Custom Jewelry & Repair

Men’s Wedding Band With Flush Set Diamonds

I recently had the opportunity to make a custom 14KT yellow gold men’s band with flush set diamonds.

The ring was made 6mm wide, with 9 flush set diamonds even spaced apart.

Side note: I’m giving away a pair of 14K rose gold earrings for Mother’s Day! Just subscribe here to enter! Giveaway ends May 5.

Each Stone Has Meaning

When I was collaborating with my client, they came up with the super sentimental idea of having one stone for each family member in their life!

I thought this was a super cool idea and contemplated on whether or not the stones should be all close together or spaced out.

Having them close together could have been a nice way to represent a “tight knit” family vibe.

In playing around with the design however, I really liked doing a design where stones were spaced out. It gives more meaning to each individual.

The Custom Design Process

A vast majority of the time that I do custom jewelry, I’m utilizing CAD software to give the client renderings of how a ring will look before it is cast in metal!

This gives the client the opportunity to see in high detail how their ring will look, and they can also request any changes they might want to make to the design.

Want to work with me on a project? Fill out the Custom Jewelry form!

Why Flush Set

Flush set stones are perfect for men’s bands that want to use diamonds, but also keep a masculine appearance.

Flush set stones are also excellent due to their low profile. That means they don’t have any prongs to scratch or snag on anything!

Pave bands—why you should always choose custom made

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I recently had the opportunity to create this beautiful 4 row pave band.

Pavè (pronounced pa-vey) rings are generally defined as rings with stones so close together that you can’t see much metal between them.

In this post I will lay out the benefits of pave rings and why choosing custom made is the best choice.

The Benefits of a Pave Band

Pave rings come with a number of benefits. Here are a few:

#1—Pave bands keep a low profile.

One of the greatest advantages of wearing a pave band is that the stones can be set virtually flush with the band itself. This makes it optimal for people looking for a ring that wont catch or scratch anything.

#2— No need for a center stone.

The diamonds in a pave band work together to create a lot of brilliance. It is also less expensive than buying a single large stone.

#3— Greater flexibility!

A pave band can be worn both as a wedding band (accompanied with an engagement ring) or it can be worn all by itself. It’s very nice to have the option to wear a pave band in lieu of an solitaire or halo style engagement ring.

Questions? Ask a goldsmith! We strive to answer all messages within 24 hours.

Why custom is best

#1—Less potential for stones falling out.

Pave rings generally have a lot of stones. In this particular ring there were over 60 diamonds—66 to be exact. Having more stones increases the risk of one of them potentially coming loose and falling out.

Some pave rings are made with setting beads that are so small you can barely see them! While this creates a very cool look, they are more prone to having issues in the future, unless they are done right.

Solution: Pave doesn’t always have to be micro, I made this custom pave ring have slightly more gold in the beads! The extra gold provides more coverage over the stones, meaning you’ll get a lot more life out of the ring before maintenance is needed.

note: regardless of your ring style, it is always good to get your ring inspected every 6 months to ensure everything is looking good! Prevention is always less expensive than repairs later!

Get the right finger size

CAD rendering of the 4 row pave band. The stones only go half way down the sides.

#2—Pave rings can be harder to size, thus making custom a better option.

Some pave rings are very hard to size due to the way they are designed. Often the stones can come far down the sides of the ring, making it difficult to size without many stones falling out.

Solution: Custom pave rings can be cast in the correct size! For example, instead of buying a size 7 pave ring and getting is sized down to a 5…you can get the ring custom made in a 5 to begin with. This way, the diamonds have a much better chance of staying tight in their settings. The end result is a ring that is more secure.

In addition, This custom pave band was designed to have the diamonds only go half way down the sides. This way the ring can easily be sized without interfering with the rows of diamonds!

note: It is always better to have a pave band custom made in the correct finger size. For all custom inquires, fill out our customization form!

Marquise Moissanite 3/4 Eternity Band

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At Modern Goldsmith, we craft 3/4 eternity bands of many colors, shapes, and sizes.

This lovely ring was made with marquise shaped moissanites that were set horizontally down the sides of the band.

Sustainability is a big emphasis at Modern Goldsmith, therefore the 18KT band was made using recycled gold.

The Advantage of 3/4 Eternity Bands

One of the greatest advantages of 3/4 eternity bands is that they have room at the bottom for the ring to be sized.

