Custom Designed Jewelry
From simple diamond stud earrings to complex vintage inspired engagement rings, my years of industry experience will allow me to guide you through the custom design process with ease, making the experience fun, informative and stress free. In the end we will have worked together to create a piece of jewelry that you can not only be proud of, but that will become a treasured family keepsake that’s worn in health and happiness for years to come.
Below I will run through what you can expect when designing a piece of custom jewelry with me. In this example I will show the process of creating an engagement ring from start to finish.
The process of creating a piece of custom jewelry, especially one as important as an engagement ring, can be a daunting task. My job is to guide you through this process every step of the way and give you the knowledge and confidence you need to make an informed decision. Whether you come to me having done your homework studying up on the 4 C’s and colored stone saturation levels, or you come to me knowing nothing other than your budget, I will give your project the same attention to detail as I would all my customers as I want this to be an enjoyable experience where we work as a team to create the perfect piece for that special someone.
We will begin with some initial back and forth via email or on the phone to get the process started and figure out which direction we will be heading. Discussions will vary from such things as stone shape and type, initial design thoughts and budget. If we are exploring diamonds I will explain to you about color, clarity, cut and carat weight, and will give you my opinions on maximizing your value when purchasing a stone so that we can get the most bang for your buck. If we are going the colored stone route I will discuss similar things as I would during diamond discussions, but add such things as color saturation and hue, as well as which colored stone varieties are suitable for engagement rings due to hardness and being able to stand up to daily wear and tear.
I have built up strong relationships over the years with many gemstone dealers throughout New York City, across the country and around the world that will allow me to source the finest stones at the best possible prices for my customers. Once we have a firm grasp on what we are looking to create I will begin to source stones on your behalf in order to build a collection for you to view either in person or via photographs. Guiding you throughout the selection process we’ll compare stones based on their characteristics and weigh the pros and cons for as long as needed until you’re fully confident in your final stone choice. Once we have decided on our stone, or stones, we will move on to the design process where we begin to build the ring.
The reason we work on selecting your stone, or stones, first before moving onto the design process is because all the settings are custom made to the exact dimension of your stone, including crown height and depth percentage, as well as your personal specifications. Custom creating the settings ensures that the final product will be perfectly proportionate and tailored to your design needs, whereas if we were to use a ready made setting not only would the quality be lower but the proportions would not be up to standards.
At this point in our journey the stone, or stones, has been handed over to the designer who is working diligently on designing your custom setting using a CAD program to ensure that everything is created to your specifications. As you can see in the image, the stone of your choice has been scanned into the program and then the setting is built around the stone using a wire frame process to ensure it is custom tailored to the dimensions and angles of your stone. Once the wire frame is completed a rendered image is created to allow you to see what the finished product would look like. Seeing this rendered image truly allows you to not only visualize the finished piece, but gives you the confidence to make an informed decision about progressing forward with your custom design.
In this example we have an oval and pear shape diamond three stone ring, but say after seeing the rendering you want to see what it would look like with either round or oval side stones, instead of pear shapes, that request can be accommodated and a new rendering can be generated. This process is all about making sure that the design we create leads us to the perfect finished product.
After you’re comfortable with your design, and you give me the go ahead to proceed, the wax model is printed and then cast into the metal of our choice. Platinum, 18k Yellow Gold, 18k White Gold and 18k Rose Gold are the traditional choices, and we can discuss the pros and cons of each as well as what works best with your stone choice to determine what makes the most sense for your custom design.
Once the casting has been completed, it will go through a pre-polishing process to get the casting cleaned up and ready for stone setting. As you can see in the images here, straight from the jewelers work station, the stones are sitting perfectly in the pre-polished ring casting looking beautiful and ready for setting. Throughout the production I will keep you informed as to where we are in the process and send you progress pictures whenever possible. I will be in constant contact with the jewelers and checking in on your piece every step of the way to ensure that it is up to my rigorous standards. The last thing I want is for a mistake to be made during production, only to be found out upon completion, so this is why I stay abreast of the happenings throughout the production process.
Once the stones have been masterfully set into your custom designed setting, and the final polish has been completed, I will thoroughly inspect every aspect of the piece to ensure all your specifications have been met and that it meets my scrupulous standards. As long as my standards have been met, and no small adjustments need to be made, I will either notify you it’s ready for pickup, or will send you detailed photos to inform you it is ready for shipment. The completed piece will be presented in a gorgeous wooden box, but even that is subject to customization, so if you would prefer something different you simply let me know and I will accommodate that request.
After working hard together to design the perfect engagement ring for that special someone in your life, there’s only one thing left to do…. They’ll fall in love with you all over again after you get down on one knee, open up the ring box, ask that most important question and slide that gorgeous ring onto their finger. Now you can sit back, relax and enjoy watching them marvel at the treasured keepsake you created especially for them.