I have several projects that we have completed in our new home that I wanted to showcase in this post. The first one is a new twist on a popular custom ring. In 2008, Helen Stratakes was working with us and doing custom design. She designed a feather ring, a ring with a feather design that goes across part of the center stone. It is my second most popular picture on Pinterest. I have made two this year, one with a yellow sapphire and then this one that I have pictured for this post. This one was commissioned by a young man that wanted something just a little different. He wanted the feather to be rose gold and the ring to be white. He wanted to use a blue sapphire as the center stone. The ring needed to be very nice but also have an organic and natural feel to it. So, the sapphire we picked has color zoning which makes it pop. The feather being rose gold helps to bring out the blue and really makes the ring stand out. He proposed on Grandfather Mountain, and she said yes! It is a really cool idea that he wanted to make the feather rose gold.
The second piece is a heart shaped diamond engagement ring. The diamond is a one carat heart of high quality and wonderful cut. The shape of the heart is excellent. We placed this diamond into a ring with diamonds going up the side of the band. So far in 2016, this has been my most popular look for engagement rings. Customers are still doing halos, and we are still doing channel set diamonds in the band. However, the number one look this bridal season has been diamonds up the band using shared prongs. Matching diamond wedding bands have been popular with this look as well.
The third piece is a custom remount. The client had this blue emerald cut stone that had been in the family for many years. She wanted it to be set into a ring that is classic but also current on styling. I designed a custom halo style ring with a split shank around this stone. The final effect gave her an elegant ring that can be worn everyday but also a ring that has a very sentimental stone as the center piece.
That is what jewelry is all about, a story. Each piece of finely crafted jewelry tells a story for the wearer. A well made piece of jewelry can last a long time. So, you never really own it….. you are taking care of it for the next generation in the family to wear it.
Custom remounts, as well as custom jewelry, is much more affordable than you may realize. We are the designer and builder of your piece. I work with the best casters in New York City that work for other large and well known brands, so our mountings are made just over the cost of gold with some labor. I make my own wax models for casting which reduces the costs of prototyping your new design. So, for similar cost to a mass produced imported piece of jewelry you can have a better American made piece. The gemstones are usually cut overseas, but the design, model making, casting, setting, and finishing are all done here in the USA. Call or email me for an appointment to discuss making you that item of jewelry that you have always wanted.
