Georgian jewelers worked by candlelight, and they designed for it. Every decision, from how a stone was cut to the metal set behind it, was made to pull more light out of a diamond in a dim room. Grown Brilliance’s Heirloom Collection applies that same thinking to lab grown diamond jewelry, with two-tone gold, claw-set stones, and a pavé-covered button back that turns the underside of each piece into part of the design. We look at five pieces from Heirloom that show the craft most prominently.
The Details That Define Heirloom
Most of what made Georgian Era (1714–1830) jewelry distinctive came down to construction. Heirloom carries a few of those ideas forward, keeping some, reworking others, and adding a modern touch.
- Two-tone gold. White gold sits at the stone, while yellow gold forms the body and back. It is a direct nod to the era’s silver-topped gold settings, which placed white metal at the stone and gold beneath. The contrast is a design decision, not a mixed-metal trend.
- Georgian claw (prong) settings. These claws hold each diamond while leaving its edges open, so more light can enter the stone.
- The pavé button back. Georgian jewelers closed the back of a setting in gold to intensify a stone’s glow, and that back stayed hidden. Heirloom covers it in pavé diamonds instead, so the back carries as much detail as the front.
- Black rhodium. Select styles come with black rhodium plating, which darkens the metal around the diamonds. The sharper contrast against white diamonds gives a period design a more modern, graphic edge.
A Closer Look at 5 Heirloom Collection Pieces
1. Arabella Pear Huggie Drop Earrings
Arabella puts the button back where it’s easiest to see. A huggie sits close to the lobe, and a pear-shaped drop (2 3/8 carats total) hangs just below it, adding movement without the length of chandelier earrings. Because the huggie sits close to the ear, the pavé button back shows when worn. For anyone shopping for lab created diamond earrings to wear several days a week, this is the right pick.
2. Maria Emerald-Cut Statement Pendant
Maria centers on a 1 1/2-carat emerald-cut diamond, with 1 7/8 carats total. Its step-cut facets create a “hall of mirrors” effect, with clean lines that echo the symmetry of Georgian design. As a lab created diamond necklace, Maria comes on a hollow rolo chain and can be worn alone or layered with the Lumina Riviera Necklace for evening.
3. Isadora Round Five-Stone Band
Isadora sets five round diamonds (3 1/2 carats total) in a row of Georgian prong setting. The round brilliant diamond is known for having the most brightness of any diamond cut, and Isadora multiplies that brightness across five stones. Worn alone, Isadora can serve as a vintage inspired wedding band or an anniversary band with more presence than a single stone. Since every Heirloom piece is designed to be layered and mixed, it can also be stacked with the Sophia solitaire ring.
4. Seraphina Oval Five-Stone Band
Seraphina follows the same five-stone format with ovals, for 6 1/8 carats total. The larger stones cover more of the finger, and the oval shape can make fingers appear longer and more slender, which adds to the ring’s appeal. Choose Isadora for brightness, and Seraphina for a bigger, bolder look. Both can be engraved, which suits rings meant to be passed down.
5. Henrietta Oval Double Drop Earrings
Henrietta doubles the drop: two oval diamonds per earring, for 5 3/4 carats total. Drop earrings were a fixture of the period, and Georgian women wore girandole drop earrings for evening and formal occasions. Henrietta brings that format into modern proportions. These are the earrings for weddings, galas, and any occasion where one statement piece has to carry the look.
Building a Set Over Time
Heirloom borrows from the parure, a matching suite of jewelry traditionally worn together, but drops the rule that everything must be bought at once. Start with Arabella and Maria, then add a band later. For a full suite, the Cecilia Statement Bracelet and the Lumina Riviera Necklace carry the same two-tone build at a larger scale.
That approach is also how most jewelry heirlooms come to exist. Few are bought as heirlooms; they are worn often enough to become one. Each of these five pieces is made to order in 14K two-tone gold, and certain styles come IGI certified, so the next owner inherits the documentation along with the piece.
Browse the full Heirloom Collection at Grown Brilliance to compare shapes, carat weights, and finishes.
FAQs
1. Is lab grown diamond jewelry a good choice for an heirloom?
Yes. Lab grown diamonds have essentially the same chemical, physical, and optical properties as natural diamonds. IGI certification also gives future owners documentation of each stone.
2. What is a button back in jewelry?
A button back is a closed metal back behind a stone. In Heirloom, the button back is covered in pavé diamonds, turning the underside of each piece into part of the design.
3. What makes an engagement ring vintage-inspired?
A vintage-inspired ring borrows design cues from a specific era while using modern construction. In Heirloom, those cues come from the Georgian Era: claw settings, two-tone metal, and a detailed button back.
4. What does black rhodium plating do?
Black rhodium is a plating applied over metal that gives it a dark finish. Around white diamonds, it creates sharp contrast, so each stone stands out more clearly. Like any plating, it may need periodic re-plating.
