Have you ever dreamt up a piece of jewelry?

Was it something so specific that you knew it didn’t already exist in the mainstream? Could you see the design in your mind’s eye and just knew you had to create it? Very often this is the start of a one of a kind, custom design. Whether you inherited a gemstone, or it was a gift from a loved one, or you just found the loose stone and want the perfect piece of jewelry to showcase it, a custom designed and created piece of jewelry is the perfect way to do it.

For Isaiah, all of the above was true. When he graduated from high school, he was gifted a beautiful, oval pink tourmaline. He knew he wanted to wear it in a ring, and he knew he wanted the ring to include rose gold as well as white gold. Another thing that was very important to his design was the inclusion of his favorite symbol: the heart.

Isaiah worked with our goldsmith, Russell, to create the sketch rendering of what the finished ring would look like. From the sketch Russ can determine how much of the metal would be used (white and rose gold in this case) as well as how long the process would take. From these calculations we were able to generate an estimate to create this one of a kind ring.

Once the design was settled on, the next step is for Russ to cut the wax. He starts with a tubular piece of wax that has the inside shape of a ring. He uses wax working tools to carve the wax into the shape of the sketch. He sets the stones into the wax so the ring looks like the finished product (except for the fact that it’s green instead of white gold). At this point in the process changes can still be made relatively easily. For example, if Isaiah had wanted the ring to be narrower or wider, or if he had wanted to change from a half bezel to prong set, now would be the time to do it.

From the wax version, the ring is then cast in the metal that was chosen, in this case, white gold. Before the metal has been polished and finished, it has a very grainy, dull appearance. The rose gold pieces are crafted separately and soldered onto the ring base. The finish work is done, the stone(s) are set, and the ring takes on its final, beautiful form.