Round Halo Studs

A matching pair for someone who wears small studs and nothing else. She had one pair she had worn for nine years and wanted a second, slightly brighter option for the office. The brief was specific in a way I like: they had to read as sparkle under fluorescent light, not just under a jewelry store lamp. That is a different problem than making something impressive.

We built two 6.5mm round moissanites, each inside a halo of 1.3mm rounds. Sixteen stones per halo, thirty-two total. 14k white gold, 1.9 grams for the pair, which is heavier than a stock stud because a hollow halo at this size will dent if you drop it on tile.

Matching the pair is the whole job. We measure stones with a gauge rather than trusting the parcel label, then weigh the finished mounts to within a tenth of a carat. The first halo came off the bench at 6.48mm and the second at 6.61mm, which is a visible difference side by side in a mirror. I re-cut the second one and re-milled the seat. Lost half a day.

Halo stones are bead set, four beads per stone, all raised with a beading tool rather than a graver so the beads come out the same height. Any bead taller than its neighbor throws a shadow and the surface goes flat. Posts are 0.8mm, 11mm long, with screw backs because she asked for something that would not come off in a yoga class. The threads get a pass with a tap after casting, since cast threads are rough and will gall.

Finishing is where white gold earns its keep. Each stud got a 0.1 micron rhodium plate after polishing, which keeps the metal white against the stone instead of drifting warm after a few months. Everything then goes through ultrasonic and a 10x check for plating blush around the posts. One stud had a thin spot near the screw thread. Re-plated.

4 weeks from CAD approval. She said they go with everything. That is the highest review we get.