Design Elements

Above and Beyond^® details

Gem

Setting

Shank

Metal

Patterns

Filigree

Engraving

Finishes

Design Elements

Above and Beyond^® 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.

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.

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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

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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.

View Rustic diamonds

View Fancy sapphires

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.

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View rustic diamonds

View Rose cut sapphires

Popular
Shapes

Diamond
Sizes

Cut vs.
Shape

Gem
Types

Start with a Diamond

Start with a Color Gem

Start with a Lab Diamond

Hand made Filigree

The art of hand done, fine-wire filigree is one of the lost techniques of jewelry making that Green Lake helped bring back into the mainstream.

Real hand made fine wire filigree is done by curling, twisting and bending fine threads of wire by hand, and the effect is subtle and delightful. Complex patterns can be created with details like initials, fabricated leaves, overlapping pattens or with the addition of gemstones.

Fine details like real filigree are the difference between an heirloom and an ordinary piece of jewelry.

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Hand Engraving

Hand engraving is the finishing touch on many of our designs. Considered by most to be the pinnacle of the jewelers' skills, one that only the most talented jewelry artists can perfect.

All our hand engraving is done under a bench microscope with carefully prepared and sharpened gravers. Hand engraving will be deeper and more permanent than surface laser engraved patterns.

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