Todd Reed's Jewelry Designs With Patina

Oxidized Sterling Silver is Used in His Exquisite New Design Line

Sep 20, 2008

Todd Reed, Inc. is now combining eco-friendly raw diamonds with oxidized sterling silver to create wearable pieces of art.

Todd Reed has added some magnificent pieces to his collection of fine jewelry. If you’re not familiar with his work, his name is synonymous with raw diamond jewelry. The designer’s original raw diamond concept was built around the diamond industry’s 2-month’s salary campaign for engagement rings.

Raw Diamond Campaign

"I love these stones,” says Todd. “ I’ve always felt this was a great alternative to the traditional diamond industry and something women of style and discernment could relate to with ease. When I started this the rough crystals were regarded as a material with no value but since we treat them as precious art the consumer has responded in kind."

Adding to the allure of the raw diamond campaign contemporaneously is the fact that raw diamonds are eco-friendly, as they require no further processing.

Following in this trend, the designer is creating jewelry fabricated from recycled 18K gold and conflict- free diamonds from Sierra Leone – a country in West Africa. Mr. Reed is one of the featured designers at Ruff&Cut, a socially responsible source of luxury diamond and gold jewelry.

Rose-Cut Diamonds

In the past, Todd Reed Inc. combined raw and cut diamonds, setting them in stunning 18K gold bezel settings. Last year the designer added rose-cut diamonds to the design line in shades of green, grey, red and orange. This adds color and sparkle to the designs as raw diamonds are unfinished and usually range in color from medium grey to grayish white.

Precious Metal Designs with Patina

Moving forward, Todd Reed is now creating jewelry from oxidized sterling silver, embellishing the designs with 18K gold and raw diamonds.

The image shown on this page is an example of this design line. It’s a hand forged, sterling silver oxidized cuff bracelet, accented with raw diamond cubes and rose-cut diamonds set in 18K gold bezels. This 1.06" in width bracelet as shown retails at $10,000, material modifications can adjust the price.

What is Oxidation?

Ever notice the cool green patina that appears over time on copper or bronze decorations? Well, that is the by-product of the metal reacting with air. This natural patina forms to protect the metal from further oxidation.

So how does sterling silver jewelry develop the oxidation? It’s the result of combining the sterling silver with oxygen and is totally unrelated to the tarnish that develops on sterling silver. The effect is obtained in many different ways – even dunking the metal in bleach will oxidized the metal to a certain extent. Normally, heated potassium sulphide is used.

The image on this page is used courtesy of Todd Reed, Inc. The design shown is copyrighted.

The copyright of the article Todd Reed's Jewelry Designs With Patina in Jewelry Designers is owned by Maire Loughran. Permission to republish Todd Reed's Jewelry Designs With Patina in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Oct 6, 2009 7:49 PM

Guest :

what? I'm wondering how diamonds from Sierra Leone can be conflict free considering they've been a source of civil war there in the past? This doesn't make sense. I love Todd Reed's designs, but I have yet to find consistent reports on where he gets his diamonds and until I know for sure...I won't want to wear his jewelry.