Sorry but due to poor health (M.S.) I am unable to take on much in the way of private commissions at the moment :-(
So if you would like to commission your own design ring just how do you go about it?
(Well you contact me about it of course :-) )
Firstly of course is what is your ideal design? what sort
of ring would you like?
(You can see some examples
of rings I have made in the past by clicking here if you wish.)
A Solitaire? a 3 Stone? Eternity? Cluster? and have you seen an example or
something close to what you would like somewhere?
If you have and if you can then send me a picture or a link to the one that
has caught your eye. As someone once said a picture speaks a thousand words,
so any picture even if only as a starting point can save everyone a lot of
time. A thumbnail sketch can do just as well by the way, and you don't have
to be any sort of an artist either :-) It just needs to show the basic
components of your design, whatever it is
you would like for your own, special, personal design.
Decide which Metal would you like it made from?
Each has different properties and values -
Platinum in particular is very
good for setting Diamonds. Rare and very precious, dense, won't tarnish,
polishes to a high white finish, more resistant to scratching and much
stronger than Gold. In most ways its the ideal metal for a ring that is worn
all the time, but at a premium in price of course!
Gold. Eternally popular and comes in a variety of colours, pure 22ct yellow,
pale 9ct yellow, 18ct White Gold, 9 & 18ct Rose (red) Gold or even faintly green tinted.
(please note I do not supply any form of plated Gold by the
way, as even the very best plating will always wear through eventually, so in my
opinion it just shouldn't be used on a ring that is worn frequently)
Palladium is an up and coming metal for jewellery too now. Part of the Platinum
group of metals it has a similar appearance when finished, though its much
lighter in weight and less costly than its big brother :-)
and Silver of course. Bright white and with a long and distinguished history.
Decide on your budget (gulp). Is it
realistic for your design? especially if its for a solitaire Diamond?
Please try and be as realistic as possible about this. While I can
certainly give you better value for money than any High street shop version I can't give you a
'D' colour 'Flawless' clarity 2ct Diamond for £1000.00! and anyone who tells you
they can is either a conman or a liar I'm afraid :-( A quick online search
for "Diamond Brokers" will give you a LOT of hits, and browsing a few will give
you a good idea of standard prices and the way they vary with the size, shape
and quality of the gemstones.
So, assuming we're talking about a solitaire engagement ring for the moment,
What sort of Diamond would you like?
Round Brilliant? Princess? Oval? Pear? Marquise?
You'll need to bear in mind that Diamond prices don't go up in a nice simple and
smooth progression. Its more like climbing a staircase with rather uneven steps! For
instance you gets steps at 1/4ct, 1/2ct, 1ct and so on. So two 1/2ct stones
would definitely be less in total than the price of an equivalent cut, colour &
clarity single 1ct Diamond for
example.
You get similar uneven steps with Colour grades. So a 'D' colour Diamond is going to be
a lot more expensive than an equivalent 'H' colour, which will still be quite a
lot more than a 'K'.
Likewise the price difference between Clarity Grades jumps unevenly as you go up
between the 'I' (or 'P'), SI, VS and VVS grades. As a very rough rule of thumb
you can double the price each time you go up a full grade e.g. I1 to SI1.
The shape of the cut Diamond also affects the price depending on what's in
fashion and what isn't. Round Brilliant cut stones usually being at the top and
the benchmark against which the others are measured, but Princess cuts come very
close at times.
These are the basic '4C's that determine the price of a Diamond. Carat, Colour,
Clarity & Cut. There are lots of other factors as well of course, for instance a
GIA certificate can increase the price of a stone by 25%, and the quality of the
'Make' (how well its cut and polished) can have a similar effect on its value.
There's a bit more information on the
'Four C's':- Carat, Colour,
Clarity & Cut, here if you would like to learn more.
Now just put it all together and simply ask me :-)
And then I will work out the costs and availability of the materials, how
long it would take me to do it and I'll reply with an estimate and/or
suggestions. You aren't committing yourself to anything at all at this stage of
course, and it can't cost you anything to ask can it? :-) Email is by far the
most reliable way of contacting me by the way.
If you like my estimate I'll send you a firm quote and ask you to send me a
deposit. If it doesn't quite fit :-) then I'll do my best to suggest some
other options for you e.g. a different metal or a different specification
Diamond, to get you to what you want.
Then I'll create your own unique ring for you.
I'll send you pictures of the various stages of its creation as it progresses if
you like, and when its done I'll either send you pictures of the completed ring
for you to check, or if you are close enough you could come and see me in the
flesh at Warwick, to make sure it is what you wanted. Only when you're perfectly
happy with it do you need to pay the balance and then you leave with your own
very special and unique ring on your finger :-)
Comments? Questions? (typo's?) Email me on bd.unitt@hand-crafted-rings.com I'll get back to you as soon as I possibly can.