Brand Story

Inside the Design: Karl-Anthony Towns × Jordyn Woods

An emerald-cut engagement ring designed with Karl-Anthony Towns: a gradient of pink diamonds, six family birthstones and a private engraving, each revealed only up close.

Bernard James Studio1 min read

Inside the Design: Karl-Anthony Towns × Jordyn Woods
The finished ring: an elongated emerald cut, with pink diamonds along the band.

At a glance

  • Commissioned by Karl-Anthony Towns for his Christmas Eve 2025 proposal
  • Elongated emerald-cut diamond in an open basket setting
  • Pavé diamonds that shift from pink to white along the band
  • Six family birthstones set inside the band
  • A private engraving meant for the couple alone
  • Set and finished by hand in New York

The commission

When Karl-Anthony Towns set out to propose to Jordyn Woods, he came to Bernard James with one intention: a ring that felt like her, and that carried the story of the family they had built together. He proposed on Christmas Eve 2025, on a rooftop in Manhattan.

"My goal was to translate Jordyn’s personality and our shared journey into a custom design."
Karl-Anthony Towns, to Town & Country


Designing the ring

The ring was developed in close collaboration, with Towns involved at every stage. The brief held two ideas in balance: a classic white diamond ring that reads cleanly from across a room, and a set of personal details that reveal themselves only up close.

Pencil design sketch of the emerald-cut engagement ring seen from behind, showing the open basket under the stone, pave stones along the band and basket, and small round settings inside the band
The finished emerald-cut diamond engagement ring worn on a hand with long pale-pink almond nails, against a white shaggy fur cuff
The early design sketch and the finished ring.


The emerald cut and setting

At the center is an elongated emerald-cut diamond. Its long, stepped facets give the stone a quiet, architectural presence. An open basket setting lets light reach the diamond from the sides and below, and a hidden halo of smaller diamonds sits beneath it, visible only in profile. The result is a light silhouette for a stone of its scale.

The open basket setting and hidden details, revealed from every angle.


A gradient of pink diamonds

Along the band, smaller diamonds move from pink to white. From a distance the ring reads as a simple, classic white diamond ring. The color appears only as the hand moves. The same approach to color and stone selection guides every one of our custom engagement rings.

“From afar or to a viewer, it looks like there’s a simple classic white ring, but get up close or look underneath, you see that pop of color through the stones.”
Bernard James, to Town & Country


Six birthstones and a private engraving

The most personal details sit inside the band. There are six birthstones: Woods’s and her parents’ on one side, Towns’s and his parents’ on the other. The design began with the couple’s own stones and grew to include both families, honoring the loved ones they have lost.

“To have a story that’s centered around the love of their family and the unfortunate loss of loved ones was really special and important to have in such a meaningful piece.”
Bernard James, to Town & Country, on the family birthstones

The band also carries a private engraving, a message meant for the two of them alone. Handwriting and personal engravings can be added to many of our pieces through Customize Your Jewelry.

Front view of the emerald-cut diamond ring on a white background, with pink pave visible on both sides of the band beneath the stone
Side view of the emerald-cut diamond ring on a white background, showing the pave-lined setting under the stone, pink pave along the band and blue, light blue and purple stones set inside the band
The ring from the front and in profile, with pink pave along the band and colored stones set inside it.


Made in New York

Like every Bernard James piece, the ring was set and finished by hand in New York. Each commission begins with a conversation, then moves through sketches, stone selection and fittings. Book a private consultation to begin your own.

At the bench in the Bernard James workshop.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed Jordyn Woods’s engagement ring?

Bernard James designed the ring in collaboration with Karl-Anthony Towns, who proposed on Christmas Eve 2025 in New York.

What is the center stone in the ring?

An elongated emerald-cut diamond, held in an open basket setting that lets light reach the stone from the sides and below.

What makes the band distinctive?

Along the band, smaller diamonds shift from pink to white, so the ring reads as classic white from a distance. Inside, six birthstones represent both families: Woods’s and her parents’ on one side, Towns’s and his parents’ on the other.

Can Bernard James design a custom engagement ring for me?

Yes. Bernard James designs custom engagement rings in New York, and every commission begins with a conversation. Book a private consultation to begin.

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