Full eternity rings cannot be sized!

Leaving a bit of metal at the bottom of the ring without stones, allows space for the ring to be sized larger or smaller in the future.

Moissanite Is Extra Brilliant

Moissanite is a lovely diamond alternative that is actually more brilliant than a diamond.

In addition, moissanite is also less expensive than mined diamonds, and are rated excellent for every day wear and tear.

To learn more moissanite, see our post, “The Benefits Of A Moissanite Engagement Ring”

Custom Made Eternity Rings

3/4 eternity bands can be custom made just to your liking!

While marquise shaped stones generally point up and down vertically, this ring features stones that flow down the sides horizontally.

Shared by one prong, the final result is an elegant and modern look.

To get a free quote, fill out the custom submission form!

A Little Spinning Is Okay!

Lastly, 3/4 eternity rings are excellent because even if the ring spins slightly, you will still be able to see mostly stones.

This is why 3/4 eternity rings have the advantage over 1/2 eternity. Many people who like this style do not want to see any gold without stones if the ring spins, or they are tired of centering their rings on their finger.

With a 3/4 eternity band style, you get the perfect compromise of a lot of stone coverage, and the ability to size the ring later if needs be.

Repairing A Ring Cut Off Finger

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*A ring cut off of a finger and bent apart.*

Ring stuck on your finger? You’re not alone. This predicament happens to thousands of people every year.

There are many “hacks” you can try to remove a stuck ring, such as using Windex a lubricant or soaking your finger in cold water to reduce swelling.

When all else fails, a stuck ring can actually be cut off ! Once the ring is removed, we can get to work repairing a ring cut off a finger.

*This ring cut off of a finger almost looks like a bangle bracelet!*

There are many reasons why rings get stuck on fingers. Some reasons include swelling during pregnancy or weight gain that has spread out over many years. People forget to take off their rings and one day they wake up and find they can’t get it off any longer.

In addition, some people have fingers that are prone to swelling. This can happen due to weather or even from something as simple as sitting in a hot tub.

A ring that is been cut off of a finger needs repairing.

Unfortunately there is the chance that a ring will be damaged when it is cut off of a finger. This will require repair in addition to sizing the ring.

When someone goes to the Fire Station or hospital to have their ring removed, often the medics first priority is to just get the ring off. They are not as concerned about damaging the ring in the process.

This is completely understandable, however it can be frustrating to see a beloved ring get intentionally ruined. Thankfully there is a way to repair rings after they have been cut off a finger!

To get a quote on repairing your ring, contact us!

The Repair Process

Using a jewelers saw, the rings that were previously soldered together are cut apart. This will make the repair process a lot easier having all the rings separated. We can focus on each ring individually before soldering them back together.

*Separated for the first time in years.*

The rings are now separated but you can now more fully see how spread out they are. The rings will have to be reshaped and soldered back together.

*These pliers have a “soft” inside to prevent damaging the diamonds.*

Using ring bending pliers, I carefully bent the rings back into a semi-round shape. The rings will need to be soldered where they were cut so we can round them out again!

*At this stage the rings have an oval shape.*

After the rings have mostly been bent back into shape, they need to be cleaned first. You can see how dirty they are! Whenever heat is applied to a ring for soldering, it is imperative that the rings are first clean.

*Blue ultrasonic cleaning solution, warmed up!*

An ultrasonic cleaner is used to get the rings nice and clean. This will ensure that no dirt gets stuck to the bottom of the diamonds during the soldering process. It will also help ensure a clean solder job in the places that need to be repaired.

Sizing and Soldering

After the rings have been cleaned, a torch is used to solder the rings back in place. In this instance, the rings were also sized up to accommodate the new finger size. We want to make sure the rings don’t stuck on a finger again!

The 3 rings after they have been sized, soldered and rounded out! We can start to see their original beauty again.

After the rings have been rounded out, they are ready to be soldered back together again. We want to recreate the look of the wedding set before it was cut off of the finger. So the engagement ring goes in the middle and one wedding band is soldered back on each side.

The completed ring! As you can see, not all is lost when needing to have a ring cut off. There are goldsmiths who can take that damaged ring and repair it.

Not only can the ring be repaired and resized, it will also be polished up again to give it that brand new appearance!

3 rings soldered back together to create the completed wedding set.

Three rings soldered back together. If you have a ring that needs to be cut off, contact a goldsmith first to see what they recommend. If all else fails, the ring can be cut off and repaired later.

