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custom work...who to turn to

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myolsiemse

Rough_Rock
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Jul 25, 2007
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ok so i live in chicago

i want to propose to my gf around christmas time,

well i wanna desgin a ring that is unique and special, so does anyone know who to turn to for amazing custom work?

ive heard leon does amazing amazing work, but who else is out there? help a guy out please?

i know the kind of ring style that she wants and i have the stone and everything,

but who can i turn to to create her own piece of art. which she will love and wear forever...
 
There are many who do custom. Could you give us an idea of what you have in mind? as some may be better suited than others.
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Is price an issue also?
 
I have used www.questjewelers.com (Pete) and www.winkjones.com (Wink) for custom work and have been pleased.

I have also seen the gorgeous work of Whiteflash and ERD here.
I've also seen designer custom work here like Leon Mege, Mark Morrell, Ocean Pearlman and Maytal.

It all depends on how complex the design is, what type of metal used (some choose not use gold metals at all), some specialize in pave and some specialize in metal work, handmade versus cast, etc.
 
ok well i have a 2.03 royal asscher that ive been hiding from her for a while (thank god we still dont klive together..shes 20 and im 22...so its all good) and i know she mentioned once that she really likes the wonderous setting from HOF. http://heartsonfire.com/JC_search.aspx?item=WonBrdR&type=8

and i like it too

but she has mentioned she doesnt want any stones on the sides of the ring you know the part you dont see, im not sure what that area of the ring is called...

and so we would have only diamonds on the sides down the shank and on the prongs which she has mentioned would like the basket to be "pretty" and in girl talk i assume that means with diamonds...

i would want the prongs not to be rounded like in the picture but little claws...i just like how those tye prongs look on an assher....

she also said she doent want that surprise stone thats there...she loves her diamonds but not everywhere...

and she ALSO said she wants a european bottom...i.e a.jaffe signiture collection...

shes being picky but i want this ring to be THE ONE only upgrades i would ever ever do would be a bigger asscher...so i want her to love this ring...which is why shes being picky....


does that help explain the type of work i would need? any suggestions?
 
Oooohhh, pretty! What''s your budget for a setting?

I would check out Maytal Hofftman (maytalhannah.com) and Leon Mege (artofplatinum.com) as they do gorgeous pave work and beautiful basket and prong detailing.
 
Have you seen the Daniel K split crown setting? Sounds very much like what you are describing.

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LOVE the one Gypsy posted.

Here is a similar (though simpler) ring LM did with an Asscher, just to get an idea of his work, if you haven't seen it. I'd go with Leon, Maytal, Quest, they all do nice work and get rave reviews.


Do a search on here for them and you should get lots of pics/reviews.
 
Leon won''t copy that setting-- when he was asked to use another Daniel K (the union setting) as "inspiration" he came up with Pokey''s stunning ring, but it''s got pave EVERYWHERE which is what his lady doesn''t want . Maytal may agree to do something similar with a few modifications, Ocean too. I don''t know-- but you can always ask them.

Daniel K USUALLY doesn''t sell their settings separate from their center stones. BUT there have been instances where it is rumored to have occured.

And if any stone has a shot of meeting Daniel K''s standards it''s a ROYAL asscher. So if you like this one. I''d find a local dealer and beg them for the original for your RA.
 
gypsy, that DK is still one of my alltime favorite DREAM settings
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Date: 9/21/2007 2:25:16 PM
Author: mrssalvo
gypsy, that DK is still one of my alltime favorite DREAM settings
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I know hon. Mine too. For a bigger 1.5 or 2 carat asscher it is my all time favorite. So lovely. You have great taste Ms.S, and a lot of class too!
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Maytal Hannah is very accommodating and certainly can do it as well as Leon.
 
Maytal''s pricing is very good too. Her rings are cutom, hand fabricated and she''s super nice to deal with (I was considering her before ultimately going with Singlestone).
 
ok this may sound dumb...but hey i wanna be informed...
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so if any of you guys or ladies have gone through this process of custom desgining a rings...what happens....

like what do you do?

do i send pictures?

do i go there to see the person if their outa state?

how do i know they do awesome work??

