Designing and Making Custom Wedding Bands? 121
dystrophy asks: "I'm planning on getting married shortly after I graduate in December. Because I'm a student who doesn't work much, I don't have tons of money to spend on an engagement ring/wedding band. After discussing this situation with friends and family, I discovered that poverty is the great equalizer. My parents designed their own wedding bands and had them cast for relatively little money because they inherited diamonds and gold from their family. Because of finances, they decided to forgo the engagement ring and spend what they had on wedding bands. I have some decent quality diamonds and gold from my family. I haven't talked to my "wife to be" about the engagement ring yet (touchy topic), but she might be willing to go with a simple engagement ring, or just put the money toward a wedding band. I have just started doing research on the topic of designing rings. I have talked to several jewelry designers in the Bay Area, but they don't want to deal with me. They want to sell me their diamonds and gold (I've heard various and interesting excuses from each). How should I go about this? Where should I go? When it comes down to the design, should I just work with my wife-to-be to create sketches to give a designer, or is something more needed? Any really cool ideas and designs for wedding bands?"
Re:Get her something more useful (Score:1)
Be unique (Score:1)
And you're asking Slashdot... why?? (Score:5, Interesting)
Anyhow, one idea I can offer for "cool" rings, if you like black (clothes and etc), is Zirconium. It's not just for fake jewels; unlike its crystalline form, its metal state is non-tarnishing and a very cool greyish-black. My wedding ring is half zirconium, half yellow gold (like the top and bottom halves of a sandwich).
My wife has a big 'ol honkin' rock - it's a 4 carat clear Opal. It draws a lot of comment and was within our budget, but as it's a soft mineral it requires some extra care.
Only on slashdot (Score:5, Funny)
Only on slashdot would you see someone describe the ultimate material symbol of his lifelong unending love, as a sandwich.
What a website!
Re:Only on slashdot (Score:1)
> ultimate material symbol of his lifelong unending love, as a sandwich.
Was it:
- Because I was typing in kind of a hurry and couldn't think of a clear, 1-word way to describe how the basically-toroidal shape the ring was divided up into gold and the black halves, or
- because I also love sandwiches?
(And why would you equate Slashdot with inappropriate food similies anyway?)
Truthfully, we weren't even going to bother buying rings - she was going to
Re:Only on slashdot (Score:1)
Re:Only on slashdot (Score:1)
Hardly. More than half of marriages end in divorce, and most of the rest are just sticking it out till they die so they don't look bad. This is hardly "the ultimate material symbol of his lifelong unending love."
Try these people? (Score:1)
deSignet International [raru.com]
I had a great experience buying from this company, but I didn't get a custom designed ring from them. They state outright that they do custom designs. They may be open to using client-furnished materials, too.
Keep looking (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Keep looking (Score:1)
Why design a ring? (Score:3, Funny)
Save money, save yourself. (Score:5, Insightful)
Ewww. Good grief.
My advice. Run away, don't look back.
Re:Save money, save yourself. (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Save money, save yourself. (Score:2)
Is she hot? Hook a Bro'da up with some digits... Come on man... I realize you too are getting a divorce, but I'm not really looking for a relationship. So tell me... Is she hot?
Re:Save money, save yourself. (Score:1)
Re:Save money, save yourself. (Score:2, Informative)
I've been in love with this girl for more than 10 years (and still in love with her, and she with me, after 2 years of dating), so I'm SURE she's the one.
-darren
Re:Save money, save yourself. (Score:2)
So you were sitting around for 8 years waiting for a date from this broad?
Pathetic, man!
Custom != less expensive (Score:2)
My fiancee and I had her engagement ring custom made. We had them get a selection of stones to look at instead of trying to get them elsewhere, however, if they pushed issue we would have gone elsewhere. My feeling though was that we could have brought our own stones in.
