Men's .06cttw Diamond Cross Octagonal Signet Ring in 10k Yellow Gold

The face of this ring is a raised octagonal panel with the corners cut off, and a cross is sunk down into it — cut into the gold rather than laid on top. The recess is dark, and small round diamonds run the length of both arms, each held by a little bead of gold. Everything either side of the panel is left completely plain and polished bright, tapering back into the shank. .06 carat total weight in 4.10 grams of 10k yellow gold.

The important thing here is that the cross is made of gold, not of stones. Because the shape is cut into the panel, it reads as a cross from across a room whether or not a single diamond happens to be catching the light. Crosses that are outlined in stones instead — which is the more common way to do it — stop reading at any distance, because what you see from six feet away is a smudge of sparkle rather than a shape. The stones here are doing the smaller job of putting light inside a shape that already exists without them, and the plain polished sides are deliberately empty so nothing argues with it. Simple, and built by somebody who understood the difference. Which would you rather be recognised at a distance?