Home Get Inspired Rings Citrine & Ruby Anniversary Ring — 13th Year Birthstone Design

A sterling silver ring featuring an oval-cut yellow citrine center stone flanked by two small round red ruby accents, set in a polished rhodium-plated band.

Citrine & Ruby Anniversary Ring — 13th Year Birthstone Design

Sterling silver, rhodium plating, citrine, ruby

B. came to us wanting to mark his 13th wedding anniversary with a ring for his wife, built around citrine — both the traditional 13th-anniversary gemstone and her own birthstone. He added two small rubies as accents to round out the design. When the finished ring arrived, he wrote back simply: he couldn't wait to see her reaction.

"I love it and she will too!" — on seeing the first render

Start your project

Anniversary Gift for partner A Gift That Says Everything Anniversary

Quick specs

Design type

Rings

Primary Metal

Sterling silver

Shape / Cut

Oval

Primary Stone

Citrine

Accent Stones

Rubies

Style

Classic Minimal Solitaire

Design Complexity

Simple

Intent

A Gift That Says Everything Anniversary

Intent: Certainty

High

Size

Ring size 5½ US (16.1mm).

How they made it distinctive

01
Oval citrine center stone chosen for a double meaning — it's both the 13th-anniversary gemstone and the recipient's personal birthstone
02
Two round rubies added as accents specifically to complement the citrine without competing with it
03
Low-profile, simple band design chosen to keep focus on the center stone rather than add band detail
04
Rhodium-plated sterling silver selected to meet a modest budget while still achieving a bright, white-metal look

How you'd make it yours

Stone: this piece uses citrine; a new commission could use any birthstone or colored gem of similar size and cut

Metal: this piece is rhodium-plated sterling silver; the same design works in white, yellow, or rose gold

Accent stones: this piece uses two round rubies; a new piece could use sapphires, diamonds, or a different colored accent

Band profile: this piece has a simple low-profile shank; a new commission could add detail like milgrain or a textured finish

One of a kind: this exact ring was designed for one client's wife and is not reproduced — a new commission is an original piece inspired by this one, not a copy

Design changes made

Design matched the initial brief without major changes.

Who this is for

This piece is for someone marking an anniversary who wants the gemstone itself to carry meaning, not just the ring. It suits a partner who prefers understated, wearable jewelry over a bold statement piece, and who will appreciate a design chosen specifically around a milestone and a personal birthstone rather than a generic ring style.

How it's made

Once the design was approved, a 3D-printed resin model was produced first — the physical preview of the ring that was shared before any metal was cast. The resin was then set into a flask and invested in plaster, which was fired in a kiln to burn out the wax/resin and leave a hollow mold. Molten sterling silver was poured into that mold, then cooled and extracted as the raw ring. After casting, the band was cleaned up and polished to a bright finish, then rhodium plated to give the silver a brighter, more tarnish-resistant surface. The oval citrine was set into a prong setting as the center stone, with one round ruby prong-set on either side as accents. Each stone was set by hand after the metalwork and polishing were complete, so the finished prongs wouldn't scratch or dull the stones during handling.

Key note

Rhodium plating is applied after polishing but before stone setting, so the finishing chemicals never come into contact with the citrine or ruby accents.

Pricing guidance

A simple three-stone ring in sterling silver with a colored center stone and small accent stones sits at the lower end of custom jewelry pricing. Most of the cost comes from the labor of building a setting from scratch rather than the stones themselves, since citrine and small rubies are both relatively accessible gemstones. Metal choice is the single biggest lever on price for a design this simple.

Moves price up ↑

↑
Switching the band from sterling silver to white, yellow, or rose gold
↑
Upgrading the rubies to larger or higher-clarity natural stones
↑
Adding more accent stones or a halo around the center citrine
↑
Increasing the size of the center citrine beyond a standard oval cut
↑
Adding engraving inside the band

Moves price down ↓

↓
Using a smaller center citrine to reduce stone cost
↓
Replacing natural rubies with lab-created rubies or a less expensive accent stone
↓
Simplifying to a single accent stone instead of a pair
↓
Choosing a thinner band profile to reduce metal usage
↓
Skipping the rhodium plating step on the silver band

Questions people ask

Is citrine a durable stone for an everyday ring?

Citrine rates about 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, which makes it reasonably durable for daily wear but softer than sapphire or diamond. It can handle normal daily activities like typing or light housework without much concern, but it's best to remove it before heavy manual labor, gardening, or exercise. Citrine can also fade slightly with prolonged, intense sun exposure, so it's not ideal to leave it sitting in direct sunlight for long periods. With reasonable care, a citrine center stone holds up well for years of regular wear.

What's the difference between natural and lab-created ruby accents?

Lab-created rubies have the same chemical composition and hardness as natural rubies, so they look identical to the naked eye and perform the same in daily wear. The difference is origin: natural rubies are mined from the earth, while lab rubies are grown in a controlled environment, which generally makes them more affordable. For small accent stones like the ones flanking a center stone, many clients choose lab rubies since the size makes the visual difference negligible. Either option is a durable, long-lasting choice for accent stones.

Does sterling silver tarnish, and how do you take care of it?

Sterling silver can tarnish over time due to natural oxidation, especially with exposure to moisture, lotions, and perfumes. Rhodium plating, which is applied to this type of ring, adds a bright white protective layer that slows tarnishing and gives the silver extra shine. That plating will wear thin over months to a couple of years with regular wear, at which point the ring can be re-plated by a jeweler to restore its brightness. Simple storage in a dry place and occasional polishing with a silver cloth will keep it looking its best between platings.

What does a simple three-stone silver ring like this typically cost?

A ring built from scratch in sterling silver with a colored center stone and two small accent stones typically falls at the lower end of custom jewelry pricing. The majority of the cost is the labor of designing and building a one-of-a-kind setting, since citrine and small rubies are both accessible, relatively affordable stones. Upgrading the metal to gold or increasing stone size and quality are the main ways the price would move up from there.

How long does it take to make a custom ring like this?

A custom ring like this typically takes about one week for the design phase, where a sketch, 3D model, and photorealistic render are created for approval. Once the design is approved, production takes approximately four more weeks, covering casting, finishing, and stone setting. In total, most clients can expect to receive a finished ring in about five weeks from the time they commit to the design.

Can this ring be made in gold instead of silver?

Yes, this same design can be recreated in white, yellow, or rose gold rather than sterling silver. Gold costs noticeably more than silver due to material cost, so switching metals is one of the biggest price changes you can make on a design like this. The citrine and ruby stone choices work well in any of these metal tones, though a warmer gold may enhance the citrine's golden color slightly differently than a white metal setting.

Can the center stone be swapped for something other than citrine?

Yes, an oval three-stone setting like this one can be built around nearly any center gemstone of a similar size, including other birthstones, sapphire, or a lab-created alternative. The setting style and proportions would stay the same; only the stone itself changes. This makes it a flexible template for anyone wanting a similar look tied to a different birthstone or anniversary gem.

Why was citrine chosen for this ring specifically?

Citrine was chosen because it serves double duty: it's the traditional gemstone associated with a 13th wedding anniversary, and it was also the recipient's personal birthstone. Pairing a milestone-specific stone with a personally meaningful one is a common approach for anniversary gifts, since it gives the piece two layers of significance in a single stone. The warm golden-yellow color of citrine also pairs well with the red ruby accents chosen for this design.