Custom Work

The Knitting Rings
These rings truly were a joint design effort. They were made for a 20th wedding anniversary, when people often have a well defined sense of personal style. She is a knitter and likes repeating patterns. She doodles repeating patterns whenever filling in extra space on a page. She had sent me some patterns that she liked from knitting books. This was the point of departure- the rest of it was based on what I could make out of chasing tools and a leatherworking set of punches. Many of the tools were custom made and sharpened to get the shapes just right. These patterns are loosely based on a popcorn knit. The rings are platinum. Hers has a .65 point VS1 diamond, with .04 point diamonds bead set in between each set. These rings truly suit the wearers and will wear beautifully.

The Sapphire and Platinum Ring
A well done version of a classic design. A 5 mm wide comfort fit band is graced by round platinum rails on either side. The 7 x 5 mm oval sapphire is set as low as possible. It is a really pretty stone, with depth of color while still looking like a classic blue sapphire.

The Secret Alphabet Ring
This band departs from symmetry. This departure can be tough on some personality types. The start was the knitting series, while putting hidden message on a band. I wanted to make an initial ring without it looking like an initial ring. In reality, it could be called the graffiti ring- because often graffiti text can be difficult to unravel, until you know what it says, and then it pops right out at you. Since this ring was completed, much fun has been had subtly stamping writing and messages into bracelets and bands. Inventing secret alphabets is always a good time.

Snow Angel Ring
This band is another study of knitting patterns, this one looking like snow angels (if you squint and use your powers of imagination). It is a loose, fun pattern and a comfortable ring.
This is not hung up on perfection in any way, just like a snow angel should be.

Another TOOTH Ring!
It is really strange that this does not bother me in the least to handle other people�fs teeth. It should be the nastiest job in the world. Nope. Total disconnect. This tooth ring has no diamond in it-and could lay pretty low in the setting. Very custom cut and custom made. Who knew?

Topaz Ring
Some stones are just special, even though they might not be the most valuable specimens you run across. This stone is one of those. We put it into a tapered silver band, with a pillow cross section. The bezel has a clean 18 karat yellow circle running around it. All in all, a nice clean design for a stone that is worth admiring. Not sure what it is- my guess from the lack of wear, older cut, and subtle sparkle is a topaz.

Twin Rings, Palladium
My friend had twins and wanted rings to commemorate their birth. She was so busy that it took us a few years to get the rings designed and made. She wanted something that doesn't stick up, that sparkled, and represents the similarities as well as the difference between her boys. One of them is somewhat ordered, the other boy is all about the chaos. Therefore, one of these rings is measured and even, and the other is scattered all over the place. It also represents the overall condition at her house: when one twin is calm, the other is having a moment. Another aspect of these rings that is interesting is that they are made out of palladium- one of the members of the platinum family. It was fascinating to work with palladium and to see the differences in how it behaves. I like it as a metal to work with. These rings look great on my friend and it is fun to see her wearing them on her always busy hands.

Pink Sapphire Platinum Ring
Although this is made up of pretty basic elements, the overall finished ring is really satisfying. It is a matter of opinion as to if the stone is a ruby or a pink sapphire. It really glows more than most of the stones one sees around. Great cut, color, and refraction. My brother bought this stone in India close to 15 years ago. It has been waiting patiently in my safe for it to be the perfect gemstone for someone. The center stone is 5 x 3 mm, and the side stones are .15 point vs h color diamonds. The setting is handmade of platinum.

Sand Dune Ring, Platinum
How to make a wedding ring in a traditional, comfortable half round band shape, while still give it a one of a kind handmade feel. Answer: surface treatments. This treatment has the feeling of ripples in water or the vastness of sand dunes. It will wear well and was really fun to make. Sometimes, hammered bands can look kind of tacky- this doesn't in the slightest- just use a different hammer and the perception is entirely different. This ring also looks GREAT in stainless steel.

Ruby of Rubies Ring
What a spectacular stone:
Good things are worth waiting for- the wearer of this ring has wanted a nice ruby ring for nearly 25 years. The center stone is a 2 carat ruby. The side stones are .25 points and .12 points, total carat weight of .75. I like the picture before the stones were set the best, as it shows the color of the stone and the detail on the sides of the setting. The side view is to show the shoulders at the bottom of the shank, which keeps a rig like this from flipping over on the hand. This is a really stunning piece- one that I for one would notice across a room.