Remaking A Destroyed Ring

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*A wedding ring completed smashed and bent out of shape.*

I always welcome the chance to restore or remake a destroyed wedding ring. There is something super fun about taking on a project like this.

Many people wonder if a ring can be fixed after it has been smashed or sustained a lot of damage. This post will detail the process of how to remake a destroyed piece of jewelry.

*When attempting the pull the smashed ring apart, the ring snapped in one of the weak spots.*

My original plan was to just melt the ring down and roll it out, then bend it to a ring shape. This could have worked but I wanted to create something seamless and perfect— something that was nearly identical to the original.

I determined that due to the extensive damage the ring sustained, it would be best to cast a whole new ring using the existing materials.

Replicating The Design

*CAD can be used to replicate or design a piece of jewelry with exactness.*

The first step in recreating a destroyed ring is to try to figure out the exact dimensions of the original. In this case, the destroyed ring had plenty of areas where I could measure the exact width and thickness of the ring.

Once the measurements had been taken, the ring was redesigned. Typically this can be done with CAD or by carving a wax by hand. I prefer CAD due to the exactness you can achieve.

Wax Ring Model

Whether you carve a ring model by hand, use a milling machine, or print the jewelry model with a 3-D printer, the final wax model should be ready for casting.

A sprue is attached to the ring that jets out from the surface. This will be used to attach the ring to a base or casting tree.

*Attaching a sprue to the wax with a wax pen.*

The wax model is attached to a base, or “sprued up” as is casting terminology. A wax pen is used to melt the wax and fuse the sprue and the ring model together.

Investing

*Investment powder is weighed on a scale This measurement will be used to fill the flask which holds the ring.*

*Water is added to the investment and stirred in.*

*The wax ring model is enclosed inside of a flask.*

*Investment is poured into the flask. Within a few hours the investment has completely hardened.*

The Burnout

Once the investment has completely hardened, the rubber base is removed and the flask is put into the oven. What happens next is called the “burnout cycle.”

During the burnout cycle the temperature inside the oven ramps up in increments. During this time the wax ring model completely melts and burns out of the flask. Any residual wax is emptied into the wax tray below the flask.

Once the burn out cycle is complete, the flask is brought to casting temperature and is placed in a vacuum casting machine.

Melting & Casting

*The original destroyed ring laying in a crucible.*

*Refined gold is added to the original ring.*

To ensure the new cast is clean and free of defect, “fresh” refined gold is added to the original destroyed ring. It’s always a good idea to add at least 50% refined gold when doing a new casting with existing metal.

A hot flame is applied to the gold sitting in the crucible. Once the gold melts to liquid form, it is then poured into the flask!

Remember the wax model that used to be in the flask? Well that was burned out, leaving a cavity in the investment for the gold to flow into!

*Molten gold fills the void left by the melted wax ring model.*

Molten gold is poured into the flask, perfectly fills the void and assumes the shape of the original wax ring model.

A bit of excess gold is needed to fill the sprue portion. The rest forms a “button”. It’s always good to use a bit extra metal when casting to ensure the jewelry piece comes out as a complete cast.

Finish & Polishing

*The sprue and button are cut off using a jewelers saw.*

*An inside ring grinder is used to achieve a smooth inside surface.*

*A fine sanding disc is used on the outside to smooth the gold and bring the casting out of it’s rough state.*

*A hand tool is used to bring the ring to a semi-polish before it goes to the polishing machine.*

*A lapidary is used to create nice crisp edges on the sides of the ring.*

*The inside ring finger creates a smooth and comfortable surface on the inside of the ring.*

The final polishing wheel smooths out the entire piece and brings it to a high shine.

The Final Result

The completed ring! It’s always such a joy to take a destroyed wedding ring and make it new again.

It doesn’t matter if your ring is smashed, destroyed, or broken—As long as it was made with precious metals such as gold, there’s always hope!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: “I have a ruined ring that I haven’t worn in a long time. Can it be fixed?”

A: Probably! There are many ways to expertly repair jewelry. Worst case scenario, stones and metal can be harvested and used to redesign or remake your ring. Send us a picture of your ruined jewelry for a free quote.

Q: “How much will it cost to repair my broken jewelry?”

A: This entirely depends on what is wrong! Go ahead and contact us and explain what is wrong, we will be happy to give you a free quote!