Whittle Master Update & A Really Beautiful Engagement Ring

It's been a little while since I last posted here. Last time I came baring bad news and you guys completely blew us away with your love and support. The THINK CAMPAIGN was a huge success, and we are so grateful for everyone who helped share our message and purchased a bracelet. The Whittle Master is feeling MUCH better now and is thrilled to be back to work making beautiful stuff for you guys. We hope our story and message will continue to resonate, and that the THINK bracelets continue to serve as a reminder to be safe and focused behind the wheel.

The ring I'm about to tell you guys about was actually one of the many in progress right before The Whittle Masters accident, so we are thrilled it is now off the bench and onto it's new owners left hand-ring finger <3

Styled here with two Gem Steady diamond eternity bands. 

A few things make this ring extra special...

The center stone was custom faceted especially for this project by our good friend Kurt Card of Foothills Gemstones. We debated briefly on which type of gemstone to go with before deciding on white zircon (not to be confused with manmade cz), and are so pleased with how it came out. This gem sparkles like crazy. Zircons are some of the oldest used stones on the planet with the meaning of its name dating back to ancient Persian times. Zircon is said to have a intense energy encouraging self love and love for others. It is also used for grounding and speeding up sluggish chakra energy.

We also included two diamond baguettes on the band of the ring which are family heirlooms of the bride, making this a truly meaningful piece.

Watch the video below to see some behind the scenes shots of the making of this stunning ring. 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this piece in the comments below. Love it? Then share it with your friends and follow Gem Steady on social media <3.

Octobers Birthstone. An Opal Party.

We are so glad to see fall is finally here. October was off to a rather warm start, but light jacket-cardigan season has decided to grace us. 

I love October. Great weather. My moms birthday (today actually. Woo!) The official start of the holiday season. And of course this months birthstone. Opal. 

Opal has undeniable appeal. It literally comes in every color imaginable. It's been found on Mars (whooooaaaa!!! Space Rock!), and has been worn for thousands of years by royals and commoners alike to provide protection, confidence, and to look straight up badass and stuff.

                                                             Ethiopian Welo Opal. 

Fun Fact: Over 80% of the worlds opals are mined in Australia.

The Virgin Rainbow Opal. Formed millions of years ago and is made up of fossilized dinosaur bones. Worth over $1million

Black Opals are one of the most expensive stones out there. Top quality specimens can fetch over $2k per carat.

 Mexican opals are one of my favorite varieties. They always remind me of dinosaur eggs!

Another fun fact: Did you know that opals were once believed to make the wearer invisible? Back in the day folks would wear opal jewelry into high risk environments to help them avoid altercations and trouble. Pretty neat huh?!

What's your favorite type of opal? Tell us in the comments below!

In the mood to have a flashy new piece of opal jewelry made? We can help! Hit the contact button in the menu above or click this link right here  and tell us a little bit about what you're looking for. We can help you source the perfect stone and design the jewel of your dreams!

Thanks so much for checking out todays blog post. If you enjoyed it please like, comment, share and follow us on social media!

Until next time!

xo-

Brittany C.

Citrine. My Old Faithful.

When I first started getting into gemstones citrine was one that I was immediately drawn to. I was ravenous about learning the properties of each stone, and the metaphysics of citrine really spoke my language. 

Happy yellow citrine is known as a powerful cleanser and is said to harness the power of the sun and dissolve negative energy. 

One of the most alluring things I learned while researching is that citrine is considered a 'stone of abundance'  and helps to manifest and attract wealth and prosperity. Upon reading this fact I immediately made it a point to acquire as much citrine as possible. I'd carry citrine in my wallet. Put citrine in the money corner of my house according to the rules of feng shui, and wore as much citrine jewelry as I could get my hands on.

Above is the massive citrine cocktail ring my babe made for me a couple of years ago. I still wear it pretty much daily (although I've considered having it undergo a makeover.) I love this ring. The emerald cut stone is just a few points shy of 25cts. You can definitely tell it's one of our older style cocktail rings, but it's got a timeless kind of gaudy that never gets old.