The Finnish Romantic Style Necklace
The hand forged, fluted, scrolled, hand wrought necklace. This is a design that had its first explorations 20 years ago. It started with just the center section being attached at two points to a chain. 2 decades later, when I revisited this idea, it was amazing how much easier it was to make and how well they come out. Only four of these exist in the world at this time: one has a center three carat green sapphire with 5 mm blue sapphires on each forged link up the chain: another lives with my friend North of the arctic circle, another has a gorgeous citrine with an 18k yellow bezel, and this one is mine- it has an iolite cabochon in it and I wear it all of the time. While on a ferry boat in the Baltic sea, a woman was staring at me the whole time. After awhile, I realized that she was staring not at me but at my necklace. Then it ceased to be odd, as this hand wrought necklace pays homage to the Nordic romantic style of decorative arts. Approximate cost $750.

Platinum 5 Stone Bezel Ring
Oh, This one came out so nice. The diamonds are all of incredible quality- they are very clear Russian cut. Total carat weight is 70 points, but the diamonds are all the way across the top of the ring. It is in proportion as this ring is a size 5 1/2. To bring down the "flippage factor", the shank is squared off on the bottom. It was fun to make, and when it was done, I really wanted one for myself.....

Emerald Cut, Wide Shank, 14KT and Sterling Ring
What you are looking at is a large green amethyst, 12 x 16 mm, set into a 14k yellow basket setting, nestled as low as possible in a wide flat sterling band. This design was initially created to update a sentimental topaz that was in a bland, boring ring. The result was quite successful. Each of these rings are different as it has everything to do with the cut of the stone. This one is pretty dreamy!

Uncut Diamond Ring
This is a large uncut diamond, or "diamond in the rough" set in a traditional platinum four prong setting. It was tough to decide which way the stone should go in the setting, as so many sides of the stone are interesting. After much deliberation, the flat side went onto the top, and each of the edges of the cube was held firmly by the double prongs. Notice the nice weight of the shoulders of the shank of the ring. A satisfying piece of jewelry, unusual and traditional at the same time.

Flat in Every Dimension Platinum Ring
This is one of the most stripped down diamond rings out there. The shank is 4 mm x 2 mm platinum. The bezel is straight sided, the diamond set as low as it can possibly go. The diamond itself is VVS2, L color, almost 6 mm in diameter. Despite the not-so white qualities of the stone, it refracts quite a bit because of its relatively good clarity. This type of setting works really well for round stones in weights from.33 to .75. Also good for those of us whose hands are always taking a beating from whatever we choose to be doing.

Tapered in Every Dimension Platinum Ring
This ring is in proportion from every dimension. The shank is tapered, 3.3 mm at it widest point. The bezel is also tapered. This stone is about ½ carat or .50 points with a very high clarity. A nice setting for a stone of a modest size. The owner wanted a ring that wasn’t too big, wasn’t too small, and the end product we feel is exactly that.

Heavyweight Tapered in Every Dimension Platinum Ring
This is larger version of the other tapered ring. The tapered shank is 4 mm across at the top, and tapers to about 2 mm. The bezel is also tapered, is as low as it can go, so as to be very comfortable and just showy enough at the same time. These rings lay flat next to their corresponding bands nicely. The stone in this ring is GORGEOUS, it is a VVS2 H color, ¾ of a carat, and as soon as I saw it I knew that it was the right one. It is extra sparkly in low light (how that happens we don’t know but it is really satisfying to see it). All in all, nice proportions, nice materials, really nice stone. Another reason that this ring is great is that it is really timeless in design- and we find it impossible to tire of good design and nice proportions.

Platinum and Beach Stone Ring
The clients knew a few things when the design process started on this ring. They knew that they wanted a luminescent stone in a cabochon cut. They wanted a moonstone- but somehow, I thought that putting a moonstone into a platinum setting seemed not right. So, I suggested that they go down to moonstone beach in South County, Rhode Island, and pick up a pile of beach stones. I have always been told that this beach is named after the types of rocks on it- they moonstones, which ultimately are feldspars, and glow incredibly in the sunlight. The stones there range from whites to apricots to all shades of grey. After a few runs down to these beaches, they found several stones that we all liked. (How is that for a stressful engagement ring center stone experience?) I constructed the original model out of silver, molded it, and cast the ring out of platinum. It is really heavy, weighs almost ½ oz. As instructed, the band will lay flat next to the shank. It is comfortable enough to fish change out of your pocket and really built to last. No stress about losing a valuable center stone either, just go back to the beach and find another! I like to think of this ring as a metaphor for a truly solid relationship.

