Knox Jewelers Journal


Minneapolis Minnesota Jeweler Specializing in Custom Design and Unique Engagement Rings.

Sapphire Engagement Rings

At Knox Jewelers, we have been creating more and more Sapphire Engagement Rings in many design styles, some of which are:

  • Antique Style Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Contemporary Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Fancy Shape Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Solitaire Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Three Stone Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Custom Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Micro Pave Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Split Shank Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Hand Engraved Sapphire Engagement Rings
  • Unique Sapphire Engagement Rings

Corundum, the stone that is commonly called sapphire, comes in every color of the rainbow except red, as red Corundum is called Ruby.  There is also a white sapphire that when well cut, can look very much like a diamond.

Here are a few photos of some very unique sapphire engagement rings we have made.  We can build these designs around any shape or size sapphire or diamond.  So follow the links or click on the photos if you’re interested in more info.

Blue Sapphire Engagement Rings

Here is a custom version of our “Caledonia” design with a remarkable 3.60 carat blue cushion cut sapphire.

Blue Cushion Cut Sapphire in Knox Heirloom Band (Caledonia)

Check this link to see other versions of our “Caledonia” Knox Heirloom Band. – Caledonia Custom Designs

Here is one of many of our “Cushion Barcelona” engagement ring designs.  This is shown with a blue cushion cut sapphire.  The hand done filigree and hand engraving make this design truly unique.

Here is a link to other versions of our Barcelona engagement ring. – Barcelona Engagement Rings


Our “Bezel Elegante” design is shown here with a beautiful bezel set, blue princess cut sapphire.

Princess Cut Blue Sapphire Bezel Set in Diamond Halo Engagement Ring


Check this link to see other versions of our “Elegante” engagement ring. -Elegante Engagement Ring Designs


Here is a very classic design with a blue emerald cut sapphire, beautifully accented by two tapered baguette shaped diamonds.  Notice the elegant claw prongs holding both the side baguettes and the center sapphire.

Emerald cut blue sapphire engagement ring

Here is an Emerald cut blue sapphire in our “Art Deco” engagement ring.

Emerald Cut Blue Sapphire Art Deco Engagement Ring
Check this link to see other Art Deco designs on our website. – Art Deco designs

Here is a Bezel Set Emerald cut blue sapphire engagement ring with hand done filigree.

Emerald cut blue sapphire engagement ring
Bezel Set Emerald cut blue sapphire engagement ring with filigree.
Here is our “Seville” design with a rich blue diamond cut sapphire.  This is a very unique engagement ring with the hand engraving and hand done filigree accent.
Seville Engagement Ring with a deep blue diamond cut sapphire.  Hand engraved with hand done filigree on this Unique Engagement Ring.

Purple Sapphire Engagement Rings

This purple sapphire engagement ring features our “Seville” design again, with hand engraving and hand made platinum filigree.

Purple Sapphire Engagement Ring - Knox Seville Design
Purple Sapphire in Knox Seville Design

Purple Sapphire Engagement Ring

Here is a link to all of versions of our “Seville” design throughout the website. – Seville Engagement Rings

Here is a recent three stone engagement ring design with a purple sapphire. The design features a near eternity diamond band and also beautiful hand engraving.

Three Stone Engagement Ring Design with a purple sapphire.Three Stone Engagement Ring with purple sapphire

Three Stone Engagement Ring Design with a purple sapphire.

Here is our “Lotus” halo style engagement ring, shown with a bright purple sapphire.

Lotus Halo Engagement Ring with Purple Sapphire
Lotus Halo Engagement Ring with Purple Sapphire

Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings

This sapphire engagement ring features a low set cushion cut yellow sapphire mounted around diamonds, hand engraving, and yellow gold filigree.  This is a custom version of our “Cushion Barcelona” engagement ring.

"Sara" - Yellow Cushion Cut Sapphire in Barcelone Engagement Ring with 14k Yellow Gold Filigree and Hand Engraving

Here is a link to other versions of our Barcelona engagement ring. – Barcelona Engagement Rings

Here are two custom versions of our “Fireworks” engagement ring with yellow sapphires.

Yellow Princess Cut Sapphire in a very unique engagement ring
Yellow Princess Cut Sapphire in a very unique engagement ring

Yellow Round Cut Sapphire in a very unique micro pave split shank engagement ring
Yellow Round Cut Sapphire in a very unique micro pave engagement ring

Green Sapphire Engagement Rings

Here is a fabulous green cushion cut sapphire engagement ring.  The sapphire is surrounded by a halo of diamonds.  The hand engraving and hand done filigree are what make this unique engagement ring a work of art.

"Cenote"  Cushion Cut Green Sapphire in a Halo Style, Hand Engraved, with Filigree Engagement Ring"Cenote"

Another beautiful green sapphire engagement ring.  This is a version of our “Amante” halo design, customized with hand done filigree filling the gallery.

Orange Sapphire Engagement Rings

Stunning orange sapphire engagement ring.  Based off of our “Contour Trellis” three stone engagement ring.

Stunning orange sapphire engagement ring
Stunning orange sapphire engagement ring

Here is a custom version of our “Cushion Barcelona” design with an vivid orange square cushion cut sapphire.

