Custom Ring Construction & Additives

Ring Construction Digram

Collet Stone:
Set a diamond in the center of the "base" stone to recognize a more significant achievement, such as the highest sales volume or longest years of service. A "collet", usually made of the same material as the ring can be of any shape (square, round, etc.). It is countersunk into the surface of the stone to a specific depth and are typically flush with the stone. They are mounted with a tube which passes through to the back of the stone and flared on the backside.

Stone Additions:
Set smaller side diamonds around the center stone area to denote increasing levels of achievement. Along with new ring orders, our clients collect and send their existing rings back to our stone-setting shop to have small diamonds set. At this time each ring is made to look like a new ring presentation as each goes through a "refurbishment" with re-polish, re-antique, reround (if necessary) and placed in a new presentation box.

Double Faceted Stone:
The stones can be cut with facets on the top and the bottom of the stone. In some ring designs, only "flat-back" stones can be used, especially if set with a collet. Stones can also be cut with no facets on the top (called "buff top") but with facets on the bottom.

Closed-back Construction:
It would not be possible to create a high-quality mirror-polish surface if the ring were entirely solid. Except for smaller signet rings, there is almost always a hollow cavity inside a ring that is required for quality casting and finishing. Therefore, all our rings have a closed back within the finger hole sporting a blemish-free surface.

Regular Stone-set Bezel:
The traditional look with raised lettering around an outside bevel encircling a center stone. Any birthstone color or stone shape is available.

Stadium Bezel:
A "double-bevel" ring top. The classic design is made of an 'inside bevel' similar to the inside of a sports stadium with bleachers angled toward the playing field as well as an "outside" bevel. Both can be designed with either lettering or art detail or with "stone rosettes". These are decorative setting areas that can be set with diamonds. They are designed into the ring at the time of die-tooling to allow for future achievement levels and look good with or without diamonds installed.

Inverted Bezel:
a ring top with a single "inner" bevel.

Metal Panel:
or "all-metal top" instead of a center stone, can be installed just like a stone, but will allow more engraved detail, such as lettering, logo art or a "pave" look with many smaller closely-set diamonds clusters.

Incised Detail of Shank:
Both of the ring sides together are called the ring "shanks". Art and lettering, called "detail" is kept within the boundaries of the ring "panel", or the custom engraved area. It can be engraved either as "raised" or "incised" (recessed), each with a characteristic look. The decision is based on many factors, but basically what looks best. To a great degree this can be pre-viewed during the art presentation step, combined with viewing other award rings. A general rule of thumb is to show off as much high-polished gold as possible, while maintaining communication of the intended theme, such as the correct presentation of a corporate logo or recognition concept. Recessed detail is best illustrated on a ring by combining with contrasting techniques using various "antiquing" options in the recessed areas such as "dark" (black baked-on lacquer), "natural" (24 Karat Gold Plate), or a simple sandblast finish. This contrasts with the adjacent raised high-polished areas.

Raised Detail of Shank:
A favorite design as it gives the lettering and art elements the most "flash". Many times a combination of raised AND recessed detail is used, such as raised lettering within the panel area. There is typically an area below the panel called a "chevron" in which recessed detail can appear. Typically each chevron contains recessed lettering and limited to one or two words, such as a mission statement: "PROFESSIONAL"; "DEDICATED"; "SAFE", etc...

Palmside of the shank is the very bottom of the ring you see while viewing your palm. It is also the location where rings are resized.

Pure Gold:
Other terms are "fine", 24 "Karat" (or simply 24'K'); "unalloyed" elemental, .9999. 24K has a rich yellow color which usually cannot be worn as jewelry as it is too soft and will deform easily. By adding other metals in specific amounts "karated" gold can "alloyed" to produce wearable jewelry. A "karat" is a unit of measure of the gold content within an object. A fine gold object contains only pure gold, or 24K. A 10K gold ring is 41.6% pure gold and the rest (58.3%) a combination of copper & silver and a tiny bit of zinc. 14K is 58.3% pure; 18K is 75% pure gold. By adding these different "alloys" different colors can be created such as yellow, green pink and white gold. The lower the karat, the less pure gold is used and the paler in yellow color the object becomes, however the harder and more wear-resistant the resultant jewelry becomes. Most corporate award jewelry is 10K gold, some is 14K and very rarely 18K. A 10K ring shows the wear least and since the rings are usually larger and heavier, they will not show wear as easily as it were made from a higher karat gold.