News

A Posy – or Poesy – Ring for Your Love!

Originally used as betrothal rings in the Middle Ages to the Renaissance period, posy rings – also known as poesy rings – are still highly coveted today as wedding rings expressing a tender sentiment and lifelong commitment. The name posy or poesy is derived from the French word “poésie,” or “poem.” The earliest known posy rings were made in about the 5th C AD, and they continued to be popular throughout about the 15th C. In truth, they never did fade from use, and today’s brides and grooms still clamor to express a loving or religious sentiment – or both – on wedding rings.

We are the posy ring specialists. We will create for you a posy ring of any width, weight, lettering, language (for some languages, we will ask you to supply the lettering in the language of your choice), and precious metal. We are even able to create some custom posy rings in sterling silver – those with lettering only or with a simple symbol. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Mandira about your made-to-order posy ring(s).

We especially love to make posy rings with proprietary medieval or Gaelic-style fonts. We are the only jeweler making posy rings for which we will supply your choice of words in several antique fonts you won’t see elsewhere, from which you may choose. And if you want your lettering in a more modern font, well, simply let us know, and we’ll make your rings exactly how you wish them!

 

 

 

Your Heart’s Desire? Perhaps a One CT-Range Round Moissanite Engagement Puzzle Ring with a Shadow Ring Guard all in Platinum

We will make your engagement ring or bridal set with any stone your heart desires!

We use lots of earth-mined diamonds, and we are also big fans of moissanite. If you want a lab-created diamond, well, you have come to the right place. Moissanite sparkles even more than diamond; it’s hard like a diamond; and the price is so attractive that we find many of our clients opt for this stone over earth-mined stones.

What will she love to wear and show off to friends and loved ones? What will she see as the perfect expression of your love? Let us know, and we’ll craft an engagement ring or bridal set to suit your wishes perfectly.

A six band engagement puzzle ring bearing 0.90 total carat weight moissanite is protected by a dual-shadow band ring guard

A dual-shadow band ring guard protects a strikingly beautiful six-band engagement puzzle ring with 0.90 total carat weight moissanite.

 

Six band Athena puzzle ring with accent stones and dual-shadow band ring guard

This bridal set in platinum with a 0.80CT center round moissanite and accent diamonds features a six-band puzzle ring with a dual-shadow band ring guard

 

Oval Color-Change Sapphire Puzzle Engagement Ring

Our spectacular, oval, color-change sapphire engagement ring is a genuine, platinum, four-band puzzle ring. Its Celtic style is beautifully enhanced by a Renaissance-style gemstone setting.

While this ring is shown in platinum, you may also select this ring in 14K white, rose, or yellow gold or four colors of 14K gold (yellow, white, rose, and green).

oval color change sapphire engagement puzzle ring

Puzzle engagement ring bearing an oval blue-to-purple color change sapphire

 

oval color change sapphire puzzle engagement ring
1 CT, oval color change sapphire puzzle
engagement ring

Oval color-change blue-to-purple sapphire puzzle ring
We love the style of the setting holding the
1 CT blue-to-purple color change sapphire. 

An interesting fact about colored gemstones is that most are cut to calibrated sizes. This means stones are cut to specifically regulated sizes, for example:
6 mm x 4 mm
7 mm x 5 mm
8 mm x 6 mm

Diamonds, on the other hand, are not cut to regulation sizes. This means that, for example, oval diamonds will have varying lengths and widths such as, for example, 6.4 mm x 4.3 mm. This can also be true of higher-quality colored gemstones such as this sapphire. The gem-quality sapphire shown in this ring is in the 1 CT range, and at this level of quality and carat weight, the length and width will be non-calibrated. Yours will be expected to have a length of 6 mm to 7mm and a width of 4 mm to 5 mm.  The carat weight may vary between about 0.95 CT and 1.1 CT, as this range is considered the “1 CT” range.

We will be delighted to create the engagement ring of your dreams – with any colored genuine gemstone or diamond on a puzzle ring of three bands or more. You may have your choice of precious metal or metals, width, weight, and color or colors. Contact Mandira to discuss your needs.

And please remember, if you prefer a lab-created diamond or gemstone, we’re happy to provide just want you want!

Celtic Style, 1 CT Marquise Orange Zircon Puzzle Engagement Ring with a Claddagh Shadow Band

We will always seek to get the diamond or colored gemstone you dream of for your ring, even if it means undertaking a significant search. Our client approached us about a bridal set with an orange sapphire. He had found a number of stones he liked online, but as we researched the sources, we learned that they weren’t actually sapphires. When we were able to finally find an orange sapphire in the size range he wanted, it was more of a brownish orange, so it simply wouldn’t do. After inquiring of a few dozen stone dealers we know, we found a marquise gemstone in the exact rich, reddish-orange color our client wanted! It turned out to be orange zircon, a laboratory-created stone. This not only saved our client a lot of money but it gave him exactly what he was looking for. We think the bridal set turned out beautifully!

What stone would you like us to find for you? No matter the stone you select, your puzzle ring will be hand-woven by our master puzzle ring maker and paired with a hand-created, custom, shadow wedding band. Choose your stone color, shape, size, your precious metal, and we’ll make the bridal set you dream of!

 

A Scottish Metal Detectorist Found a 400-Year Old Lover’s Posy Ring

A gentleman in Scotland found a gold poesy ring from 400 years ago, and when he did, he was required to submit it to the “Treasure Trove Unit” of Scotland. After a legal process, if the National Museum of Scotland did not claim it, it would be returned to Mr. Robin Potter.  There’s been no easily found news of the ring’s disposition, and a search of the Scottish Museum’s Collections did not reveal that it was acquired by the Museum. We’re curious to know what became of this wonderful posy ring.

