For Tura Sugden, the San Francisco fine jewelry designer known for her feminine aesthetic, everything starts with the stone. “It’s a balance between the design aesthetic and goldsmithing and letting it develop organically,” she explains. “I let the stone tell me the design. I don’t do a lot of drawings. Each piece is its own challenge. I work on one piece at a time.” One stone at a time—with stones acquired from trusted international dealers—Sugden launched her bridal collection in April and is expanding upon the category. Customers are heading that way and she’s had success, she says. The studio, which she founded in 2013, works with recycled gemstones, natural, ethical diamonds, and fairmined gold and platinum. “The more recut pieces I find, the more I’ll buy,” says Sugden. “I really like that story.”

Needle Eye cuffs in 18k gold, platinum, diamonds, and gemstones, $3,100 to $6,900

One-of-a-kind rose cut 0.64 ct. diamond solitaire ring, $3,625

[Top: White bridal set diamonds on 18k palladium white gold, $5,900 (solitaire) and $6900 (band)]

Kristin Young is writing the All That Glitters blog while Amy Elliott is on maternity leave.

Kristin Young

JCK Magazine Contributor