custom jewelry

‘Invisible Gallery’ Engagement Ring With Matching Wedding Band

Custom platinum wedding set. Invisible gallery engagement ring with custom wedding band to match.

This custom platinum wedding set features an invisible gallery on the engagement ring and a custom matching wedding band.

The 2 carat center stone is supported by a hidden rail underneath that reveals diamonds on the sides. The bands were made to be on the thinner side to achieve a beautiful modern look.

Custom Matching Wedding Band

This platinum wedding set was designed to be a cohesive look between the engagement ring and wedding band.

The wedding band sits up perfectly next to the engagement ring and runs underneath the rail of the center stone. This allows the set to be worn together without any visible gaps between the two rings.

For all custom wedding band inquires, fill out our customization form!

What is an ‘invisible gallery’?

A CAD rendering of what an invisible gallery engagement ring looks like.

The gallery of a ring is the section that is seen from the side, or looking through the ring. Many times this can be solid metal or some sort of decorative design.

In this case the ring was designed to have an “invisible gallery” or simply, no gallery at all.

This allows you to see the bottom quarter of the center stone, including the bottom point, or culet.

The rail that makes up the center stone setting was designed to have diamonds set down into the sides.

This is a really neat feature as these diamonds cannot be seen when looking down at the ring, however if you look at the ring from the sides, the shimmering diamonds reveal themselves.

Clickhere to shop our engagement ring collection!

Use Your Own Stone For A Ring

By Leave a Comment

When the time comes to purchase an engagement ring, many people will rely on their jeweler to supply the stone. Buying an already completed ring is generally the most common way an engagement ring is purchased.

In this post I will be covering a frequently asked question I receive:

“Is it possible to use my own stone for an engagement ring?“

The title of this page is spoiler—yes, it is possible to use your own stone for a ring. Whether it be an engagement ring or some other type of jewelry, you can always use what you already have.

THE LOOSE STONE

So what are the most common reasons people have their own diamonds or gemstones? Oftentimes these stones are inherited from family members. In addition, loose stones can also be purchased alone without a ring setting to to go with it.

“Can I take my stone to a jewelry store and pick out a setting for it?“

Depending on the stone you have, it may be possible to do this, however I have found that it is not always the best option. The reason being is because you are trying to fit your stone into a ring that has already been designed.

The best way to use your own stone for an engagement ring is to have the ring custom made! This way the ring will be perfectly designed to fit the size and aesthetic of your stone.

To get started, please fill out the customization form.

DESIGNING A RING WITH AN UNIQUELY SHAPED STONE

Finding a ring setting for an uniquely shaped stone is not only hard, it’s usually impossible! This is why having a custom ring made by a goldsmith is the way to go.

A goldsmith can measure the stone out with exactness and craft a ring to match those dimensions. In this case, CAD was used to build the bezel to fit the stone.

While the gray diamond doesn’t look exactly the same in renderings, the shape and stone dimensions are measured with exactness.

The ring was made with a custom bezel in order to incorporate the shield cut stone. In addition to the custom bezel, the ring shank is flat on the top. This compliments the sharp lines of the bezel.

Part of the allure of having an engagement ring custom made is that the same ring could literally not be found in any jewelry store!

ALTERNATE ANGLES

RING VIDEO

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it is not uncommon for people to inherit jewelry from relatives. By hiring a goldsmith, you can rest assured that you can use your existing stones to create something beautiful.

Remaking A Destroyed Ring

By 1 Comment

*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!

How To Make New Rings Out Of Old Jewelry

By 1 Comment

*TRANSFORMATION: Taking the gold and diamonds from old jewelry and making new rings out if it.*

Have you ever wondered if you could take an inherited piece of jewelry and make new rings out of it?

I inherited jewelry from my grandma, I want to use it to make something new, but also keep the sentimental value. Is this possible?”