Orange Square Cushion Cut Sapphire in Custom Cushion Barcelona Engagement Ring. Hand Engraved with Filigree.

Here is a link to other versions of our Barcelona engagement ring. – Barcelona Engagement Rings

Pink Sapphire Engagement Rings

Here is a beautiful 1.84 carat cushion cut pink sapphire engagement ring in a micro pave style.

Here is a beautiful 1.84 carat cushion cut pink sapphire engagement ring in a micro pave style.
1.84 carat cushion cut pink sapphire engagement ring

Check this link to see other versions of our “Adriana Sophia” ring. – Adriana Sophia designs

Here is a Pink Cushion Cut Sapphire in a split shank micro pave engagement ring.

Pink Cushion Cut Sapphire in a split shank micro pave engagement ring
Another Pink Cushion Cut Sapphire in a split shank micro pave engagement ring

Check this link to see other versions of our Cielo design.  – Cielo Engagement Rings

More to come soon… please stop back.


Tags: , , , , , , , , | Categories: Sapphire Engagement Rings


A look behind the scenes of making a custom version of our “Passion” ring

I thought I would post a little look behind the scenes with a unique custom engagement ring in progress.

Our local customer wanted a custom version of our “Passion” design, shown below in the first four pics. It is a very unique ring design with channel set carre cut (square step cut) diamonds and round micro pave diamonds covering nearly every available area.? This unique engagement ring also features hand wrought filigree.

Knox Passion Ring - Antique Engagement Ring showing Pave and Carre Cut diamonds.

Knox Passion Engagement Ring - Top down view showing prong set asscher cut diamond and micro pave halo crown

Knox Passion Engagement Ring - Side view showing bright cutting, pave diamonds, and antique milgrain.

Knox Passion Engagement Ring - Side view showing Carre cut channel set diamonds and antique filigree.

We needed to start from scratch as we needed the new ring to fit a 1.50 carat radiant cut diamond ( the original Passion design was designed for about a 3/4 carat asscher, princess cut or radiant cut)

Here are a few photos of the larger version of our ‘Passion” design in our 3-D software. This software provides the ultimate in “What You See is What You Get” technology as you will soon see later in this thread.

Notice the red areas on the under side of the shank and halo elements. These areas will become the sprues or inlet areas for the molten metal during the casting process.

screen shot

screen shot

screen shot

Once the design is completed in our 3D software, an actual physical prototype of the design is made that can be cast into metal. The results of casting process give us a raw casting of the design, from which, our artisans begin their magic.

Here are a couple photos of the raw casting.

Raw casting

Raw casting

Raw casting

Raw casting

Notice how many sprues ( the inflow areas for the molten metal) we built into the design to facilitate a complete casting in the casting process. This is a very important step in the manufacturing process. It allows for uniform filling of the model in the casting process, which makes for problem free castings with no porosity issues or problems that could detract from the durability and longevity of the finished ring.

The raw casting must be prepared for stone setting by filling off the sprues and generally cleaning up the lines of the mounting.

Although it does not look like it, the ring is actually 18 karat white gold, I know it looks yellow in the photos but the metal is not that yellow in real life.

I think it is a combination of the very off white color of 18KWG combined with less than optimal camera settings, lighting, etc.

Most of the starter holes in the casting will need to be opened up some more for the diamonds to fit correctly.

The little beads (prongs) that will hold each little round diamond have to be formed by hand. This is very time consuming to do at the quality level we want on these designs.? This type of setting is called pave or micropave.

Here are a few more pics of the ring at about half way stage of completion.

The platinum filigree was added on the inside of the ring.

Platinum hand made filigree is assembled inside of ring shank

Platinum hand made filigree is assembled inside of ring shank

Approx 1/2 of the small round diamonds are set

One channel of the Carre cuts are channel set.

Still a lot of work to go…

Once all the diamonds are set, all of the refining of the details and finishing touches must be applied.

Just the diamond setting labor (not counting design work, prototyping, casting) for a ring with this level of hand work will have approx 32 man hours of labor when finished.

After the diamonds have been set, the goldsmith will start to form borders around the diamonds (bright cutting) as well as preparing the intended areas of the ring design for milgraining.

Well done milgraining by hand is very time consuming as the diamond setter must first form a sharp ridge or rail (see red arrows in examples 1 & 2) around the area where the diamonds are set.

This cutting or forming of the ridge (or simply a border in some cases) is called bright-cutting, as the goldsmith uses a sharp tool (graver) to form a pointed ridge or rail that will later be worked or formed down into a beaded edge (mil-graining) using a mil-grain tool.

As usual the trick to anything that is well done is in the preparation.

Finally, after all the diamonds are set and the borders around the diamond sections are carefully formed by hand (brightcut) and the bright-cutting of the rails for mil-graining are completed, the ring is meticulously polished and prepared for the final step in the process which is the mil-graining.

Here are the final pics of the completed ring:

custom ring

Here is the link the ring’s product page on our website which has a Hi-Def Video of the ring.


Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Categories: Custom In Progress