HELP...
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Date: 9/21/2007 4:50:54 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 9/21/2007 2:34:16 PM
Author: kcoursolle
Whiteflash just made a ring that is *very* similar to that HOF setting and in my opinion they nailed it!!! You can see pics here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-completed-engagement-ring.67395/
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KC... WF didn''t make that setting. They SET their diamond into that exact setting. The setting is a real HOF setting, the stone is WF however.
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thanks for the correction gypsy!! Opps!!! No wonder I thought they nailed it LOL.
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Date: 9/21/2007 7:06:22 PM
Author: myolsiemse
ok this may sound dumb...but hey i wanna be informed...
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so if any of you guys or ladies have gone through this process of custom desgining a rings...what happens....

like what do you do?

do i send pictures?

do i go there to see the person if their outa state?

how do i know they do awesome work??

HELP...
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Yes, you''d certainly begin with pictures. It''s easier if you can show a picture of exactly what you want. But often, you can find a couple of rings with features that you want, and ask for these to be incorporated into your ring. Then then person making the ring will give you drawings or a CAD image to show you what it would look like, and you approve it or suggest revisions until it is like you want.

No, you do not ever have to go there. You send the diamond vis USPS Registed Mail (insured, of course). You only know if they do awesome work if you have references. I am totally comfortable with Leon Mege, Maytal Hannah, and Mark Morrell because we have seen countless examples of their work and heard many positive reports.

Oh, and you know what I just thought of? Since you are in Chicago, you should check out Dimend Scaasi. They have some gorgeous custom designs. They have a website and you can see some of them.
 
Dimend Scassi is a great suggestion DS! I would think it would be worth a visit to see what they could do for you!

Oh. Wait, do they set stones they don''t sell into settings? Well, it''s worth a phone call to find out!
 
Date: 9/21/2007 9:37:05 PM
Author: Gypsy
Dimend Scassi is a great suggestion DS! I would think it would be worth a visit to see what they could do for you!

Oh. Wait, do they set stones they don''t sell into settings? Well, it''s worth a phone call to find out!
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Apparently not, but there are a few other suggestions.
 
Date: 9/21/2007 10:01:25 PM
Author: Ellen


Date: 9/21/2007 9:37:05 PM
Author: Gypsy
Dimend Scassi is a great suggestion DS! I would think it would be worth a visit to see what they could do for you!

Oh. Wait, do they set stones they don't sell into settings? Well, it's worth a phone call to find out!
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Apparently not, but there are a few other suggestions.
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Thanks Ellen!

I can recommend Ocean Rose Pearlman, while she only has one ring posted on here, she has a portfolio of work that shows her skill and her talent, that she is willing to share if you contact her. Plus she's back up by Wink's reputation and support, which is more than solid on here. I found her less prima donna ish than most of the designers and very willing to discuss everything with me. And her work is lovely.

I can also recommend Maytal for your project.

I will emphasize that Maytal, Leon, and Ocean are all DESIGNERS, goldsmiths, and master craftsmen (MWM too)... so they may not be willing to outright copy ANYTHING, and will want to give you some design input and shape your project with thier experience.

That is different from a build to print vendor who will do what you want, as long as it's structurally sound, no questions asked.

So it's good to be informed about the different types of custom vendors available to you, so that you pick the type that suits your project and personality best.
 
Gypsy said something about Ocean (not so prima donna ish) that made me want to put in another plug for Quest. I worked with Pete there, although not on a custom project. I have to say, he was an extreme pleasure to work with (and I''ve heard this repeated often), and his work on my ring, which I''ll give you the links to, speaks for itself. They don''t get as much publicity here as some others, not sure why, I think they should. What I''ve often heard repeated also is that their pricing is very reasonable (which I thought as well)

If you don''t go local, I would at least speak with Pete and get a quote from him.


As to what I had done, I received an heirloom ring from my mom. It had not been looked at since she received it when she graduated from highschool. To make a long story short, I sent it off to someone who was recommended, a person who was familiar with old stones (the diamond is over 100 years old, the setting is close to 100) to have the diamond looked over and the prongs checked.

What happened to my ring was inexcusable, the "jeweler" did!

They have done some beautiful work, some of which is posted in here. So, just thought I''d throw them out there again.
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