Rafael Fouzailoff’s European background helps him create elegant and beautiful jewelry designs. But what sets Rafael and JB Star apart is his understanding of what American women want to wear: practical and comfortable pieces. He always keeps that in mind when he adds pieces to the line. He also wants them to be timeless pieces that can be worn again and again with jeans or an evening gown.

But timeless does not mean boring. Rafael loves to work with fancy shape diamonds such as cushion shapes, radiant cuts, marquise and trillions kite shapes. When creating a ring, Rafael always starts his design by examining the stone and then the woman’s finger. Each piece is unique and is the equivalent of three weeks worth of labor, although the process is must faster thanks to a team of experienced jewelers who work diligently in their New York factory. Each ring, when you wear it, gives you a feeling of luxury.

His advice to soon-to-be engaged men is to keep in mind where they want to go in life instead of where they are now. Maybe they think that they can only afford a one carat now but when they graduate and have a career, that’s probably not what they will want their wife to have on her finger.