Let's reminisce on some more citrine from the Gem Steady archives, shall we..... 

Verde Citrine and Garnet Cocktail Ring

Citrine Garnet and Black Spinel Cocktail Ring

Citrine, Kyanite, and Pink Topaz Earrings

Emerald Cut Citrine Ring

Citrine and Tanzanite All Seeing Eye Ring

What's your favorite gemstone? Do you love citrine as much as I do? Do metaphysical characteristics influence your decision about the jewelry you buy and wear? I'd love to hear about your favorites in the comments below.

Want a piece of jewelry made just for you? Contact us today to get started. We can choose the perfect piece of citrine or any other gem to suit your particular style and needs.

Thanks for tuning into today's blog. Don't forget to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest happening at Gem Steady!

xoxo-

Brittany C.

She Said 'YES!'- A Custom Engagement Story

It's a couple months shy of our official three year Gem Steady jewel-versary. I even can't begin to describe how stoked I am about how far we've come in such a short span of time. 

I think one of the things we're most proud and honored to create are our custom engagement rings and wedding jewelry. We have been seriously blessed with the best clients out there, who let us run wild with their ideas. Our clients are insanely hip, free spirited, and hella stylish. They want their jewels to be completely original and unapologetically 'them'.

Our brides and grooms want a ring that is as unique as their love and the lives that they've vowed to share with each other.  

The ring I am going to share with you today has had me seriously mesmerized. 

It all began when our lovely groom-to-be contacted us via email with a few photos of gemstones, designs, and shapes he liked. He expressed interest in a marquise shape, loved the organic inclusions of lodolite quartz, thought some ombre colored halo detailing would be a nice touch, and of course-diamonds....

Here's the initial design I sent him.

Luckily our vibes were in sync and he loved the design right off the bat. We decided on a marquise shape lodolite quartz as the center stone, black-silver-and white diamond ombre halo with a white diamond band, all set in white gold.

If you're not familar with what lodolite quartz is, it's clear quartz crystal with all kinds of wonderful mineral inclusions inside. This comes in a variety of colors and patterns. No piece is exactly alike. Perfect for our one of a kind fiance-to-be. Lodolite is not a common gem to work with and to get the perfect size and shape we needed I asked our good friend Kurt Card of Foothills Gems to custom facet a piece for us.

                       Custom Faceted Lodolite Quartz by Kurt Card of Foothills Gems

After we received the center stone from Kurt that's when the real party started. Here are some production shots The Whittle Master took as he was building the ring...

          Tracing the base of the setting onto 14k white gold sheet before cutting out.

These pieces of 14k white gold will be melted down and turned into wire to create the band and setting for lots of diamonds to be set into.

              Mapping out our diamond placement. Some of them were as small as .75mm!                          

This was one of our most fun pieces to create and definitely one of most detailed and intricate to date. Check out the video below for the final product.

What did you think of this engagement ring story? Did you love seeing how we brought this design to life? Leave us a comment below and tell us about your dream ring. And please use the share tab at the bottom of this post to share this story on Facebook, Twitter, or email it to a friend or significant other.

Are you going to be in the market for an engagement ring soon? Or maybe you're just in need of an update or addition to your current jewelry collection? Whatever the occasion is; we would love to design something one of a kind just for you. Contact us by clicking this link, or emailing brittanyc@gemsteady.com. Not a fan of email? That's ok! You can call Brittany directly or text from outside the U.S. using whatsapp at 859-609-1083.

Behind The Scenes. How We Make Our Custom Signet Rings.

Every piece of jewelry at Gem Steady is carefully made by hand. Today I want to share with you how we make our custom signet rings...

There are many different methods for making jewelry; but to create our signet rings we use the ancient art of sand casting. Watch the video below as we show you how we create molds using carved wax models, clay, molten silver, and whole lot of patience.

After you're finished watching don't forget to visit our shop to browse our collection of available goods, or contact us for custom designs or engraving.

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