The Maison · Journal

The Journal

Guides, not sales pitches. What to know before you choose a diamond — written by the people who answer the phone.

Diamond EducationBuying GuidesDiamondsThe MaisonGifting

Diamond EducationJuly 14, 2026 · 4 min

From CAD to Crafted: How a Custom Ring Is Designed and Made

How a custom ring travels from a chosen diamond to a 3D CAD rendering you approve, and then to a cast, hand-set, and polished finished piece.

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Buying Guides7 min

How to Buy Diamond Stud Earrings: A First-Purchase Guide

A plain-spoken walk through carat size, the 4Cs at small scale, settings, backs, and metal — so your first pair of diamond studs is the right pair.

June 21, 2026

Buying Guides6 min

The Diamond Hoop Earrings Guide

Sizes from huggie to large, inside-out versus single-row settings, weight for daily wear, and metal — how to choose a pair you will actually wear.

June 13, 2026

Diamonds6 min

Lab Grown vs Natural Diamonds: An Honest Comparison

Both are genuine diamonds — identical in every physical respect. The honest difference is origin, price, and resale, so you can choose on your own terms.

June 5, 2026

Diamond Education4 min

The Profile of a Setting: How Your Engagement Ring Sits

How high or low your center stone rests above the finger — the setting's profile — quietly shapes how a ring looks, feels, and wears for a lifetime.

June 1, 2026

Diamond Education4 min

How the Cut Changes a Pigeon Blood Ruby

The red stays the same, but emerald, pear, and cushion cuts each give a pigeon blood ruby an entirely different character.

May 21, 2026

Buying Guides6 min

Diamond Cross Necklace Guide: Choosing One to Keep

A considered guide to diamond cross pendants — choosing size, chain length, gold color, and setting for a faith piece meant to be kept.

May 20, 2026

Diamond Education4 min

The Colors of Ruby: From Pigeon Blood to Orange-Red

Rubies range across a whole spectrum of red, and it is color, more than anything else, that separates a good ruby from a great one.

May 18, 2026

Diamonds6 min

The Diamond 4Cs Explained: Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat

A plain-language guide to cut, color, clarity, and carat — and where your money is best spent.

May 12, 2026

The Maison6 min

What "Solid 14k Gold" Really Means: Solid vs Plated vs Filled

Solid, plated, and gold-filled look alike in photos but age completely differently. Here is what 14k karatage means, why we use solid gold only, and how to keep it.

May 4, 2026

Diamond Education4 min

Diamond Clarity, Explained: How to Read the Scale

Every natural diamond carries the marks of how it formed. Here is how to read the clarity scale, and why the VS-SI range is where value quietly lives.

April 27, 2026

Gifting6 min

Anniversary Jewelry Gift Guide: Year by Year

Matching the milestone to the piece — studs, pendants, tennis bracelets — and choosing with confidence even when you do not know her size.

April 26, 2026

The Maison6 min

How to Buy Fine Jewelry Online With Confidence

A clear, honest checklist for buying real gold and genuine diamonds online — what to verify before you spend, and why a phone call still matters.

April 18, 2026

Diamond Education4 min

The Halo Pendant Necklace, Explained

How a halo setting, a lab-grown diamond, and the right chain length come together in a pendant you can wear every day.

April 15, 2026

Diamond Education4 min

Ring Anatomy: Understanding the Parts of a Ring

A plain-spoken guide to the parts that make up a ring, and why knowing them helps you judge craftsmanship before you buy.

March 28, 2026

Diamond Education5 min

How the Setting Shapes a Ring: A Guide to Diamond Settings

The same diamond can read heirloom-classic or cleanly modern depending on how it is held — a plain-spoken walk through the settings you will meet, and how to choose between them.

March 12, 2026

Diamond Education5 min

Diamond Shapes Explained: Finding the Outline That Suits You

The outline you choose is the first thing anyone sees — here is how a diamond's shape differs from its cut, and how to find the one that suits you.

January 8, 2026

Diamond Education5 min

Oval or Emerald? Two Iconic Cuts, Two Very Different Kinds of Light

Two elongated silhouettes with opposite personalities — the oval's soft fire and the emerald's glassy, architectural flash — and how to tell which one is yours.

January 2, 2026