around the wrist above the bone will give me an accurate measure of your wrist.

Shipping: All items are shipped by USPS Priority Mail (USA) with Insurance plus Confirmation to track the package for delivery if necessary. All paid by me.

This cuff will be based on my Calla Lily Necklace (shown below)

This necklace is also a pre-ordered piece,

please e-mail me for the current price.

Tree Frog Cuff

 This is going to be one cool cuff.

The back legs and feet are actually what goes around the arm holding the cuff in place plus the upper left arm and hand just add extra support. The right hand props his head up and although his back is facing you now, when wearing him he is looking at you. So whether he is on your left arm or right, he is always looking at you. As pictured now, he is on your right arm scooting down...on your left arm, he is scooting up your arm. No profile shots yet...still fine tuning his handsome features.

The first casting will be all Sterling Silver with antiquing to bring out the detail and depth in the philodendrons.

My Little Tree Frog Cutie Pie Cuff with little heart

Philodendrons trailing down his back.



 Say Hello!  

Can you guess what's coming soon?