Ashley Thorne started A.M. Thorne with a soft spot for salt and pepper diamonds, and they’re still the heart of the studio. These are natural diamonds with their inclusions left in plain sight, little grey flecks and clouds you can see without a loupe. She keeps the gold simple so the stone does the talking: a slim band, a simple bezel, and often featuring a marquise or pear shape. When she does push a design further, it tends to be in the build. Her Carleen ring stacks several fine bands under one pear-cut diamond, which gives it height and presence without adding anything fussy.

• NW Washington, United States

• Minimal settings
• Marquise cuts
• Salt and pepper diamonds