Wave Rings
These photos were taken ½ hour before the ceremony, so, as that is not the most relaxed time in the world, these photos are TERRIBLE. Sorry about that. These rings were probably the most simple design process ever experienced. They said that they loved the ocean and wanted rings that were contrasting in color. It took about 10 minutes to solidify the design of the ring. This is worth mentioning because it is rarely that easy! His ring is 18 karat yellow, with a wave hand engraved all of the way around. The engraving is extra deep so that it will wear well. Her ring is platinum, engraved extra deep as well, to accommodate a 22 karat gold inlay into the line. With time, her wave may become more visible. All in all this pair of rings are very subtle while still remaining interesting and comfortable.

Three Stone Platinum Ring
The center stone is 1/2 carat, the side stones ar 1/4 carat. This ring is 100% hand fabricated- the center mounting took a whole day to make from flat rectangular stock. It is very open in feeling, and the sparkles are amazing, as they are GIA VS1 G color diamonds.

Yes- it is what it looks like.
This is my sister's wisdom tooth, set in a ring, with a diamond set down into it. There was an indentation in the tooth that looked like it really needed something- the idea to put a diamond in there came from Mick Jagger. I was told that he has a diamond set into one of his fillings. Can't say if it is true or not. But, the concept is a good one, as teeth are for grinding, and nothing pulverizes better than diamond. Many people are truly horrified by this ring. Oh well.

Wisdom Tooth Earrings
The ring came first. Then- I needed a halloween costume in a jiffy- decided to be the tooth fairy-still had two more of my sisters' wisdom teeth- so I flattened out the back, made some bezels and soldered them up. Funny thing about these earrings, from even at close range they look like carved ivory roses.

Platinum Marquis Ring
This ring is platinum, with a really nice marquis about 9 x 6 mm. It is set as low as possible to keep it from catching on things. This stone came out of a stunning tennis bracelet- graduated marquis diamonds all of the way around. The bracelet was taken apart and re-distributed. We put ten point diamonds on either side of the center stone to ease the visual transition into the shank.

Platinum Diamond Dust Ring
This ring is platinum, with a bezel holding natural diamond "dust"- white diamond maacles before they are cut. The diamond maacles are set behind a clear topaz cabochon. The curve of the topaz distorts the image slightly- makes them look a little bigger than they are- but it is good, as you can clearly see them move around under the lens.

Platinum Fish Ring
We wanted to represent the wearers love of all things pertaining to fish- but wanted it to last. Engraving would wear down after a few decades, so this ring was made in a full carved relief. The indents make it very comfortable, as well as calming to the touch.

Platinum Five Stone Ring
Made out of 18 karat and platinum. The shank is a hand-poured ingot. The diamonds came from various sources- so the extra circle around the side/ middle stones is for several reasons- to give it a balanced look, to make it extra comfortable, and to some extent, protect the settings and stones. The owner of this ring- well lets just say that a tourmaline would not fit her lifestyle,( we did not want her to have to take off the ring before jumping into a project) so we wanted to make her a ring that she could wear 24/7 with no problem. So far, so good. It is wearing quite beautifully.

Platinum Gear Ring
This is one of a pair of wedding bands. Its really nice, one of the pair fits into the other really beautifully. I am proud of this ring, in the way that the pair works as gears that mesh together, yet it is only 1.2 mm high! I was worried that it could be uncomfortable as wedding bands, but we took down the height as much as possible, and they are quite a pair.

Platinum Three Stone Ring
Center stone is .85 carat, very very nice stone. On the sides are four tapered baguettes (two per side). The side of the center bezel is open, so one can see the culet of the stone. it is a fairly beefy ring, and I have to try it on every time I see it.

High School Special
This pendant is a small representation of what my jewelry looked like 20 years ago. It was fun to make up an old design....There are alot more of these sorts of forged/ bent/ bezel set jewelry where this came from. Who knows? maybe I will have the time someday to open the old sketchbooks and bring some of the better designs to life.

Platinum Diamond/Turquoise Ring
Well, this is platinum- the top of a ring....BEFORE I sawed it to its final cross shape, soldered it to the shank and set the stones. I scanned it before all of this, as there was a crazy number of solder set-ups on this little disc....The final piece is platinum, eight tapered baguette diamonds, and four (not my idea!) turquoises.