Answer: Yes, you can! We understand the importance of keeping the sentimental aspect of inherited jewelry. This means that new jewelry can be created using the existing gold, diamonds, or gemstones. (Have your own question? Ask us! )

Before

The original looks like the ring itself was the product of a redesign. The reason I think this is because there were many varying stones sizes and different cuts as well.

The ring design also features a lot of gold! It’s almost as if all of the jewelry of the original owner was combined into the one ring. This free-form style is interesting, but it looks pretty outdated.

In order to make the ring more modern, we had some fun coming up with ideas on how to redesign and repurpose this old jewelry.

Pulling The Stones

*Stone setting pliers are used to bend the prongs off of the stones and remove them one by one.*

If you want to repurpose jewelry, the easiest thing to do is to use the existing stones. If your jewelry has diamonds or gemstones, they can usually be safely extracted from the old ring to be put to use in the new design.

*Loose diamonds that have been pulled from old jewelry.*

Many people think they need to sell their old jewelry and use the money they get from the diamonds to buy a new piece of jewelry. This is actually the wrong way to go about it!

Selling used jewelry is incredibly hard to do unless you are willing to settle for pennies on the dollar. The best option would be to take the existing stones out of your old jewelry and put them into new jewelry. You can reuse them! This is not only the more economical choice, but it also maintains the sentimental aspect of the stones.

The New Ring Design

*3 stone diamond ring. Bezel set stones and a thin 1.5 millimeter band.*

The fun part about redesigning an old piece of jewelry is coming up with the idea. In this case, the granddaughters wanted to take their grandmas old ring and make three separate rings out of it!

The great thing about CAD renderings is you are able to get a vision of what the jewelry project will look like before it is cast in metal. To learn more or start the CAD process, visit our custom jewelry page.

*CAD renderings are a perfect way to catch the vision of what your future ring will look like.*

The new ring design features a thin 1.5 millimeter band with a 3 stone bezel setting. Since there were so many stones to choose from in the original ring, we used slightly larger stones for the center and smaller stones on the sides as accents. The original diamonds shine to create beautiful new rings!

From CAD To Reality

*Rough ring castings before they are buffed to a high polish.*

The process goes from CAD to metal by printing a 3D model of the rings in wax. These models are then attached to a sprue, invested, and cast in gold using the lost wax casting process.

After the rings are cast they are cleaned up and prepped for stone setting. Once the stones are set in place the rings are polished to bring out their final beautiful form.

Final Results

*Grandmas ring made 3 rings for 3 sisters.*

The final result of the ring designing project was a success! 3 beautiful rings were created using inherited jewelry. A modern and minimalist look was achieved and the sentimental aspect remains!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: “How much does it cost to redesign a piece of jewelry?“

A: The starting price for a jewelry redesign is $295. The final cost depends entirely on the scope of the project. The good news is you can save a lot of money by using the existing metal and stones towards the new ring. Contact us for a free quote!

Q: “Where should I go to sell my old jewelry?”

A: Many people assume they can get a decent amount of money from selling their old jewelry. The problem is most gold buyers will not pay the full amount of what the scrap value is worth. When redesigning your old jewelry, you can use 100% of the scrap value towards your new piece.

Q: “I want to repurpose my old jewelry but am unsure about what style I want. What are my options?”

A: The best thing you can do is start simple! Think about what type of jewelry you would like to wear. For example a ring, necklace, earrings, etc. Once you have a general idea of what you want, a goldsmith can help you with the new design!

Vintage Inspired Rose Gold Bridal Set

By Leave a Comment

*photograph by Susanne Ashby Photography*

Everyone, it’s finally here!

A beautiful vintage inspired rose gold engagement ring with a custom filigree “shadow” wedding band to match.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

THE ENGAGEMENT RING

This stunning engagement ring is vintage-inspired and cast in 14kt rose gold. Set with a heirloom center diamond.

Made with an uniquely shaped halo and a milgrain edge accent, it’s the perfect blend of both vintage and elegant. [Read more…] about Vintage Inspired Rose Gold Bridal Set