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.

🤎

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.

Three Mushrooms, One Journey

 

Three Mushrooms, One Journey

  

Beneath the surface, where life quietly forms, three mushrooms rise.

The Explorer. The Watcher. The Newcomer.

Each one carries a different moment in the same journey.

Where the Story Begins

A single branch rises, holding three lives at different stages.

This ring wasn’t designed—it grew.
The branches formed first, and the mushrooms followed, each finding its place naturally within the structure.

Three Paths, One Form

Three forms, each moving in its own direction.

If you look closely, no two mushrooms move the same way.

One reaches outward, one remains still, and one is just beginning to emerge.

The Explorer

The Explorer leans away from the others—drawn outward.

It represents the part of us that moves forward without certainty…

simply because something inside says go.

The Watcher

The Watcher stands steady at the center.

Not everything needs to move to grow.
Some things deepen by simply being present.

The Newcomer

Held by the forest

The branches wrap and support each form, not forcing direction—only holding space.

Every line, every texture was left intentionally, so when oxidation settles in, the depth reveals itself—just like bark on a tree.

This piece isn’t just worn… it’s felt.

Forest Forms: Mushroom Earrings in Motion

Grown from quiet places—where the forest holds its breath and life begins again.

 

These earrings were not designed—they were grown.

Each curve follows the quiet logic of the forest, where vines twist without force and mushrooms emerge in their own time. The branches wrap and reach as if guided by something unseen, holding small mushroom forms that feel discovered rather than placed.

There is a softness in their movement, a natural rhythm that resists symmetry and embraces life. No two lines feel rigid—everything flows, like growth finding its way through light and shadow.

Rooted in nature, refined by hand—where wild growth meets quiet elegance.

When worn, they don’t just decorate—they carry a feeling. A memory of walking through woods after rain. The stillness. The quiet presence of something ancient and alive.

Every line, every texture—shaped to feel like it grew this way.

This is what I felt while creating them.

And now, they carry that feeling forward.

The Explorer, The Watcher & The Newcomer: A Mushroom Ring in Wax

This piece marks the beginning of something growing.

Not just a design, but a collection shaped by quiet moments in nature — where mushrooms rise, unseen, weaving life beneath the surface.

The Explorer, The Watcher, and The Newcomer are not just forms… they are stages of presence. Each one created in wax, guided by instinct, and brought to life in metal to be felt, not just worn.

These are not finished pieces.

They are thoughts.
Moments.
Decisions still being made.

Every curve is still alive… still changing.

The Newcomer begins to take shape in wax,
rising alongside the Explorer and the Watcher.

The Explorer, the Watcher, and the Newcomer rise together
—three forms growing from the same root in wax.

There are three.

Not placed. Not planned.

They found their way there… the way things in nature always do.

They grew between the twigs.

The first is the Explorer.

It reaches outward, leaning just a little further than the others.

Curious. Unafraid.

It doesn’t follow the line of the band—it follows something unseen.

The Explorer is movement.

The part of us that steps forward without knowing what comes next.

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The second is the Watcher.

It stays close, slightly tucked into the protection of the twigs.

Not hidden—just aware.

It sees everything.

The Watcher is stillness.

The quiet understanding that not everything needs to be rushed.

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And then… there is the Newcomer.

Smaller. Softer.

Just beginning to take its place among the others.

It hasn’t decided what it will become yet.

The Newcomer is possibility.

The beginning of something not yet defined.

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They do not compete.

They grow together.

Each one shaped by the same roots…

but each one becoming something entirely its own.

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The twigs are not just structure.

They are the forest.

The path.

The support.

They twist, split, and open—

creating the space where life emerges.

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This ring is not about perfection.

It is about growth.

About where you’ve been…

where you stand…

and what is just beginning.

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Three mushrooms.

Three personalities.

One story.

“Roots & Origins” Collection: When a Tree Helped Me Finish a Ring

The first vision of the design — branches lifting the diamond as if offering it to the light.

In my previous post I shared the beginning of this ring design and the early stages of the wax sculpture.

But like many handmade pieces, there comes a moment when the design pauses. The diamond and the branches that would lift it were already forming, but when I reached the base of the ring, I couldn’t clearly see how it wanted to grow.

So I stepped away from the bench and went outside.

In the yard is a small Japanese maple tree. As I looked closely at the trunk and the way the branches move and divide, the answer suddenly appeared.

The twisting trunk showed me the movement for the base of the ring.
The branches showed me how the structure could naturally rise and support the stone.

Nature had already solved the problem.

Years ago when I lived in Florida, banyan trees first inspired my Leaf & Twig designs. Their roots and branches showed me how nature supports life and weight without forcing it.

