Gary Dawson Designs
  • Home
  • Custom Jewelry Design
  • Shop
  • Small Parts Engineering
    • Jewelry Making Supplies
    • Hat Making Tools
  • Podcasts
  • Contact ~ Schedule
  • Blog & Updates
  • Reuse & Recycle
  • About
  • Real Jewelry Real People Real Stories

Soft Square Ring Shape

8/29/2017

0 Comments

 
I love this ring’s overall shape for its grace, comfort and practicality.  I wear a soft square ring!
​
Picture
If you can turn your hand so you can see a finger end-on, you will see that you finger is not round, but more a square shape with rounded corners. Hence the soft square ring.
This ring style will fit the contours of most fingers perfectly. Some people who have never worn a ring before find round rings somewhat annoying at first as the ring rubs on adjoining fingers.  The soft square ring shank alleviates that pressure on adjoining fingers.  Also, the soft square shape of the ring will tend to prevent the ring from rolling on the finger. This is important in a ring with a somewhat heavier top or even a band with a design element that wants to be on top all the time.
Video describing the soft square ring shape…
There are a few designs in my catalog utilizing the soft square shape, the Interstellar Portal ring for example.  And the Matrix ring.  There are others…
And I often use this style when designing special rings for my custom design clients.  The header photo on this post is one example of a recent custom project, a wedding ring for a fisherman.
0 Comments

Sustainable and Ethical Bling, Moissanite

8/1/2017

0 Comments

 
We have recently fielded many recent requests about, and have completed several projects using Moissanite, a white gem that is both sustainable and ethical.
Picture
Accordingly, we are now proud to announce our affiliation with the Supernova Moissanite brand and our dealership status.

​
Picture
What is Moissanite?
Moissanite is a variety of silicon carbide, the second hardest natural mineral.  As a gemstone it is an exceptionally brilliant alternative to diamond that does not involve destructive extractive practices and is conflict free.
It is also very durable, at 9.25-9.5 on the MOS hardness scale. For comparison, sapphire and Ruby are about 9 on the MOS scale and diamond is 10 (though the scale is not linear).
 
Some say that “Moissanite is a gemstone born from the stars.” It was first discovered in 1893 by French scientist Henri Moissan who later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He discovered microscopic particles of the gem that would eventually bear his name in Arizona, in a meteorite crater near Canyon Diablo. He initially thought that he had discovered diamonds, but later determined that the crystals were composed of silicon carbide, not carbon.
 
Natural Moissanite is incredibly rare, so Moissanite gems available today are laboratory-created. The particles Moissan discovered were eventually synthesized to produce what is now one of the world’s most interesting new gemstones.  This gem holds a lot of interest among savvy consumers that appreciate a little “bling” but prefer not to support extractive resources when possible. It is also quite inexpensive when compared to diamond!Moissanite vs. Diamond, Gary Dawson Comments…​
Having handled many larger diamonds over my long career, and now at least a few larger Moissanites, I can offer some comparisons. To the eye they compare very favorably. I think even the practiced eye of most jewelers may have a hard time telling any difference in a piece of jewelry at arm’s length, where it would be most often viewed. Some technical facts that support my statement are that the RI (Refractive Index, the angle at which light bends as it passes through any translucent material) of Moissanite is actually a bit higher than diamond, as is dispersion. This is important because the biggest difference between diamond and most of its substitutes is how the gem looks when it gets dirty.
When a piece of jewelry is worn, a film of “stuff” collects on the backside of the gem. Hand lotions, soap residue, sweat, all manner of things come into contact with the jewelry and on the bottom side of the gem, where it is not continually swept away from environmental contact, it collects. This tends to impede the reflective, and refractive qualities of any gem. They look dull over time. Both diamonds and Moissanite will begin to look dull if they are not cleaned periodically (more about that in a minute*) but gems with higher RI will retain brilliance longer as junk collects on the gem than gems with lower RI, like white sapphire, Cubic Zirconia and any other gem that might be compared with diamond. That’s what has, until recently, set diamond apart from its stimulants, and what now seems to make Moissanite seem very attractive, even compared to diamond.
Picture
Contact us here today to inquire about your next big bling using Moissanite.
* In terms of keeping your gems at their optimal brilliance, I recommend keeping an old, soft-bristled toothbrush in the shower, and once in a while, when you think of it but probably not every shower, scrub the backside of your jewelry with the brush and soapy water then rinse thoroughly.  Once out of the shower, simply blow excess water from your jewelry.  This is likely all you’ll ever need to do to keep your things looking their best!
0 Comments
    Picture

    Author
    ​

    I have an intimate familiarity with both the materials with which I work and the process of working with people to create meaningful designs.
    These passions, and my interest in utilizing appropriate technology to manage my business and connections, inform my current business model
     
    ​ 
    And...
    I love to write.  I've been frequently published, mostly within the jewelry industry, but on topics as wide-ranging motor-home reviews to metallurgical science.  

    Oh yeah, I love to cook and eat well so you will see me diverting to food and travel topics here too!  Have fun reading and recommend me to your friends!

    Archives

    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2020
    May 2019
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories
    ​

    All

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Custom Jewelry Design
  • Shop
  • Small Parts Engineering
    • Jewelry Making Supplies
    • Hat Making Tools
  • Podcasts
  • Contact ~ Schedule
  • Blog & Updates
  • Reuse & Recycle
  • About
  • Real Jewelry Real People Real Stories