When the Twig Ring Grew Leaves

One-of-a-Kind Leaf & Twig Rough Diamond Ring, hand sculpted by Dawn.

When the Twig Ring Grew Leaves

Some jewelry designs don't need to be completely reinvented. Sometimes, they simply need room to grow.

The original Rough Diamond Twig Ring was created from my signature Twig Collection—a hand-sculpted design built around the natural movement of intertwined branches and a rough diamond.

Now, that design has evolved.

I took the original Twig Ring and added three of my hand-sculpted leaves, creating a new Leaf & Twig Rough Diamond Ring while keeping the character of the original design.

This new ring is one of a kind, hand sculpted by me in wax and created in 925 sterling silver with a medium oxidized finish.

At the center is a 1.85–2.00 carat rough diamond, cast in place as part of the design.

The leaves are not separate decorative pieces added afterward. They are part of the sculpted design itself, flowing together with the branches and creating the organic movement that is at the heart of my Leaf & Twig Collection.

The Leaf & Twig Ring begins to take shape around the rough diamond.

From Twig to Leaf & Twig

The original Twig Ring has no leaves.

It is all about the branches—intertwining, crossing, and creating a natural setting around the rough diamond.

I wanted to see what would happen if I allowed that same design language to grow.

The answer became this ring.

Three leaves now move through the branches, giving the design a completely different presence while still connecting it directly to the original Twig Ring.

And because each piece begins with my hands and a piece of wax, no two will ever be exactly alike.

A different angle reveals how the hand-sculpted branches flow around the stone.

When the Twig Ring Grew Leaves

Some jewelry designs don't need to be completely reinvented. Sometimes, they simply need room to grow.

The original Rough Diamond Twig Ring was created from my signature Twig Collection—a hand-sculpted design built around the natural movement of intertwined branches and a rough diamond.

Now, that design has evolved.

I took the original Twig Ring and added three of my hand-sculpted leaves, creating a new Leaf & Twig Rough Diamond Ring while keeping the character of the original design.

This new ring is one of a kind, hand sculpted by me in wax and created in 925 sterling silver with a medium oxidized finish.

At the center is a 1.85–2.00 carat rough diamond, cast in place as part of the design.

The leaves are not separate decorative pieces added afterward. They are part of the sculpted design itself, flowing together with the branches and creating the organic movement that is at the heart of my Leaf & Twig Collection.

From the side, the layered twig structure and sculpted leaves become part of the story.

A Rough Diamond at the Center

I love rough diamonds because they already have their own personality.

Rather than cutting away everything that makes the crystal unique, I design around it.

The rough diamond in this ring is cast in place, becoming part of the structure of the ring itself.

The result is a very substantial, durable design—while still retaining the natural character of a rough diamond.

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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Forest Whisper — Guided by Nature, Shaped by Emotion

“Forest Whisper” pendant, inspired by quiet woodland moments,
sculpted in sterling silver with a moss agate center.

Every piece I create begins long before wax ever touches my hands.

It begins in quiet moments — walking through woods, noticing how roots twist naturally, how moss grows softly over time, and how tiny mushrooms appear without forcing their way into the world.

Shop Forest Whisper Pendant

“Forest Whisper” pendant, sculpted in sterling silver with twisting branches, delicate mushrooms, and a moss agate cabochon.

This pendant was inspired by those quiet forest whispers — the kind that can only be felt when you slow down and truly listen to nature.

What you see now in silver once existed only as an idea shaped by emotion. The flowing lines were not drawn with rigid plans. They were allowed to grow naturally, just as vines and branches do in the wild.

At its heart sits a moss agate stone, carrying its own miniature landscape — a reminder that nature holds endless stories within even the smallest spaces.

Shop Forest Whisper Pendant

"Forest Whisper" pendant with moss agate cabochon resting in my hand, 
showing it's true size of 2" tall.

But before it became silver… before it held a stone… before it carried meaning for someone else…

It lived simply as wax in my hand.

Warm, soft, and full of possibility.

That moment — holding the wax form — is where every piece truly begins. It is where emotion moves through my hands into shape, where nature guides the design instead of being controlled by it.

This is why I create jewelry this way.

