Seam
No. 519 · The Lode
from 18.3 g in 14K at US 10
$435 in vermeil
Image rendered from the 3D file we cast from.
No. 508 · The River
Fine grains all the way round a wide band.
The River
A placer is sand or gravel that holds loose gold. Small, dense grains cover a 10 mm band all the way round, between two narrow polished edges.
On January 24, 1848, checking the tailrace of a sawmill on the South Fork of the American River, James Marshall saw bright flakes in the water. He bent them with a fingernail and struck them with a stone. They passed both tests: it was gold, placer gold, freed from the rock by the river. The USGS says up to 90 percent of the gold in a river placer lies in the lowest 3 feet of gravel and the top of the bedrock, mostly as flattened flakes. Placer carries that texture: dense grains all the way round, between two smooth edges like two riverbanks.
Your order details identify the selected metal. The weight is estimated from the 3D file we cast from. A cast ring comes out 2 to 3% lighter than its file, and the range shown already includes this. Your price is fixed when you pay and is never adjusted to the weight; your certificate records the actual weight. The interior is measured on the 3D design; finished samples still need workshop verification.
If you stop loving it
Ask about trade-in availability, assessment and terms before sending a ring. About trade-ins
Considering an upgrade?
Ask about upgrade availability and terms before planning a change. About upgrades

Placer gold is gold the river has already freed from the rock and dropped in its gravel. These are bands textured all the way round, like gold-bearing gravel lining a riverbed.
More from The RiverMy uncle runs a jewelry workshop and makes engagement rings for brides. I develop the designs; each one is a 3D file, measured for its weight in every metal and size. His workshop casts the ring in your size after you order, and the certificate gives the metal and the cast weight.
Our story14K keeps the warm yellow of our pictures, and its price follows the gold price. Vermeil is the same ring in sterling silver covered with 18K gold, and sterling silver is the same ring again. Sterling silver and vermeil have a fixed price per design.
Compare the metalsCast in your size after you order, by my uncle’s workshop.
Making and shippingFree shipping in the US.
ShippingCatalog rings without engraving, within 30 days of delivery.
ReturnsAsk before you order: sizing, metal, timing.
FAQ and contact