Coming Soon: Ready to Cast

A sculpted original design, imagined in yellow gold—one of the designs coming soon to Ready to Cast.

A New Way to Wear My Designs

My work has always been inspired by nature: branches, leaves, roots, and the beautiful irregular lines that make natural forms unique.

With Ready to Cast, I’m opening the door for more of these existing designs to find their way into the world.

I’m excited about the possibilities—not because I’m changing how I create, but because I’m finding a new way to share the work I’ve already done.

Ready to Cast is coming soon.

I’ll be sharing more as the collection takes shape. Thank you for following my work and being part of this next chapter of Dawn Vertrees Jewelry.

Every original design begins with an idea. Sometimes, its next beginning is in your hands.

Every piece begins with a hand-sculpted wax model, where the organic details of the design take shape.

Introducing Ready to Cast

Coming soon to my Shopify store, Ready to Cast will feature original designs I have already sculpted and developed.

Instead of beginning with a completely new custom design, you’ll be able to choose from selected existing designs and explore the possibilities for making one your own.

Depending on the design, choices may include:

Metal: Sterling silver, yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold.

Ring size: A size suited to you.

Gemstones: Available stone options compatible with the design.

Each piece will be priced according to its materials, gemstone, casting, finishing, and the work involved in bringing the design to life.

A white-gold interpretation with medium oxidation, bringing out the natural texture and character of the original design.

From Sculpted Wax to Finished Jewelry

A sculpted wax model is an important part of my creative process. It holds the original shape, texture, and details that I worked into the design by hand.

The next step is imagining how that design will look in metal.

The visual examples accompanying this story offer a glimpse of that transformation—from the original sculpted model to a possible finished piece. Different metals and finishes can bring out different qualities in the same design.

The finished jewelry will be created from my original sculpture, preserving the character of the design while allowing for selected personal choices.

Coming soon: discover original sculpted designs and explore available choices of metal, ring size, and compatible gemstones.

A New Way to Wear My Designs

My work has always been inspired by nature: branches, leaves, roots, and the beautiful irregular lines that make natural forms unique.

With Ready to Cast, I’m opening the door for more of these existing designs to find their way into the world.

I’m excited about the possibilities—not because I’m changing how I create, but because I’m finding a new way to share the work I’ve already done.

Ready to Cast is coming soon.

I’ll be sharing more as the collection takes shape. Thank you for following my work and being part of this next chapter of Dawn Vertrees Jewelry.

Every original design begins with an idea. Sometimes, its next beginning is in your hands.

From an old piece of driftwood to a finished piece of sterling silver.

Driftwood Pendant: When Nature Becomes Jewelry

There are some pieces of wood that are beautiful simply because of what time has done to them.

This Driftwood Pendant began with that kind of inspiration.

The original piece of wood has been with me for more than 20 years. It has dried, aged, changed, and developed the kind of texture that can't be manufactured.

When I began sculpting this pendant in wax, I wasn't trying to copy the wood.

I was trying to translate what I saw in it.

The flowing grain.

The ridges.

The openings.

The movement.

I wanted the finished piece to feel organic rather than perfectly planned—as though nature had created the form and I had simply followed along.

Look closer. Every curve, opening, and textured line was sculpted to carry the movement of nature into metal.

Looking Closer

Once the wax sculpture began to take shape, the details became just as important as the overall form.

The texture needed to move through the pendant naturally. The raised areas needed to catch the light, while the deeper grooves would become beautifully dark once the piece was oxidized.

That contrast is part of what gives this pendant its character.

It isn't meant to look like a perfect piece of wood.

It is meant to feel like nature translated into metal.

And that's where the magic of lost-wax sculpting comes in.

I can take something I see in nature and work it directly with my hands in wax—carving, shaping, removing, adding, and following the form until it feels right.

Then the wax disappears.

The texture remains.

A Pendant for Anyone

I designed this Driftwood Pendant as a unisex piece.

There is something about organic forms that doesn't belong to one particular style or gender. The texture gives it character, while the elongated shape and oxidized sterling silver give it enough presence to stand on its own.

It can be worn simply, letting the pendant be the focal point, or layered with other pieces.

But either way, it carries the same idea that has been at the heart of my work for more than 20 years:

Nature leaves the imprint. I simply translate it into metal.

