The Latest Trends in Bridal Jewelry Design

We talked with our master jewelry designer, Simon Mattar, about ring styles he thinks will be popular in 2012. A simple solitaire may be a classic (and safe) choice, but you can also let your imagination run wild with these dazzlers.

Gems of Many Colors

If you or your fiancée enjoy less traditional styles, colored engagement rings are a good bet. There are precious stones in almost any color you can think of, from pink diamond engagement rings to other colorful gems like beryl, sapphires, and rubies.

Take Your Settings to New Heights

One of Simon’s specialties when creating San Diego custom jewelry is designing detailed, elevated ring settings that are very hot right now. This 3-D look gives you more surfaces to embellish and attracts light and attention from every angle, giving your center stone an even brighter spotlight.

Surrounded by Diamonds

Current styles loaded with diamonds are a big hit among brides and designers alike, partly thanks to Prince William offering his mother, Princess Diana’s, engagement ring to Kate Middleton upon their engagement. A dazzling diamond or other gem can get lots of help from its surroundings. Not only do added smaller diamonds bring tons of sparkle, but they can also make the center stone look larger.

Bands that Twist and Turn

It’s not just the stones that get more attention in current ring designs. San Diego custom jewelers are creating rings with bands that twist and turn, combine, and even braid together. From swirling diamond bands to more streamlined metal twists, this may be the contemporary look that works for you.

Glamorous Vintage Looks

Are you a more classic kind of bride? The intricate settings and metal and diamond detailing of heirloom styles are rich in history and provide classic looks that never go out of style. There may also be a beautiful ring handed down on either side of the family that can be repurposed with a new stone or setting, saving you the cash you’ll need to embark on your new life together.

Environmentally Friendly Rings

Let us know if it’s important to you to design the symbol of your everlasting love with a clear conscience. Rock N Gold Creations is committed to using recycled or repurposed gold settings as much as possible.

Inspired by these ideas? Or just interested in fine-crafted San Diego custom jewelry? Call us to make an appointment to meet with master San Diego custom jewelry designer Simon Mattar today!

Sparkling wishes for the holiday season

From all of us at Rock N Gold Creations —sparkling wishes for the holiday season.

Christmas is almost here! We are open and ready to help with your last-minute gift needs.

Holiday hours: Monday-Friday 10am to 6pm

Saturday 10am to 4pm

• Gift wrapping available

• Centrally located

• Free, easy parking

• No waiting!

This year, choose a precious gift that will last a lifetime.

May’s Birthstone, the Entrancing Emerald, Ushers in Spring

The intense brilliant green of May’s birthstone, the emerald, is the perfect symbol of spring, a time of new growth and rebirth. The wonderful green color of emerald is without compare in the gem kingdom. Emerald’s precious green color comes from small amounts of chromium and is enhanced by traces of iron. The deeper the color, the more valuable the stone. 

Example of an emerald-cut emerald

The emerald is a member of the beryl family. The green crystals grow slowly within metamorphic rocks and are restricted in size by the rock, making large emeralds rare and costly. Although emeralds are relatively hard and durable, they must be protected from blows because the inclusions found within make them susceptible to breaking. 

Emeralds usually contain inclusions and other flaws, but they are the only gemstone for which these inclusions are not considered a flaw that reduces their value. The French call the tiny fractures or inclusions often found within emeralds “jardin,” or garden, because of their resemblance to foliage. Indeed, flaws are considered part of the character of an emerald, an assurance to the purchaser of a natural stone.


Emeralds were first mined in Ancient Egypt in the extremely hot, snake- and scorpion-infested eastern desert region of the country, 2,000 years before the birth of Cleopatra. During her reign, that famous queen claimed the emerald mines as her own, as this was her favorite stone. She often wore lavish emerald jewelry, and was said to bestow visiting dignitaries with large emeralds carved with her likeness when they left Egypt.   

Emeralds in their natural state: specimen from
the Malyshevo Mine, Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Russia.

Ancient Egyptians would also engrave Emeralds with the symbol for foliage, to represent eternal youth, and bury these jewels with their dead. In ancient Rome, the emerald was associated with fertility and rebirth, and dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.


In the sixteenth century, the Spanish Conquistadors in the New World were amazed to find the natives wearing emeralds larger and more magnificent than any they had ever seen. Although the natives attempted to hide their emerald mines, the Spaniards soon discovered and conquered most of them. But it was not until twenty years later that they found the abundant mining operation held by the Muzo Indians, in the area known today as Colombia, and another thirty years to overtake this aggressive tribe. The Muzo mine remains the source of the most prized emerald specimens to this day. 


Colombian emeralds have a deep green color without any blue tint. Typically the deepest green gems are the most coveted. And on occasion a rare Trapiche emerald, with six rays radiating from the center, is found. The rays are actually inclusions that have formed a hexagonal shape. Emeralds are also found in Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Russia. 


Today, the most common way to cut emeralds is an “Emerald Cut,” a long rectangular shape with large flat surfaces. Emeralds are also cut into cabochons and used as beads. Some people believe that wearing an emerald brings wisdom, growth, and patience. This explains why a gift of emerald for an anniversary is considered symbolic of love and fidelity.