This time, a Japanese maple helped finish the idea.

Sometimes the best design teacher is simply looking at the world around us.

The ring begins to take shape in wax, where twisting limbs grow upward to cradle the stone.

 

The Japanese maple that revealed the movement and structure for the base of the ring.

Held by the Twig Weave

 

Twig Weave rough diamond ring and pendant in sterling silver — organically formed twigs cradling ethically sourced Canadian rough diamonds.

Twig Weave is a continuation of that story.

Each piece cradles a natural, ethically sourced rough diamond from the Canadian mines — untouched, unpolished, and radiant in its raw truth. The ring holds an approximate 1.8ct rough diamond, while the pendant carries approximately 1.6ct. No two stones are ever alike. Each one forms its own presence within the weave.

The twigs are not prongs.

They are protectors.

They wrap and rise as though they have grown around something precious, holding the diamond in place the way nature would — gently, intentionally, organically.

The necklace has become one of our most loved designs in Sterling Silver and Gold. The ring is a new addition to the Twig Weave story, available in Sterling Silver and 14k Gold, made to order and crafted in your exact size.

These are one-of-a-kind pieces.

Raw. Rooted. Alive.

If one speaks to you, let it find you.

Shop Twig Weave Ring

Shop Twig Pendant

The Palette of an Artist: The Artist's Palette and Nature's Signature

"This image perfectly illustrates my philosophy: the gold smear was created with a palette knife, treating precious metal just as a painter treats paint on a canvas. It is the signature of an artist inspired by nature."

🌳

While I work with precious metals and gemstones, the traditional title of "jeweler" has never felt like the complete picture of what I do. When people see my work, like the piece in the image above, I explain that I see myself as an artist whose medium happens to be jewelry.

The image below the ring perfectly illustrates my philosophy. The gold smear, created with a painter's palette knife, symbolizes my sculptural approach to the craft. Just as a painter uses brushes to create a painting on canvas, I use carving tools to sculpt intricate details in wax. To me, that wax is simply my paint, and nature is my inspiration. 

My designs are different from the symmetrical, traditional pieces you often find in standard jewelry stores. They are wearable sculptures inspired by raw, untamed beauty.

Wearing a DV design is like wearing a tiny, intricate piece of art where you can see organic details that are unique to my hand-carved process.

The Dogwood Serenade

Dogwood Wax Model

Dogwood Necklace
Cast in Sterling Silver

When words failed, the North Carolina Dogwood spoke for me. This intricate wax design from January 2008 is a perfect example of my visual language.

💮

 This photo captures the very essence of my passion: the raw wax carving for the North Carolina Dogwood flower, created back in January 2008. This delicate shaping process is my true language.

Unlike the clamor of the hammer, the quiet, meticulous work of lost wax sculpting allowed my hands to perfectly translate the gentle curve of each petal and the smooth texture of the berries. It is a piece born directly from the peace and quiet poetry of the foothills.

Over a thousand wax designs have flowed from my fingers over twenty years, but this Dogwood remains a cherished sentence in my visual diary—a constant reminder of the gift I was given in the woods.

Which natural beauty from your childhood holds the deepest memory?

 — Dawn, Sculpting Stories Since 2004.

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The Twig Weave: Growth Held by Nature

 

Twig Weave Pendant featuring a Moss Agate gemstone,
handcrafted in the lost-wax method by DV Jewelry Designs.

In the quiet places of the forest, where branches curve toward one another and light filters through green canopy, there’s a kind of harmony that feels ancient and protective. That harmony is what inspired the Twig Weave pendant — a design shaped by the intertwining strength of living branches and the grounded calm of natural stone.

This piece isn’t just jewelry. It’s a symbol of growth, protection, and connection to the natural world.

🍃 The Meaning of the Twig Weave

Growth

Twigs are the newest parts of a tree — fresh, flexible, and full of potential. They represent new beginnings, creativity, and the courage to keep reaching upward.

Protection

The woven structure encircles the stone like a natural cradle, symbolizing support, safety, and the unseen forces that guide us.

Connection

Interwoven branches remind us that nothing flourishes alone. We grow because of the structures, relationships, and roots surrounding us.

https://dawnvertrees.slack.com/files/U7VTAJMPB/F0A65ME2LQ0/9b28dd4902b956e796680dc2170da668.mov

Together, these meanings make Twig Weave a talisman for anyone in a season of change, self-discovery, or renewal.

