Custom design in Orange, Connecticut
Some people walk into a jewelry store, see the ring, and know. Others look at every case in the state and never find it, because the piece they are picturing has not been made yet.
Custom design is not a luxury add-on, and it is not necessarily more expensive than buying from a case. It is a different route to the same destination: you decide the design, the stone and the budget, and the piece is built around those three things instead of around what a manufacturer guessed would sell.
We have been designing custom pieces in Orange since 2002.
What we make
Engagement rings
From a classic solitaire to a design that exists nowhere else. We source the center stone to your specification, natural or lab grown, and build the setting around it.
Wedding bands
Including bands contoured to sit flush against an existing engagement ring, which is difficult to buy off a shelf and straightforward to make to measure.
Heirloom redesigns
Stones taken out of a piece nobody wears and reset into something worn every day. The sentimental part survives. The dated setting does not.
Anniversary and milestone pieces
Marking something specific, in a design that says what it is for rather than what was in stock that week.
Matched sets
A pendant or earrings that echo a piece you already own and wear, built to the same proportions and finish.
Rebuilds
When a piece is too far gone to repair, remaking it is often the better answer, and usually the cheaper one.
The process
01
Consultation and stone selection
We talk about what you have in mind, what you are working with, and what matters most: the stone, the design, the budget, the date it has to be ready. Bring photos, screenshots, sketches, anything. There is no such thing as too vague a starting point.
If the design needs a center stone, we source options to your specification and you see the actual stone in person, under magnification, before anything is committed.
- Review inspiration, photographs and sketches
- Choose the metal: 14k or 18k gold, or platinum
- Inspect loose diamonds and gemstones under magnification
- Agree a working budget before design begins
02
3D design and your approval
Your piece is modeled in 3D and you receive photorealistic renderings from every angle. Every prong, gallery rail and millimeter of thickness is decided here, on screen, where changing it costs nothing.
You get an initial design and two rounds of revisions, three designs in total. Nothing is cast until you approve the final one.
- High resolution renderings from every angle
- First design plus two rounds of revisions
- Further revisions quoted before any extra work is done
- Final written price confirmed before production
03
Casting and fabrication
Once you approve the design, the piece is cast in your chosen metal and fabricated at the bench. Casting cleanup, hand forging and laser welding turn raw metal into a structurally sound foundation for the stones.
This stage goes to the trade workshop we have used for years. We say so plainly because it is the reason the work comes back right: a dedicated bench with the proper equipment produces better results than a back room. You deal with us throughout, from drop off to final fitting.
- High density casting, checked for porosity
- Laser welding for seamless joints
- Structural inspection before any stone is set
04
Setting, polish and final fitting
The most critical stage. Whether it is a classic prong setting, a bezel, or micropave work, stones are set by hand under magnification. The piece then goes through a multi stage polish.
You see it, we check the fit on your hand, and anything that needs adjusting is adjusted before it goes home with you.
- Hand setting under magnification
- Multi stage polishing, and rhodium plating on white gold
- Final quality inspection
- Fitting and adjustment with you present
What it costs to start
- $250 design fee
- Covers your initial CAD and two rounds of revisions. It is non-refundable, and it is credited in full toward the purchase price if you go ahead with the piece.
- 50% deposit
- Due when you approve the final design and production begins. The balance is due on completion.
- Quotes valid 7 days
- Diamond and precious metal markets move daily. Beyond a week, a quote may need to be refreshed.
In other words, if you commission the piece, the design fee is not an extra cost. It is the first $250 of the ring. It is retained only if you decide not to proceed, because the design work has already been done.
Once production has begun, a custom order cannot be cancelled or returned, because the piece cannot be resold. The design stage exists so that nothing reaches production before you are certain.
Working with stones you already own
An heirloom ring sitting in a drawer is doing nothing for anyone. The stones in it are usually perfectly good, and often better cut than their age suggests.
We regularly take stones out of a piece nobody wears and reset them into something worn every day. Before any stone is removed we examine it and tell you honestly whether it is sound enough to reset. Old stones sometimes carry chips and inclusions that make removal risky, and you will know that before we start, not after.
Common questions
Is custom more expensive than buying from a case?
Not necessarily. You control the stone and the metal, which is where most of the cost sits, so a custom piece is often built to a budget more precisely than a ready made one.
How long does it take?
Plan on several weeks from first consultation to finished piece. If you have a date, tell us at the first meeting and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible.
What if I want more than two revisions?
Tell us and we will quote the additional design time before doing it. Most pieces are settled well within the two included rounds.
Do you work with lab grown diamonds?
Yes, alongside natural stones. We will explain the difference in price, grading and resale without steering you either way.
Can you copy a ring I saw online?
We can design something inspired by it. We will not reproduce another designer's protected work, and any jeweler who offers to should worry you.
Have something in mind?
Bring your ideas, your stones, or nothing at all. The first conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
See the designer brands we carry
500 Boston Post Road, Orange, CT 06477 · (203) 799-7999
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10–6 · Thursday 10–8 · Saturday 10–5 · Closed Sunday and Monday
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