Woodland Weave — where the beauty of nature becomes a piece of jewelry.

When the Woodland Weave Becomes Jewelry

There is a moment in creating jewelry that I never take for granted.

It is the moment when something that existed only in my hands, my imagination, and a piece of wax finally becomes real jewelry.

That moment has arrived for Woodland Weave.

For years, I have been drawn to the way branches grow around, over, and beside one another in nature. They don't follow straight lines. They twist. They reach. They intertwine.

That is the feeling I wanted to capture in this collection.

And now, I can finally show you one of the finished pieces.

Woodland Weave is no longer just an idea. It is jewelry.

The Woodland Weave ring begins in my hands, sculpted in wax around the stone that inspired the design.

From the woodland to the studio

When I begin a piece, I don't start with a computer drawing or a manufactured setting.

I work with wax.

I carve, bend, remove, add, and shape until the design begins to feel alive in my hands. The branches have to look as though they could have grown that way naturally.

That organic quality is important to me.

I don't want the jewelry to look like nature was copied.

I want it to feel as though nature found its way into the metal.

And then comes the stone

This particular ring became something especially beautiful when the green-and-beige stone found its place within the branches.

The colors remind me of things you might discover on a woodland walk—the greens of moss and leaves, the earthy beige of bark and stone, and all the subtle variations that make something found in nature unique.

I didn't want the setting to overpower the stone.

I wanted the branches to hold it, protect it, and become part of its story.

That is what I love about this ring.

Nothing feels separated.

The stone and the branches belong together.

The finished piece

Once the wax becomes silver, something magical happens.

The tiny textures become deeper. The branches become stronger. The oxidation settles into the details and brings out the lines that I carved by hand.

And suddenly, what I could see in my mind is sitting in front of me.

A finished ring.

A piece of Woodland Weave.

And this is where the collection takes its next step.

Not from nature into wax.

But from wax into jewelry.

A ring meant to be worn

There is another moment I love even more than seeing a finished piece sitting on my workbench.

Seeing it on a hand.

That is when jewelry becomes personal.

It stops being an object I created and becomes something someone can wear, live with, and eventually make part of their own story.

That is what I hope for every piece I create.

Not simply that someone will look at it and think it is beautiful.

But that they will put it on and feel that somehow, it belongs to them.

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A new chapter begins

Woodland Weave began with an idea that had been living in my mind.

Then it moved into wax.

Then into metal.

And now it is ready to leave my studio and become part of someone's story.

This is only the beginning of the collection.

There are more branches to weave, more stones to discover, and more pieces waiting to take shape.

For me, that is the joy of creating.

Nature gives me the inspiration.

My hands give it form.

And eventually, the jewelry gets to go out into the world.

A new chapter of Woodland Weave has begun.

— Dawn Vertrees
Dawn Vertrees Jewelry

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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