Our design
Every piece is designed in-house by our head designer. You'll work with him directly, from the first sketch to the finished ring.
Begin your custom ringThe short story
Every Orlaithea design is led personally by Zac Ireland, our head designer. Seven years at the table, working alongside his father, designing rings that quietly stay on the hand for a lifetime. When you brief us, you brief him directly.
7+ yrs
Designing fine jewellery
100%
Designed in-house
Direct
To the head designer
01 · The conversation
Most jewellery purchases start with a salesperson. Someone who knows the script, the upsell, the talking points. Not the metal, not the stone, not what's actually possible at the bench.
At Orlaithea, that's the first thing we changed.
From the first enquiry to the finished ring, you'll be in direct contact with Zac Ireland, our head designer. He reads every form. He answers every email. He runs every consultation. There is no middle layer, no account manager, no handoff between someone who quoted you and someone who'll make it.
It's a quieter way to work, and our clients tell us it's the part that makes the biggest difference.
“The person you talk to is the person designing your ring. That's the whole point. I read every brief, sketch every design, and stay in it until the piece feels right.”
Zac Ireland · Head Designer
02 · The years
For more than seven years, Zac has been designing fine jewellery alongside his father, master jeweller Nick Ireland. That's seven years of sketches, CAD renders, client conversations, and hand-set diamonds. Seven years of learning when to push a design forward, and when to quietly hold the line.
Design isn't something that's mastered quickly. It's measured in pieces made, problems solved, and trust earned. Zac has spent that time refining a single thing: how to translate what's in someone's head, often half-formed, sometimes contradictory, into a ring they'll wear forever.
03 · The journey
Custom design isn't a single decision. It's a series of small ones, each shaping the final piece. Zac walks you through every one.
You're never passed off mid-project. The designer who started your ring stays with it through to your finger.
Why this matters
When design lives in the same building as the bench, the small decisions get made by people who care. A setting question gets answered in real time. A change to the band profile gets reflected in the CAD that afternoon, not next week.
This is the part that's hard to see from the outside. It's also the part our clients feel most.
04 · The taste
Good design isn't about saying everything. It's about knowing what to leave out.
Zac's work leans toward proportion, restraint, and balance. Settings that feel resolved from every angle. Bands that sit cleanly against the finger. Diamonds that look complete, not crowded. The kind of design that doesn't shout its presence, but doesn't go unnoticed either.
If that's the language you want your ring to speak in, you're in the right place.
Every Orlaithea piece is designed personally by Zac Ireland, our head designer. He has more than seven years of experience designing fine jewellery, working alongside his father, master jeweller Nick Ireland.
Yes. From your first enquiry through to the finished ring, you'll be in direct contact with Zac. There is no salesperson layer, no account manager, no handoff.
As many as you'd like. Each revision is reflected in an updated CAD render so you can see every adjustment before anything is made.
No. Every design is created in-house at our Brisbane workshop. Nothing is sketched, rendered, or refined off-site.
Most clients don't — that's exactly what the design consultation is for. Bring a vague idea, a reference image, or nothing at all, and Zac will guide you through every option.
Most custom designs are finalised within 2 to 4 weeks of the first consultation, depending on how many revisions are needed. Crafting begins once you sign off on the final CAD.
Every Orlaithea ring is designed by hand, around a diamond you've seen, held, and chosen yourself.