 

🌿 Stone Spotlight: Moss Agate

The centerpiece of this version of the pendant is Moss Agate, a gemstone known for:

grounding and stabilizing energy

emotional balance and calm

deepening one’s connection to nature

encouraging steady growth

Its green, moss-like inclusions feel like a forest preserved in stone — the perfect complement to the twig-like frame.

🌾 Handcrafted With Intent

Each Twig Weave pendant is shaped by hand, meaning no two are identical. The slight variations mimic nature itself — organic, imperfect, and deeply alive.

The metalwork carries a textured, bark-like feel, while the stone sits securely at the center, embraced by the woven form.

🌲 Designed for the Nature-Connected Soul

This piece is perfect for:

lovers of the forest

gardeners and nature wanderers

those seeking new beginnings

anyone who wants a symbolic piece of jewelry with real meaning

Whether worn as a daily grounding piece or a special talisman, the Twig Weave holds the energy of growth and the comfort of protection.

🍃 A Glimpse Into the Forest Collection

The Twig Weave is part of a growing series inspired by woodland forms, natural textures, and the quiet strength of living landscapes.

Each piece carries its own story, its own symbolism, and its own connection to the forest.

More designs will be coming soon — all woven from the same source of inspiration: nature itself.

Gemstone Rings — From Hand-Carved Wax to Cast Metal

 🌿 The Art Behind My Gemstone Rings

Every gemstone ring I create begins in wax. I carve each detail by hand — the branches, the textures, the curves — building the design one small stroke at a time. This is where the ring’s personality is born.

Below are two versions of the same ring design, showing how a simple wax base can grow into a sculptural, nature-inspired piece of jewelry.

Wax Model & Finished Ring — Green Amethyst Leaf-Twig Ring

This design began as a hand-carved wax model, created to cradle a beautiful green amethyst in two organic leaf-shaped prongs. Every groove, vein, and curve was sculpted by hand to capture the natural movement of leaves wrapping gently around the stone.

The final ring is cast in solid sterling silver and finished with a rich oxidized patina, enhancing the depth of the twig texture and bringing out all the fine organic details.

A true nature-inspired sculptural piece — from raw wax to wearable art.

From Wax to Wonder: Carving the Foundation of a Tree-Inspired Ring

 

In this stage, nothing is polished, nothing is shiny, and nothing is “perfect.”

But the character of the piece is already alive.

This design features tree-trunk prongs that grow upward to cradle a natural gemstone. All of the bark texture you see is carved by hand. No molds. No templates. Just wax, tools, and time.

The stone sits in place during carving — something that surprises many people. It helps me shape the prongs around it exactly as the stone wants to be held. Every raw diamond or gemstone has its own personality, and my goal is to create a setting that supports it naturally, almost like growing a branch around it.

Once the carving is finished, this wax model will be cast in metal through the lost-wax process. The wax is melted away forever, leaving a perfect metal version of the sculpture you see here.

This is where the magic begins.

Thank you for following along with my process

Sharing these behind-the-scenes steps helps me stay connected to why I love creating — because every piece begins with an idea, a block of wax, and the desire to bring nature into wearable form.

If you’d like to see more of my work or upcoming designs, you can visit my shops:

🌿  Shopify

🌿  Etsy

Where a New Piece Begins

It's usually right here...

It could be just staring at my mandrel visualizing what's in my head or sitting in my living room with a cup of coffee and a sketchpad.

Update:
I’ve started a new Studio Story series about how this design grows from sketch to wax to final piece. You can read the first chapter here.

Dawn Vertrees Raw Uncut Rough Engagement Wedding Rings: "Moss Agate & Oxidized Silver: The Twig Pendant That Captures Spring’s First Breath"

When I start a new piece, it never feels like I’m making something.

It feels like something is growing in my hands.

I work in soft jeweler’s wax — that deep blue-purple wax that gives just enough resistance to feel alive. When my tools touch it, the curves don’t feel carved… they feel grown. Roots begin to twist. A branch finds its direction. A leaf decides where it wants to live.

And if I’m holding a stone, the wax grows differently.

I don’t usually design a setting.

I let the twigs and leaves grow toward the stone, around it, sometimes lifting it.

As if the stone is a gift the piece is offering — a tiny present for whoever will wear it.

That moment — when the wax stops being wax and starts being alive — that’s the part I love the most. It’s where everything begins.

🍃

This blog isn’t going to be a tutorial.

It’s simply a look inside my studio: the sketches, the wax shavings, the experiments, the little frustrations, the surprises, the tools I return to again and again.

I’m dyslexic, so I speak best through my hands, my sketches, and my photos.

Think of this space as my visual journal — a trail of moments from the bench.

Welcome to my studio.

Let’s grow something together.