In June, Jennifer entered our store with a small piece of jewelry in her hand and the hope that we could be of assistance. She had a ring that was a little worse for wear -- the yellow gold had worn thin, the shank was broken, and the prongs holding the stone were almost non-existent. Luckily, the large, marquise-shaped center stone was still in perfect condition.
Jennifer informed us that the ring was a family piece and was given to her by her grandmother when she was 16. Although it needed a lot of work, she wanted to be able to wear it again. The style of the ring wasn't exactly her favorite, but she loved the center stone. We knew this would be a perfect candidate for a custom remount.
In order to get the ball rolling, we needed some ideas from Jennifer. We took the original ring in on repair and sent Jennifer home with some homework: go on Google Images, Pinterest, and Instagram and send us images of the styles she loved. The email later that day contained 5 images of different ring styles featuring a marquise-shaped center stone. They were all a little different, but Jennifer informed us that she would prefer her new ring to have a "vintage feel". So, we focused on one of her emailed images that looked the most vintage.
The new setting featured a diamond halo, engraving down the sides of the ring, and a newer, more contemporary feature: an east-to-west center setting. Usually, marquise-shaped stones are set pointing up and down, but it was a new trend to set them side-to-side! This feature would make her ring feel fresh and new while also keeping the vintage feel.
The process to mock-up custom renderings usually takes 2-3 days. Depending on the complexity of the model and the prep-work (removing existing stones, measuring, designing, testing) the entire process can take a few hours of our day. Jennifer's center marquise stone measured to be over 3 carats and was absolutely gorgeous. It was still in perfect condition with no cracks or chips on the girdle or on the points, so we could reset it without trouble. She thought the stone was an alexandrite, but after testing it we determined it to be a synthetic color-change sapphire. This beautiful stone changes color in sunlight and indoor light!
Once we sent Jennifer our first round of mock-up renderings, she was delighted! They were perfect on our very first try. There was only one concern with the design on our end: Jennifer had a small finger and the center stone was quite long -- we weren't sure if it would be too wide for her finger! To see the design in person without committing to the final ring, we ordered a wax model. The wax model is the complete, fully designed ring before it's put into a mold and cast in gold. It's actual size with every detail included -- just in a hard green wax instead of gold! This way, Jennifer was able to come in, see the ring in person, and try on the the ring. We set the stone on top and it fit perfectly! It wasn't too wide for her finger and Jennifer was happy to see a sneak peek of the final product.
With Jennifer's final permission, we sent the custom ring into production. Custom pieces take time -- usually 10 to 14 days -- and we couldn't wait to see the final ring in person! Once the mounting arrived, we were absolutely in love with it and we knew Jennifer would be too!
We set the synthetic color-change sapphire in the mounting and ta-da! Jennifer's custom vintage marquise ring was complete! We couldn't be happier with how the final piece turned out and can't wait to see Jennifer's reaction during the big reveal!
No two custom ring processes are the same -- but they all follow the same path. Stop in for a consultation, provide us with a few ideas, and we'll work the magic. Within a month, you too can have a custom jewelry piece that's entirely original, a modern remake, or a refurbished classic! The choice is up to you!
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