We worked with the designer to get something we liked. They know how the metals and stones work with each other. This is their field of expertise. Your job is get something you li
If you are looking for cheap… (Score:5, Informative)
Second, look for the combo engagement / wedding set. A simple 1/3 carrot diamond will save much heartache later. I'd say buy a modest CZ and swap the gem later, but that has critical fumble written all over it. You can always upgrade the gem later in life, but odds are she wont. (You will end up purchasing other jewelry later in life, however...)
Lastly, get yourself a plain wedding band. Keep it simple, second hand preferred.
Re:If you are looking for cheap… (Score:2)
Re:If you are looking for cheap… (Score:1)
Re:If you are looking for cheap… (Score:2)
For our engagement ring we bought a second hand ring and had it re-sized, and the stone adjusted to sit lower. Much cheaper, and yet in a way more personalized than a jewelry store ring - especially since similar antique styles are no longer found at jewelry stores.
For our wedding bands we worked with a friend of a friend who is a jeweler to design and create custom rings that combined two standard jeweler's "blanks" in a unique way.
As to using you're own gems & metal, I sec
My family secret is... (Score:3, Interesting)
My parents did it, (no engagement ring, just wedding bands) I've done it already with the engagement ring, and I think I'll probably be able to get her to go for it on the wedding bands, as well.
Going the custom-design route can be very cool, but unless you know a jewelry designer and/or metalsmith, it's probably just a good way to end up with some very nice mental images or sketches of the ring of your dreams.
weddding rings (Score:3, Funny)
what?! (Score:1, Funny)
Actually, why the hell would you even bring a chicken on your honeymoon???
Re:what?! (Score:3, Funny)
Hey, don't knock it, City-Boy!
Re:weddding rings (Score:1)
Re:weddding rings (Score:1)
Don't worry, you don't have to say anything.
We already know the answer.
Wait (Score:2, Insightful)
artists that do jewelry (Score:5, Informative)
Remember, gold usually can only me formed once or twice before surface pitting becomes a issue. Make sure any "used" gold is not a re-formed ring.
--
On a side note, if you can't talk to your fiance about the engagement ring because its a "touchy subject" she may not be the one for you. Common interests and understanding speak volumes.
Good luck.
Re:artists that do jewelry (Score:1, Informative)
This is, of course, completely wrong. Practically every ounce of gold out there has been melted and formed more times than you can count. We're not pulling gold out of the ground by the ton, you know! That's why it's expensive!
Here's whatcha do. Go to Canada and visit their national mint. Yeah, yeah, I know. Canada: pfft, whatever. But seriously, their national mint makes the finest gold coins in the world. Tho
Re:artists that do jewelry (Score:1)
It also has zinc in it to keep the alloy from oxidizing and pitting.
There should be some private craftsmen that work in jewlery.
If you want a wedding band, talk to your dentist.
I waxed and cast my wife's and my weeding rings, we were both very happy with them.
A custom ring, being unique, makes
Re:artists that do jewelry (Score:2)
Name? Address? Would love to give him more business.
Re:artists that do jewelry (Score:1)
Lies! (Score:2)
Re:Lies! (Score:2)
Sure there is. They do poor renditions of popular music at half the price of your typical bar bands....
Stylish wedding ring concepts (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Stylish wedding ring concepts (Score:5, Funny)
And a few years after that, she'll accuse you of trying to steal her "precious", drown you in a river, eat your remains (uncooked, of course), and disappear into a cave for a few centuries...
Re:Stylish wedding ring concepts (Score:1)
Re:Stylish wedding ring concepts (Score:2)
Re:Stylish wedding ring concepts (Score:1)
Combine engagement and wedding ring... (Score:3, Informative)
We couldn't afford two rings, so we designed a single ring that had two parts: An engagement band that had a few diamonds on it which she wore for a year, and a wedding band that fit around the engagement band. It cost far less then two different rings.
They want to sell me their diamonds and gold
You may not be able to use your own gold.
Most jewelers are very picky about their gold quality, and don't want to run into the chance of your gold being less pure, and thus harder to work with (Big deal with working with small details).
