Oval Diamond Wave Solitaire
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PROJECT DETAILS
PROJECT CATEGORY
Just because
DESIGN CHALLENGE
A fluid, wavy diamond ring with enough personality to feel distinctive
CENTER STONE
Oval diamond
METAL
Yellow gold
DESIGNED IN
San Francisco
THE GOAL
This project started with a client who had a strong point of view from the beginning, which I always love. She knew she wanted a wavy gold band with an oval diamond - something delicate, fluid, and feminine, but still with enough personality to stand out. She described what she was after as timeless and elegant, but also a little rock n' roll, which felt like a very good place to begin.
What made this one especially fun was that she came in with great references, a lot of thoughtful feedback, and also a real openness to the process. She cared about proportion, wanted the ring to use more of the finger in a graceful way, and was really drawn to that liquid, ribbon-like movement in the metal. It felt collaborative from the start in the best way.
"The process being this special adds to the whimsy of all of it!"
THE DESIGN STORY
A lot of this project came down to two things - the diamond search and the contour of the band. We looked at both salt & pepper and lab-grown oval options, talking through size, color, budget, and the overall feeling of each one. It wasn’t just about picking a diamond on paper. It was about finding the version that had the right presence and worked with the shape of the ring she was imagining.
At the same time, I was refining the wave itself. We went through several rounds of CAD adjustments, opening up space around the stone, softening the contour, and changing the flow so the ring felt less crowded and more natural. That part really mattered. A design like this can start feeling heavy very quickly if the lines are off, so the whole process was about keeping the movement fluid and easy while still giving the ring enough structure to feel resolved.
That’s one of the things I love most about custom. Sometimes the smallest shifts - a little more openness here, a better taper there, the right stone proportions - completely change how a ring feels.
DESIGN NOTE
One of my favorite parts of this project was figuring out how to create impact through shape and flow rather than just making everything bigger. The contour of the band, the amount of space around the stone, and the way the ring uses the finger all do a lot of visual work here. Those are the kinds of details I love obsessing over, because they’re often what make a piece feel effortless instead of overworked.
WHAT MADE THIS PROJECT UNIQUE
This one was a fun balance of softness, structure, and personality - the kind of design where the small decisions ended up doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Made for someone on stage
Because the client performs as a musician, the ring needed to feel elegant up close but also have enough visual presence to catch light and read beautifully from farther away.
Not oversized - just well balanced
Instead of pushing for more size, we focused on the shape of the band, the spacing around the stone, and the overall proportions. That’s what gave the ring its impact.
A lot happened in the refining
The final design came together through a bunch of small but important shifts - opening things up, softening the line of the wave, and making the whole ring feel more fluid, easy, and natural.
PROJECT TIMELINE
stone sourcing → CAD design → client refinements → handcrafted in San Francisco → finished piece
THE FINISHED PIECE
The finished ring feels graceful, bright, and a little bit unexpected. It has that timeless solitaire feeling, but with more movement, more shape, and more personality built into it. It feels elegant, but not too polished. Delicate, but not too precious.
If there’s one thing I hope people take away from this project, it’s that the best custom pieces often come from a mix of strong instinct, good conversation, and thoughtful refinement. Sometimes the magic is in taking a clear feeling and shaping it until everything clicks.
Every custom piece begins differently. Sometimes it starts with a folder full of inspiration, and sometimes it starts with a feeling. However it begins, we’ll figure it out together.