Custom ring design process

[darling]

I have been reading PS for few months now and am admiring all the custom rings in SMTH. Can anyone share their experience and process of working with a jeweler? Can you design across the country and communicate through email? Would it be a better idea to find someone locally so you can actually try the ring or the wax on? Would the jeweler be more helpful with the design seeing your hands, fingers, stature? Should you find a custom jeweler or a stone first?
Lots of questions, I know. Thanks for your help.

 

[mrssalvo]

Many of us have done custom work long distance. Quest made my ring and the are located in Northern Virginia. I also have purchased a custom eternity band from Whiteflash in Texas and I will be getting my e-ring upgrade from Pearlmans in Michigan. It all comes down to your comfort level. Most of the Pricescope vendors do a lot of work long distance and have gotten to be very good at it. Both of my projects went very smoothly and I wouldn''t hesitate to do it again. If you have a good local jewelry who you feel compfortable with that''s a great option because then you have someone close by to go in and do check ups on your ring, cleanings, tightening of the prongs, etc..and you are supporting a local business which is always a good thing

 

[Kaleigh]

I also worked with Quest to make my halo asscher RHR . I worked with them by email and over the phone. They sent me cad images and the process was great. I highly recommend them. You can PM me if you like and I will give you their info.

 

[Rod]

Good questions and welcome Darling!!

Having recently had a custon ring made for me and a friend, I can tell you it can be a really pleasant experience. First I spent a lot of time on this site and other''s learning as much about diamonds as I could. That really provided a solid foundation to "build" on. Then I decided what size stone I wanted in my ring and what size side stones I wanted. BTW.....to see the finished product, see my thread "Three More Day''s" on this site. Then I spent a lot of time looking at settings. I perused the dealers on just about every web site I could find and then I walked the jewelery stores, such as Tiffany and Mayors (higher quality B&M stores) as opposed to lower level stores like Zales or Kay (every kiss does NOT begin with Kay, I can assure you), to begin to decide what I wanted in my ring.

Then, I picked a quality jeweler (who in my case was local) but they could have been 1,000 miles away. After getting several stones for me to approve and I found what I wanted, I simply gave them links to sites of rings I liked and I had even printed some design concepts for the jeweler to see. They didn''t make a wax, which initially concerned me, but they said they understood what I wanted, and they also said that if it didn''t turn out the way I wanted, they would simply redo it. Most of our discussions were handled via the telephone. Sometimes, I''d just give them a link to an internet site that contained images of things I liked. So, even though they were local (well an hour from where I live), the could have been across the country and the outcome would have still been the same.

Anyway, they got it completely right. It''s like they saw into my head and the rings they made for us were EXACTLY what we hoped for.

Anyway, I hope this helps you. Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[darling]

Thank you so much for your help. It''s encouraging, and opens up so many possibilities...

 

[princessv]

I''m also going to be working with Quest (in 4 days

) but fortunately I''m local to them...also I wish I had gone custom to begin with. Custom prices are surprisingly less than what I thought it would be especially if you find a good jeweler who is on board with your ideas!

 

[autumngems]

I have had several custom pieces made, from the 1st by Juan in Mexico to my most recent by Michael E in Washington. I have not had a problem yet. Where I live they don''t do a lot of custom work so I am required to look elsewhere. It also allows me to try different styles and find new ideas. All my communication is either email or phone.
I have always had the gems first and then I came up with a design around the gem. I think that is easier, at least for me it is.
Of course it would always be a good idea to let the person making the piece know a little about you as far as your tastes and probably your stature so that the design coincides with you.