You can see the ring here:  https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/17th-century-gold-lovers-tiff-ring-found-in-scottish-field-3297792

Marquise Aquamarine and Diamond Bridal Set in 14K Rose Gold

Simply bedazzling! We love this bridal set in 14K rose gold — such a warm and radiant color.  The open weave puzzle ring bears a 1/2 CT to 7/10ths CT marquise aquamarine – we’ll select the largest one available in that range when you order.  The shadow band with five graduated diamonds sparkles more than any photograph can show.  It’s a customized bridal set that will show your exquisite taste and allow you to show off to your friends your skill in assembling your puzzle ring.  This set is available online in sizes 3-10.5 and in any other size upon request.

 

Like all of our custom bridal sets, this one takes a little while to produce for you. We prefer to deliver the engagement ring first — let’s make sure she says, “Yes!” and that it fits her perfectly. One we know that, we’ll pick up the engagement ring and retain it while we make the shadow band.

Your puzzle ring will be hand-woven by our master artist, and as for the shadow band? It will be created from a hand-carved wax which will then be molded and cast and finished with a high polish and diamonds. It’s a painstaking process with hand-work from start to finish for a truly, one-off, artisanal bridal set.

 

New! Shadow Band for a “Tight Weave” or a “Standard Weave” Engagement Puzzle Ring

If you love a standard or tightly woven puzzle engagement ring, this is the shadow band for you! We are so excited to present this subtly curving ring that looks beautiful with a closely woven engagement ring.  We now show this wedding band in a listing where you can purchase only the shadow band, though we show it on that page with the Athena, so you can be sure you know what your ring will look like.

As with all of our shadow bands, your ring will be custom-made just for you – to go with your very puzzle ring. So we will need to pick up your ring and retain it while we make the shadow band to fit perfectly with your existing ring. Why is this? Because every single puzzle ring is different: The weave, the weight, the size of the stone, and the ring size all intersect to ensure that your engagement ring is a one-off original, so therefore, your shadow band must be an original, too.

 

Remarkable Treasures Found in Wales

One thing we don’t typically experience in the U.S. is finding centuries-old artifacts under a farmer’s field. That very thing occurs in England and Wales on a fairly regular basis, and when it does, it’s newsworthy, usually showing up on multiple news sites in the United Kingdom! I invite you to check out these treasures:  https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-65024262

Interestingly, in the UK, when ancient treasures are uncovered, there is a procedure.  An inquest is held, at which the items are inspected and evaluated. If an item is declared to be a “treasure,” then an independent Treasure Valuation Committee assigns a value to it and submits the value to the Secretary of State. The committee is comprised of five experts on coins and jewelry treasures; each expert is appointed for a term of five years. One committee member is assigned the task of representing the finder of the item. The finder may be allocated a reward as may be the landowner on whose land the treasure was found. The value assigned to an item tends not to be an anticipated retail value but rather the value expected to be fetched at auction. Ultimately, museums then have the right to acquire such an object for their collection.

A 250 Year Old Posy Ring

Imagine finding a 250 year old, gold, posy ring. That’s exactly what happened when a gentleman in Kent, England was out recently.
The article states:  The inscription is believed to be in Old English, and eerily reads ‘Feare God and love thy choice’, which essentially translates to ‘Fear God and love your spouse’.  The jagged, flowing style of the inscription is heavily reminiscent of the Elvish script seen on the One Ring from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

Check it out here:  https://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2023/02/13/novice-treasure-hunter-unearths-250-year-old-ring/

Our Earth-First and Fair-Trade Commitments – How Ours Compete with the Best in the World!

We are a small, family-owned business. We’re not a high-volume business by typical commercial standards, though we are happy enough with it! We don’t have the resources to visit the mines from which our gold, platinum, palladium, diamonds, and colored gemstones come to ensure that employees are treated and paid well nor to examine the entire supply chain for consistent ethical practices. So how can we make commitments to ensure that we act on your fervent environmental concerns, especially for the most meaningful jewelry purchase of your lives: engagement and wedding rings?

In the early years of our business, one business principle was etched into our minds: Know your suppliers. This has served our company well since 1983, and it is more important than ever today.

When we had stores in California (Concord, Pleasanton, Capitola, and Cupertino variously from 1989 to 2005), we had about 100 suppliers. Today, with our business solely online and more focused, we use very few vendors. Every vendor we use for precious metals, precious stones, and semi-precious stones meet our criteria for:

1. An Earth-First Commitment and
2. Use of Fair Trade principles in the entire production process from mine to finished products.

And perhaps most importantly, our single diamond, gold, and platinum group metals supplier is a certified member of the Responsible Jewellry Council (RJC). RJC is an international body headquartered in London that certifies fine jewelry product vendors for responsible ethical, social, and environmental practices throughout their operations. Certification and membership require an independent third-party audit covering all aspects of operations from supply chain and production to business ethics and employee health and safety. Members must meet RJC’s Code of Practices which respects human rights throughout the jewelry supply chain for diamond, gold, and platinum group metals. RJC members commit to implementing continuous improvement processes to increase performance and achieve higher standards.

In fact, all of our gold and platinum group metals from our vendor are recycled, so in addition to the clean supply pipeline, you can be satisfied that your metals meet the very highest standards of environmental safety.

Our puzzle ring artist has been with our diamond and precious metal supplier since 1972, two years after their founding, and Crystal Realm has been with them since 2005. Why reinvent the wheel?