Hand-set stones and machine-set stones: why the difference shows after ten years
Two rings can look nearly identical on the day they are made. A decade of wear tells a different story.
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Essays on engagement rings, design, and the craft.
A calm guide to choosing an engagement ring when you know very little about jewellery
You are not expected to know this. Here is where to start.
Read essay →On high settings and low settings: why stone placement changes the ring
How high or low a stone sits above the finger is one of the least discussed and most consequential design decisions.
Read essay →On carat: why the number tells you less than you think
Carat is the first thing buyers ask about. It is the last thing I use to evaluate a stone.
Read essay →On diamond colour: what the grades mean, and where to stop caring
The D-to-Z scale exists. Not all of it matters equally — and where you stop caring depends on the metal.
Read essay →On diamond clarity: what inclusions are, which matter, and which are irrelevant
The goal is not a flawless diamond. The goal is a stone that looks clean to the eye wearing the ring.
Read essay →On diamond cut: the single decision that determines almost everything
Cut is not a shape. It is the quality of the proportions, symmetry, and polish that determines whether a diamond scatters light or absorbs it.
Read essay →The quiet science of the surprise proposal: finding the ring size without asking
Size anxiety is the most common reason people delay ordering a ring. Here is how to resolve it.
Read essay →Diamond fluorescence: a misunderstood property that is rarely worth worrying about
Fluorescence is one of the most discussed — and most misrepresented — topics in diamond buying. The short version: it is usually irrelevant.
Read essay →On conflict diamonds: what a responsible buyer actually needs to know
The term "blood diamond" is used loosely. Here is the precise reality of where ethical risk exists in the diamond supply chain, and how to navigate it.
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