Design Elements

Above and BeyondTM details

Design Elements

Above and BeyondTM details

Key design considerations for each element of your ring.

The Green Lake® difference.

  • Extraordinary attention to detail
  • All work done in house
  • Award winning Master Jewelers
  • We sharpen our tools more often
  • All detail work done with bench microscopes
  • Extraordinary hand made filigree
  • World class hand engraving
  • We spend more time and have higher quality standards.

Seattle Bride magazine 'Best Engagement Rings' 9 years in a row. Each piece inspected at every step to ensure our quality standards are met.

Gem design considerations:
Cut, shape, size, and durability.

Diamond cut styles
Shape and Cut style.
How they effect your design.
Shape is the top view, like round, square, or oval.
  • Elongated shapes completely change some designs
  • Pointed corners need to be covered for protection
  • Squares with clilpped corners (like Radiant cut) can look more square than a princess cut because the prong visually fills in the corner area.
Cut style refers to facet type and 3-D geometry.
  • Cut type determines sparkle & fire, as well as the depth of color in a color gem.
  • Popular Cut styles include Round brilliant, Oval, Princess cut, and Marquise
  • Some cut styles also refer to the shape; For example, Asscher cuts are always square, while Princess cuts and radiant cuts can be rectangular or square.
  • Brilliant cut gems look quite different from Step cut gems, even in the same shape.
Cut Grade
Cut grade importance.
From Excellent to Super Ideal.

While Cut grade is the most important aspect of choosing a diamond, it does not greatly effect the design.

Diamonds are graded on proportions, symmetry and polish. GIA cut grades are Excellent, Very-good, Good and Poor. AGS uses a 0-10 scale, with 0 meaning Ideal.

Diamond grade analyzes and relates to:

  • Brightness: White light reflected from a diamond
  • Fire: The scattering of light into the colors of the rainbow
  • Scintillation: Sparkle and the pattern of light and dark caused by internal reflections
gem stones
To last a lifetime
Gems that will endure
Diamonds, Sapphire, Ruby and Alexandrite are the most durable gems and the only ones we recommend for a lifetime of daily wear.

Emeralds, while not as durable, don't show scratches as noticeably as most gems, and continue to be a popular option for engagement rings. Emeralds, opals and other more fragile gems are truly only for those who can accept the risk of future damage, as these and many other gems will show fines scratches, abrasions or even chips with long term daily wear.
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Classic is classy
Step cut gems have a sophisticated look
If you're not as interested in the busy look of the Briliant cuts, consider a gems with step cut facets. These produce fewer, larger flashes of light that appear to turn on and off for an elegant look.

Aascher cut, Emerald cut, and baguette are the most popular step cuts.

Step cuts show inclusions more than cut styles with more facets, so a higher clarity is important.
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Unconventional is cool
Try a Fancy sapphire or rose cut
Fancy color sapphires, Rose cut gems, uncut rough or star sapphires can all help you create a completely unique look.

Tip: Rose cuts, flat rough and cabochon gems are all nearly flat on the bottom, so they can be set ultra-low for a casual, low maintenance style.
old-euro-diamond
Vintage Cuts
Rose cut, Mine cut, and Old Euro's
These are vintage cutting styles that pre-date the modern round brilliant cut. All are characterized by tall crowns, a variety of facet patterns and less focus on symmetry.

Old mine and European cuts tend to have large, visible culets and are much beloved and sought after as more and more are re-cut to modern proportions.

Rose cuts range from almost flat to high dome, and are especially interesting with semi-transparent material like darker sapphire and Earth tone rustic diamond.