When our fashionable client came to us for a custom ring in coral we balked because large sizes are almost impossible to find anymore. Smaller cabochons on the other hand are abundant and made this project exciting and original.

As you can see by the raw edges of the wood hoops there is considerable work yet to be done to have the finished hoop look like it does in the image below. The finishing steps are first to file the rough edges, followed by sanding with progressively finer sanding paper.

The design and construction of these opal pave’ earrings was time consuming but well worth the wait. Our customer came to us inspired because she found almost matching 7.5 ct round blue zircons. Their color was stunning and she wanted special earrings to show them off. This customer knew her jewelry, having collected pieces for a long time, and because of her appreciation for craft and design we enjoyed showing her some of our finer pieces.

Diamonds are a favorite item to pass on for new engagement rings, pendants, or earrings. Our customer had diamonds that she had inherited from her mother. Once upon a time they had been made into two necklaces, one for herself the other for her older sister. The necklaces were a classic design of diamonds in bezels with chain in between.

Our customer was very clear about what she wanted. She already owned chalcedony earrings and a ring, the only item missing by her estimation was the necklace. We really enjoy working with customers that love and wear their jewelry.

Part 1 of 2 of this blog was posted earlier and separate from this one because we had enough completed work that we didn’t want to bore or overwhelm. As I mentioned earlier, making custom engagement rings…

The ring bending plier is a very useful tool for giving a consistent arc to a bracelet or shank that needs to be sized or made by hand. The existing version available through jewelry tool distributors has a 12mm center pin and is 7, 1/2 inches long. Our custom made plier you see here is a mini version of it with a 6mm center pin and 4, 3/4 inches long. With such a tool the jeweler who seeks precision and speed in his work can consistently shape smaller arcs for bezels and other jewelry parts.

The jeweler has a unique set of skills. First they need to know how to design so that elements in the piece of jewelry are integrated into a cohesive whole. Learning to design is sorely under rated, by the way, because our lives are enriched by the attention to detail.

Engagement rings are one of our favorite items of jewelry to make. The occasion is so joyous and the anticipation and excitement is palpable. it is a real privilege to be involved in this occasion which will be remembered for lifetimes and spoken about often over the years.

This ring was interesting and fun to do for many reasons. First the individual was young, and it always impresses us when, at such a ripe age, they are already keen on finding a design for their engagement ring that resonates with them. Also, the individual was a lady who was designing for herself, often a smart decision because they are the one who is going to happily wear the engagement ring for a very long time.