Not just to make something beautiful...

But to create something alive — something that carries the feeling of its origin, so that when someone touches it, they can feel the same quiet whisper that inspired it.

 

Detail of the “Forest Whisper” wax pendant as the artist fine-tunes tiny mushroom caps, sculpting the piece with care before casting.

“Forest Whisper” wax pendant resting in hand, showing the size and form before casting in silver.

A Wax Artist’s Palette: The Alchemy of Hand-Sculpted Jewelry

"A Wax Artist’s Palette: Where the alchemy begins. Every color represents a different level of hardness, carefully layered on my hand—my true canvas—to build a foundation of strength for each one-of-a-kind design."

From Wax to Wonder: The Art of the Carve

When you look at my workbench, you’ll see a vibrant mix of pinks, greens, and blues. These aren't just for show—each color represents a different hardness and flexibility in the wax.

In this custom ring, I use a "harder" wax for the structural base to ensure it holds its shape on the mandrel, while a "softer," more pliable wax is used to meticulously "grow" the organic vines around the diamond. This allows me to capture the delicate, overlapping flow of nature that defines my signature style.

My hand-sculpted palette of colorful waxes, each chosen for its specific hardness to build a foundation of strength and beauty.

Visualizing the Final Piece

Because these multi-color waxes can be difficult to imagine in a single precious metal, I want to help you see the final vision. This is a one-of-a-kind ring with a cast-in-place rough diamond. Since the wax model is lost during the casting process, I can only cast this ring once.

Precision in motion—using a heated tool to carefully "grow" the soft green and blue wax twigs around the rough diamond.

By showing you these recreations, I can give you a solid choice between styles prior to the final pour.

Your Choice: Silver or Rose Gold?

The metal you choose completely changes the "soul" of the ring:

Sterling Silver with Light Oxidation: This option highlights every tiny detail. The light oxidation sits in the deep crevices of the hand-carved vines, creating a beautiful contrast that makes the organic textures look like a piece of forest floor.

My hand-sculpted palette of colorful waxes, each chosen for its specific hardness to build a foundation of strength and beauty.

The completed 100% organic vision, where the twigs serve as the setting, locking the diamond in place forever during casting.

14k Rose Gold with a Light Antique Finish: The 14k rose gold offers incredible durability for daily wear. The light antique finish removes the harsh "new" shine, giving the ring a soft, heirloom quality that glows against the skin.

My hand-sculpted palette of colorful waxes, each chosen for its specific hardness to build a foundation of strength and beauty.

 

The warmth of 14k rose gold finished with a light antique glow, perfectly capturing the organic flow of hand-sculpted vines around a rough diamond. 

The Final Touch

As with all my work, I have hand-carved my "DV" initials into the wax. It’s a signature I’ve used for 20 years, inspired by my father, Hubert, who signed every one of his wildlife paintings. It is my promise to you that this piece was sculpted by hand, with heart, right here in the North Carolina foothills.

 

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 Midnight Bloom: Pear-Cut Blue Sapphire Leaf & Pearl Engagement Ring Set in 14K Rose Gold

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Product Description

A breathtaking symbol of timeless romance, this engagement ring features a 1.5ct pear-cut deep blue sapphire cradled in delicate, hand-sculpted leaf motifs crafted from 14K rose gold. Tiny seed pearls nestle among the foliage, adding a whisper of vintage charm and ethereal elegance.

The organic, nature-inspired band flows seamlessly into a contoured leaf wedding band, adorned with a single flush-set sapphire accent—designed to hug the engagement ring perfectly for a harmonious, stacked look.

Inspired by moonlit gardens and secret vows, this set is for the bride who dreams in twilight hues and golden whispers.

This is a one-of-a-kind, custom designed ring.

Center Stone: 7x5mm pear-cut natural blue lab sapphire (~1.5ct)

Metal: Solid 14K Rose Gold

Accents: 2mm seed pearls, 1.5mm blue lab sapphire

Band Width: 1.8–2.2mm (tapered)

Finish: High polish with textured leaf detailing

Each piece is handmade to order—allow 3–4 weeks for production.

Handmade with love. Worn with forever. 🌿💙

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.