Kristen Stewart's Promise Ring Buzz

Did you hear? Twilight hunk Robert Pattinson gave co-star and sweetheart, Kristen Stewart, a ring last week! (And you thought the budget brouhaha in Washington was big news.)

While Twi-hards will be disappointed to learn that the rumored ring is not, in fact, an engagement ring - it is a rock that comes with relationship strings.

According to Hollwoodgossip.com, R-Pats threw down a whopping $17,000 for a vintage promise ring and is just "waiting for the right time to give it to her."

A source said, “The ring is rose-cut diamonds set in rose gold. It’s a very feminine piece of jewelry and very old. The diamonds aren’t huge, and it doesn’t look like an engagement ring. [He] found it through a dealer who specializes in estate jewelry, and he knew it was just perfect for Kristen.”

1/2 Carat Diamond Right Hand Ring in 14K Rose, Yellow and White Gold

He’s not proposing, though. But the snitch is convinced that he would, if Kristen were on board for it.

I haven't heard much about the use of 'promise rings' these days, but it's heart-warming to know the tradition continues even with A-listers like this Tween dream couple. It's also nice to hear that rose gold is still a hot trend for all the metal mavens out there.

Rose Gold Ring with Diamonds

Rose gold, for the uninitiated, is a gold and copper alloy also known as pink gold or red gold (depending on the amount of copper in the mix).

Rose-cut diamonds were introduced as early as the 1500's and were popular until the early 1900's - so you see them a lot in vintage pieces like the one Rob apparently selected.

Rose-Cut Diamond Center Stone

Everything's certainly coming up roses for Kristen Stewart these days. I'll be on the lookout for her rosy ring pics - so stay tuned!

In the meantime, do you guys see promise rings making a comeback out there? Is this a new trend or a sweet gesture from a bygone era?

New Work

Oregon sunstone, moissanite, and recycled 14k rose gold ring
{ custom order; sold }

Fair trade rutilated quartz, recycled 14k yellow gold, and recycled palladium sterling silver ring
{ sold }

Oregon sunstone and recycled palladium sterling silver ring
{ custom order; sold }

Recycled palladium sterling silver wedding band

New Work

Chatham lab-created emerald and recycled sterling silver ring

Oregon suntsone, recycled 14k rose gold, and recycled sterling silver ring

New Work

Moissanite, recycled 14k white gold, and recycled 14k rose gold ring
{ custom order; sold }

Fair trade sapphire, moissanite, and recycled 14k yellow gold ring, size 6.5
{ to be listed soon in my Etsy shop }

New Work

I'm actually planning to set an Oregon sunstone in the center setting of this ring, but I couldn't resist temporarily placing a moissanite there in the center, just to see how it would look. I love it! The center stone is 6mm (as compared with the 5.5mm stone I used in an earlier, white gold version of this design), and that half-mm really packs a punch - this one is a real sparkler!

Three-stone engagement ring, moissanite and recycled 14k rose gold

New Work

Fair trade citrine (6mm) with recycled sterling silver and 14k gold, size 7.5

8mm hammered rose gold band (recycled) with 2.5mm flush-set moissanite

More New Work (and a Cry for Help)

Well, I have finally ventured into the brave new world of rose gold. I thought it would be fun to pair this warm, rosy metal with a nice pink tourmaline. It's about a size 9, and will be listed in my shop soon.

Fair trade California pink tourmaline with recycled 14k rose gold.

Now on to the 'cry for help' part. This may be a bit rambling and un-interesting to those of you who don't make jewelry, so feel free to skip it if you're in that camp. :-)

Since I am largely self-taught in the techniques of jewelry fabrication, I don't have anyone in my 'real life' to go to when I hit these little technical problems. My first question to you, oh jewelry-making mavens of the internet, has to do with polishing and cleaning a ring (or pendant) with an open back, like the one above. After I set the stone and polished the ring, there was so much polishing compound wedged in the little shelf behind the stone and it was really, really tough to get it all out. The instructions that came with my ultrasonic machine say not to use tourmaline in it, so that was out. I spent a lot of time trying to clean it with a toothbrush, attempting to wedge those little bristles in between the metal and the stone to get it clean. Finally I put it in the tumbler for a while, which seemed to be the most helpful. I'm still not sure if I got it totally clean, but it's at least a lot better than it was. How can I deal with this in the future? Should I be polishing the back of the setting before setting the stone? Or is there some other trick I don't know about?

My next technical question has to do with oxidizing sterling silver. I get great results using liver of sulfur on textured pieces, such as a floral patterned band. But when I try to fully oxidize a smooth surface, the oxidation tends to flake off. Is there anything I can do to prevent this, or does oxidation just not lend itself too well to smooth surfaces?

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions. Please don't make me feel all pathetic by not commenting!

New Work

Just one quick ring to post today. I like it though. The simplicity appeals to me.

6mm moissanite set in rose gold on 3mm white gold comfort-fit band