"Thea is also inspired by the sun itself and also the word “sun,” as it reflects my mother’s Korean name, “Pok Sun” and the golden color of her favorite flower, the sunflower. The four diamond-trio clusters also have significance, as the number 4 has myriad personal meanings for people—the four points of a compass, the four seasons, and four earthly elements, for example. And finally, the finish of the ring is very special to me, as it’s soft, but not quite matte. There is a very subtle shine to it that reminds me of my favorite time of day, dusk in the summer, when the sun has almost set but still shimmers in the distance. " -Erika Winters

Erika Winters- Thea Halo Setting
The loveliness of this ring comes from a balance between detail and negative space. As usual, Erika has chosen a stunning European Cut diamond, but she has framed it with two pools of swooping matte gold, delicately milgrained, and studded with clustered accent diamonds at the compass points. The design hovers between worlds; modern yet antique, delicate yet linear, simple yet abundant. We asked her what inspired such a ring…

"I love how contemporary jewelry draws from ancient aesthetics, so I developed Thea to translate old forms into a 21st century design. And there is another layer with Thea, in that she is set with an old European cut diamond that could easily have been cut in the early 20th century—or during the late Victorian period, when many classical designs were revived. "

Todd Reed - Cognac Diamond Ring with Cubic Diamond Halo
Check out this amazing creation by Todd Reed. His use of a cognac rose cut diamond with a halo and band of rough diamond cubes is just stunning - even to seasoned diamond-watchers like ourselves. We asked him for his perspective on the halo...

 "It’s my belief that the halo setting really defines the concept of Infinity. It’s a continuous circle running around and around symbolizing eternity and infinite love. Not one type of diamond means any one thing to me; ultimately they become a tone. Sometimes I’ll use raw diamonds to achieve a chiseled Halo setting which creates elegant lines around the center stone. Other times I’ll use brilliant diamonds in asymmetrical Halos to create smoothness, especially when used around rough diamonds. Colors, shapes and size play a big role in each of my designs, but above all, the elements I use in my jewelry must be intentional." - Todd Reed 

This just in:  Todd Reed's halo ring was  named one of the Top 40 Fabulous Engagement Rings by InStyle Magazine.

Digby & Iona - Raziel Ring
This ring is a perfect example of genius breaking all the rules. Not only does it feature an upside down, black princess cut diamond, but it also has a square half-frame set with ombre diamonds. The effect is so novel and perfectly executed it stopped us in our tracks. Now honestly, does the term Halo really do this work of art justice?  From the artist himself: 

"The Raziel design began with the diamond, a black princess cut especially this large is a very unusual diamond in an engagement band and I wanted to create the strongest possible home for it. I really like combining classic elements with new and non-traditional gems so the black to white diamond gradient pave was a nod to the transition from the norm of white diamonds to where we’re at now where a black diamond which was once a throw away item is now accepted as high end." - Aaron Ruff

Danielle Mainas 
Next up is a beautifully classic and simple ring designed by Little Bird's own Danielle Mainas during her time working with Brilliant Earth's custom design team. She took the classic notion of a halo and put it to work. She widened the bezel around the central diamond until it became a framing element in its own right. The result is a glittering, streamlined, and incredibly well engineered ring.  Call us if you want one of your very own. 

"I had been wanting to make this ring design for a long time. It was just a matter of meeting the right couple to take on the design with me. I love that this ring is comprised of very simple (humble even) design elements. Bezel settings and channel-set diamond accents are both ancient design elements. There are no frills, just clean and simple intentions, and the result is a stunningly feminine ring. What sets this halo apart from the rest? 1. A bezel set center diamond. 2. A channel set halo. 3. The tiniest diamond accents possible.  The platinum bezel set center diamond is more durable and stylistically bold than the classic prong set design.  We also chose to channel set the diamonds in the halo instead of the usual prong-ladden pave setting you always see, which is typically more fragile than the clean channel setting. Lastly, we opted to use 1mm diamonds as the accents in the halo. Most halo diamonds are 1.5-2mm.  Making the halo diamond accents each smaller than the status quo meant we could increased the quantity of them. The result was a super fine and continuous ring of light around a bold and clean center diamond. " -Danielle Mainas

We. Will. Keep. It. SIMPLE. 
​Here are the major things you need to know about men's wedding bands:


1. ON MATCHING: Her wedding band needs to match whatever metal the engagement ring is. So if her engagement ring is platinum, her wedding band needs to be platinum, too. If her engagement ring is 18K yellow gold, so should her wedding ring be. Unless you are mixing metal colors, stick to one metal type. However, YOUR ring doesn't need to match hers. So go with what you truly like the look and feel of! Definitely consider all the options: white gold, platinum, palladium, yellow gold, rose gold, matted, hammered, an alternative metal...

2. ON WIDTH: The most standard width for a men's wedding ring is somewhere between 4 - 6 millimeters. If you want a thinner, lighter band, then choose something closer to 4mm. If you want a wider, heftier band, then skew closer to 6mm. The 5mm is dead on "classic". Thinner than 4mm is totally cool, but on the slimmer and more feminine side. And wider than that is also a great look, but it's certainly going to feel heavier and bulkier. 

3. ON METAL & STYLE CHOICE: If you decide to go with a white metal, then we strongly 

Yes, we believe in romance and tradition. But not at all costs! One of our most important commitments as Little Bird ring specialists is to make absolutely sure that our clients meet or come under their budget - and we're really really good at it. Ringspotters.com asked us: How can an ordinary person get celebrity bling on a reasonable budget? Being experts on price range maximization, we were happy to answer. Read Little Bird's response!

We have always been fans of Here Comes the Guide - an awesome wedding resource run by a crew of strong women folk. We recently discovered that Little Bird and HCTG Bay Area are neighbors! Our offices are on the same block in Berkeley. We teamed up with HCTG to bring you this very short post on the main differences between platinum and white gold. Every ring and every couple is completely unique. These guidelines just skim the surface. If you're interested in learning more about the right metal for you ring, feel free to reach out. We can cover those questions and more in our complimentary consultation. 

Little Bird on picking the right metal for your engagement and wedding rings:

If white metal is what you're after, it's a bright idea to know the major differences between the two most popular options: White gold or platinum?

-Platinum is hypoallergenic and generally more durable and longer wearing but is slightly more malleable, meaning it can bend and scratch more easily.

-White Gold contains metal alloys that some gals are allergic to. It is also more scratch and impact resistant, but requires more maintenance in the long run to keep that white metal color.

In the end, the choice is a matter of personal preference and lifestyle considerations!