How long does it take to have a custom ring made?
Major advances in computer technology, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), enable us to offer custom jewelry design services to our customers at prices which are more competitive than ever, and produce custom rings and jewelry of fine quality in an average time period of two weeks from the date when the CAD design is approved.
There are obviously some exceptions to the two week time period, because some designs are more complicated and intricate than others, but on average, the production time for a custom jewelry project is about two weeks.
What is the Process for having a ring custom designed?
Start out by Submitting a Design Request, it helps to be as specific as possible, e.g. let us know whether you are interested in using a diamond from our Signature Collection or the Brian Gavin Blue Collection as a center stone, or if you will be providing one which you already own; provide us with some idea of the design concept that you have in mind; tell us your finger size if you know it; tell us what type of metal you are interested in, etc., the more specific you can be, the more accurate we can be in providing you with a quote.
Fine Tune the Concept for Your Custom Ring:
Upon receipt of your contact request, we will contact you to discuss the details and fine tune your request to ensure that we're on the same page in terms of what you want.
If you've collected some pictures of ring concepts that you like, this would be a great time to share them with us! Keep in mind that we will not duplicate another designer's work, but we can consider examples of their work as concepts that you find appealing. Kind of like when you visit the hair salon and flip through those style books to get an idea of different hair styles that appeal to you.
The Cost of Custom Jewelry Design:
Once we have an idea of what you would like your custom ring to look like, and can estimate the amount of time required to create the design, produce the wax, cast the ring, determine how much the finished ring will weigh (metal weight), and the cost of setting the diamonds, etc., we can provide you with an accurate estimate of what the finished piece will cost.
Note that we prefer to work with our own diamonds and materials because we can select goods which meet our selection standards, and which are calibrated for setting purposes. However we will consider working with gems sourced elsewhere, but will require a release of liability for any damage which may incur during the setting process. Insurance may be available for this purpose...
Production of the CAD Model:
Upon receipt of your payment, we will begin the actual design process and produce the CAD model for your custom jewelry design. The CAD model will represent the actual design of the ring, and will appear in the form of a three dimensional computer rendering, which we will email to you for approval.
At this stage, you will have the opportunity to make any modifications or adjustments to the design which may be necessary.
Creating the Actual Custom Jewelry Design:
Once you sign off on the design of your new custom ring or jewelry item, we'll cut the wax using state of the art milling equipment, and our skilled jewelry artisans will detail the wax by hand, and cast it in the metal of your choice.
Brian Gavin has more than 30 years of jewelry design experience, and personally oversees the production of every piece of jewelry which we custom create. Our jewelers bring the completed wax to him for final approval, and bring the finished casting to him for inspection, prior to setting any diamonds or colored gems.
Once your custom ring or jewelry item is completed, Brian will inspect it once again, and we will take some glamour shots of it to send to you via email. From start to finish, most custom jewelry projects take about two weeks to complete from the date when you approve the design.
