Lith, instead, used ancient runes but modern techniques, so that applying the runes before the Bonding caused distortions in the circulatory mana system due to the rejection between Lith's energy signature from the runes and that of the crystals.
Applying runes was the step Lith had less experience with and it was crucial. He would have liked to have all the surface of the ring available for the runes and Bond the gems only after the Runesmithing process, but unfortunately, it turned out to be impossible.
Bonding and Runesmithing both created a circulatory mana system, but while the former was highly susceptible to external influences and would change its course based on the obstacles that it met, the latter would relentlessly follow the instructions embedded in the runes.
Only after the purple crystals had become one with the metal and their circulatory mana system was stabilized could Lith move to the second step, Runesmithing.