And sometimes, the simplest inspiration can become something completely unexpected.

Front and back—because a pendant can tell more than one story when it turns.

Pendant Details

Collection: Driftwood Pendants

Metal: Sterling Silver

Finish: Oxidized

Size: Approximately 56 mm × 40 mm at the widest points

Weight: 0.27 oz

Style: Unisex

Process: Hand-sculpted wax / Lost-wax casting

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.

Pieces of History, Inspiration for Today: The Driftwood Band

 

Pieces of History. Inspiration for Today.

The Driftwood Band is more than a piece of jewelry—it carries the character of the natural world that inspired it. After more than 20 years of working with organic forms, I still find that nature leaves the best fingerprints.

I've Been Making Men's Jewelry for 20 Years… Maybe It's Time to Pay Attention

I've been thinking.

That's usually when something interesting starts happening around here.

For more than 20 years, I've been carving jewelry inspired by the natural world. Leaves, branches, roots, vines, driftwood, coral—I've always been drawn to forms that look as though they grew instead of being designed.

And for just as long, I've been making pieces that men wear.

I've never really called it a men's collection.

I simply made what I wanted to make.

But lately, I'm beginning to wonder if I've been overlooking something that's been right in front of me all along.

The Driftwood Band

One of my long-time selling rings began with a real piece of driftwood.

Not a photograph.

Not a computer-generated texture.

Actual wood.

I studied the way it moved, the openings, the grain, the irregular shapes and the strength in something that had been weathered by nature.

Then I took that feeling into my wax.

The result became a ring that has continued to sell for years.

And it just sold again—in gold.

Interestingly, the most recent gold ring was purchased by a woman for her fiancé.

That made me smile.

Because maybe the customer isn't always looking for "men's jewelry."

Sometimes she's simply looking for something that feels like him.

And sometimes a man sees the organic ring his partner is wearing and says, "I like that. Do you have something that goes with hers?"

I love that idea.

Not matching rings.

Rings that belong together.

So I'm Paying Attention

I'm not interested in suddenly creating a huge men's jewelry department.

That's not how I work.

I'm thinking about a small group of pieces.

A few rings.

A pendant.

And perhaps a cuff.

(And if you've followed my work for any length of time, you know I'm no stranger to cuffs.)

My Ocean World cuffs were carried in Wyland Galleries for years, so creating a substantial organic cuff isn't new territory for me.

What's different is where my eye is today.

After more than two decades of carving, casting, experimenting and watching people live with my jewelry, I have a much better understanding of what happens when you let nature lead the design.

I Don't Want to Make "Men's Jewelry."

I want to make Dawn Vertrees jewelry that happens to be worn by men.

That's an important distinction to me.

I don't want to take my work and make it harder, heavier or more masculine just because someone says it is for a man.

I want to keep the things that have always made my work mine:

Organic form.

Texture.

Movement.

Strength.

Imperfection.

Nature.

And then see where those ideas take me.

Maybe that becomes a small men's collection.

Maybe it becomes something couples can discover together.

Maybe a woman finds a ring for her fiancé.

Maybe a man finds something that reminds him of the outdoors, the water, the woods or a place that means something to him.

I don't know yet.

And that's actually the fun part.

I'm going to start carving.

One piece at a time.

And we'll see what grows.

After all, that's how most of my jewelry begins.

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?

Bamboo Necklace

Bamboo Foliage Necklace is now available.

New Calla Lily & Turquoise Necklace

I LOVE TURQUOISE!

There is something about bright shiny silver and turquoise that just goes together so perfectly but adding my Calla Lily Stem with all it's texture just adds a new level of beauty.

I strung up the piece, put it on my velvet bust and waited until Don came home from work...I sat the necklace on the counter so that it would be the first thing he saw when he walked in the door. His reaction was very positive...and for him, that's a good thing. Don has a very good eye and having him in this business is great because he has some great feedback.

At this time the necklace is 17" long but can be adjusted.

The Sterling Silver Pendant is 1.75" wide x 2.50" tall

Note: This is also a pin as well as a pendant

$254

If you are interested in this piece, please call or e-mail me for more details as well as additional photos.