Necklace
This is a necklace that represents a graphic of a side view of a sundial ring. The intention of it was to make a wax seal necklace. Its OK, has a nice curve to it and a nice weight, maybe with some age it will be a little more exciting.

Platinum Rings
This is a variety of the rings fitting together concept- his ring is concave, hers is convex, so they nest together niceley. Both rings are 1/2 round on the inside, so they are comfortable on the wearer as well.

Roman Numeral Ring
Sterling silver, 18 karat bezel, and a garnet. It was a birthday present, with the birthday engraved on it. The numerals have lots of breathing room, so it came out very well.

The First Pair of Roman Numeral Rings
The idea came from their wedding favors, which were little goody bags with the wedding date in roman numerals on it. These rings are platinum. Her ring has raised and abstracted numerals, his are engraved into the band. In theory, it would work as a complimentary pair as does the gear rings. The pair does suit each other as well as individually standing out on their own.

18 Karat Gold Rings
The one on top is called the "29 forever" ring- it was made for a 29th birthday present, and has 29 scattered and flush mounted diamonds in it, of varying size and quality. (We found these variations to be a nice metaphor for the ups and downs in the years of our lives).
The lower ring was made for a woman who loves gardening, and loves emerald green. It also had to be able to lay flat next to another band. I warned her against emerald rings and gardening, but she was steadfast on her opinion.....so she got the emeralds.....I had told her that with daily wear she would be back within two years for new stones- and hey! I was wrong, it took ten years! Good, stable emeralds or gentle gardening, I guess...

18 Karat Gold Sundial Rings
These rings are latitude-specific. It took quite a while to figure out how to make these rings really work. This is based on an ancient design- they work by laying the ring flat on its face (the top) and pointing the hole (in the shank) at the sun. The spot of sunlight illuminates lines engraved on the inside of the ring. Worn by two people, the wearers could arrange meetings to a certain line on the inside. The first pair of sundial rings I made for the latitude of Providence, RI. However- this pair is a huge improvement on the first model. Rather than being a traditional crest ring shape, these use a simple flat spot on the top to tell the time. Her ring fits uncannily well inside of his ring- I love it when that happens...Plus- this pair of rings reside in Santa Fe, NM, where the sun is almost always shining so they can use these rings most of the time!

Platinum Diamond Ring
Hard to see how pretty this ring is on the side. It is platinum, with a stunning 1 1/2 carat modern European cut diamond it it. It is set in a six prong tulip setting, into a three sided shank. (The shank has three sides on the outside, but is circular on the inside). This is a classic ring from the top view, while being more interesting than your basic solitaire from the side view. We had to do this diamond justice- it really is a breathtaking stone.

Necklace
This is another resurrection of an old design- except it came out ten times better with 20 years more experience! The newer versions have forged handmade links going all of the way around the necklace. This necklace is truly decorative without being over-the-top.

Caldera Ring
A caldera is the depression left by a volcano after it erupts. Thousands of years later, there can be huge valleys with interesting micro-climates a a result of the eruption. This "caldera" ring is based on a rock that I found while hiking in Diablo Canyon, NM. The rock was a perfect sphere, that was hollow when broken open. The rock is not as finished as the silver is. I also call this the "don't freak out" ring, as its tactile qualitites make it very calming.

Caldera Cufflinks
It is just such a calming form that it seemed like a good idea to put on a cufflink- as some black tie affairs can be a bit stressful for some of us.

Lily of the Valley Necklace
This lily of the valley was molded from an antique bracelet, made of shellac in the 1860's in Europe. the owner of the piece wanted it re-made in metal, in case something happened to the original, she would still have a mold of the design. I find it to be very pretty.

Lily Pad Pearls (a.k.a. smoogelyglobs)
This came from the back side of some family crest pieces. This piece was formed by taking molten silver, pouring it into a charcoal block with a circular depression cut into it. While the silver was molten, I pushed it down into the block with a wooden dapping tool....the tool smoked and burned into nothingness, but the result was the pleasing base of this piece. I then placed the top sphere (that I had previously balled up and flattened out a little bit), and soldered it onto the back, in a spot that I thought looked peaceful. This series looks great with a little age patina on it.

Lily Pad Pearl Cufflinks
They lay niceley on the shirt. Also available in a choker necklace and a ring. I am quite partial to the ring.

Roman Numeral Rings
This pair is in white gold, with the couples' wedding date engraved on the outside. Her ring has a .33 ct diamond set in a white gold bezel.

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© 2007 LeeAnn Herreid