New Wide Leaf Band Ring - Garnet

This is a super comfortable ring that I love wearing...actually, my jewelry display is a blast to have around...in fact, deciding what ring to wear is such a new thing to me but I'm getting used to it!

This ring has 6 hand sculpted leaves 925 Sterling Silver that wraps around the top of the finger and in the center I have set a 9mm x 6mm Faceted Almandine Garnet which has a beautiful deep red color which is typical for a garnet containing iron. This is a natural non-treated stone.

This ring can have just about any stone or birthstone set in the ring (final price depends on the stone) and as always, Shipping, Insurance and Re-sizing is free.

Cost: $165

I'm Going Tropical! Philodendrons, Banana Leaves, Hibiscus...

You would think because I'm heading to my next show at the Tropical Ranch Botanical Gardens in Stuart next month that this is where I had the idea about going tropical, it would have made perfect sense but noooo...we were in the Keys at our show and while staying at the hotel in Florida City they had beautiful tropical gardens around the pool and I looked down at a cluster of tropical plants growing together...there were banana leaves, palms, hibiscus, philodendrons and I said...this is my next projects!

My head was spinning but it was Don who suggested making a slider with a single Philodendron leaf first so this morning I made the larger leaf for an Omega Chain or a set of pearls using an enhancer and then I made a smaller one as a slider for a Hematite Choker.

The little leaves are 7/8" and 1 1/8" tall and will be cast in sterling silver first and then possibly 14kt next.

I plan to make a ring out of the smaller leaf which will wrap around the finger...I've curled the leaf around my finger and it was just perfect. My husband said I nailed the design beautifully!

I'm having a Garden Party...

...and all of the Phala Orchids & Buds as well as their owners out there are invited.

I'm not sure what goes on in my head when I start designing one of my orchid pieces but when I see those little Phala's...it's like looking at little faces and they are all saying...don't forget me.

So it's definately a party.

Update at the ArtiGras Show: Don & I have a wonderful time meeting everyone who came to our booth including the supportive staff at the show, the learning experience was priceless. We left the show totally satisfied but not only that, we left with a clear path to what we needed to do for our next show which will be in Islamorada March 8th & 9th.

I loved hearing all of the comments about my jewelry including the comments that "they had never seen anything like it". That was exciting because I was able to explain that it was because of my method of sculpting the wax as if it was my porcelain, something that's not the norm when learning how to make jewelry.

All comments were extremely positive but both Don & I agreed...we feel the Phalaenopsis Orchid designs really stole the show leaving me wishing I had more designs to offer.

So we both agreed, I need to expand my Phala Collection but I also heard one other request...PEARLS! I heard this load and clear. So I am developing a collection by combining the two, Freshwater Pearls & my tiny Phala Orchids shown to the right.

I don't usually show my pieces right after the casting but they were so cute, only 3mm 4mm & 5mm wide (around 3/8th"). The long stem on each flower is called a "Sprue". This is where the silver is shot from the outside of the plaster mold into the void where the wax piece used to be before it was burned out.

We'll cut those off and start cleaning up the orchids and I'm pretty sure I'll sand blast each orchid creating a soft glow.

This is going to be a growing collection so please check back in a few days.



March 5th...I'M POPPING IN HERE FOR A MINUTE.

I am in the process of designing 3 new cluster "Phala" Orchid rings. The first one will have a 10mm x 8mm stone, a beautiful Green Quartz (light pastel green) stone which sets up high with a cluster of buds, orchids & leaves wrapping around the stone.

This design reminds me of the traditional "Cocktail Ring" in Bloom!

...more coming soon!

Don & I also have some exciting news for all those hi-risers living along the S. Florida coast in a few days, so again, please check back...this is very exciting and a complete surprise to me!

Phalaenopsis Bracelet to match Japan Piece

When I look at this design, I think of pure elegance with its leaves and orchid buds draping down the top of your hand! ...and then too it's probably because the Japan Necklace was just cast in Silver and it turned out better than I expected.

have just a moment to add these pics...we are packing up the trailer for the show and I'm still running around picking up banners & card holders.

We are back from our show and this elegant Orchid Bracelet Sold in the first three hours of the shows first day.

Cost: SOLD

I'm in the process of making a new bracelet, if interested I'll notify you once this piece is completed!