We ended up selling some of our gold to the jewler that made our ring, for around the jewler-market price (which is less then what you see in Wall Street Journal).
However, I do know that there are jewelers (mostly smaller shops) who would use your gold. Just be persistent.
When it comes down to the design, should I just work with my wife-to-be to create sketches to give a designer, or is something more needed?
I'm a big fan of feminism: Equal rights, and equal responsibility
As for how to choose a jeweler, the guy who designed her ring was nice, but slow, so we won't recommend him. However, we really liked these two places:
- There's another place on College Ave. in Berkeley or Oakland called "The Family Jules" or something. They were our second choice for my ring, and they had alot of rings for women also.
- I really liked the family who did my ring. I got a rose-gold keltic-style band at MacManus and Sons [macmanusandson.com] on Shattuck in Berkeley. They are very well known (especially in the Geek community), and I've had a number of people comment on their high quality and friendly store. Mr. MacManus is a nice guy, and he cleans and fixes my ring for free.
My wife and I had 4 sketches, we took it to several jeweler, and had them draw out a better sketch. We chose our jewler based on price, design and personality. However, I wouldn't recommend him to anyone, because he was slow.
We talked to 4 different artists. Two of them were recommended by friends, and the other two were selling their pretty goods at the Ren Faire.
Touchy Topic? (Score:1)
I assume by this comment that your WTB places a high value on the rings she gets out of the deal. If she is truly the right woman for you...she wouldn't care how good the ring was...because it's just a thing...it's not important...the commitment to each other is the important thing.
Re:Touchy Topic? (Score:2)
Alternatively, she could be a real Babe...
Re:Touchy Topic? (Score:2)
But I suppose that if you don't find the whole notion of a guy coming to a "News for Nerds" Website and asking questions about what kind of wedding jewelry to buy absolutely over-the-top bizarre/hysterical, I guess there's little hope of you finding humor in subtler matters.
Computer Designed Wedding Bands (Score:3, Informative)
Here's a computer rendering of the rings.
Rendering [thebucket.org]
Here's the final rings.
Real Rendering [thebucket.org]
Re:Computer Designed Wedding Bands (Score:2)
i've seen this topic before (Score:2)
I'm off topic and proud.
Re:i've seen this topic before (Score:2, Insightful)
This is a different vein... simply, what do geeks (and poor geeks) do for wedding rings. Nothing wrong with that. Some of us actually get married, want to have kids, etc.
Personally, this stuff is refreshing. I'm getting sick of articles about new cell phone gadgets, the RIAA, or whatnot.
Re:i've seen this topic before (Score:2)
Those rules are over a 100 years old, and were written for upper-class men who could afford 24 months salary on rings. The rules are different now... I couldn't find a $150k wedding ring if I tried.
Here's a clue: It's a free world, you don't have to follow the rules. Do your own thing. Set your own traditions. Liberate yourself and your potential spouse a little. My wife and I bought o
Re:i've seen this topic before (Score:1)
To plug a pal who does this... (Score:2)
He does really good work and is a very no-bullshit sort of guy.
Communicate with your fiance IMMEDIATELY! (Score:3, Insightful)
I haven't talked to my "wife to be" about the engagement ring yet (touchy topic),...
A few people have already said something along these lines, but let me make it a bit more explicit. If this topic gets her emotional than perhaps you'd better do whatever the hell she wants. She clearly cares about this issue and I don't think you are doing yourself a service by researching something behind her back. That is, unless you feel equally passionate about the subject of engagement rings (however, most guys don't). At the very least should be discussing this openly with her. I think she's going to be mucho pissedo (that's Spanish for "very upset") that you are soliciting the opinions of a bunch of online geeks that you've never met before sitting down with her and having a very heart-to-heart talk about this. Remember, if there is one thing that women want, it's to be the #1 priority in your life. She wants you to listen to her opinions and feelings. Not to tell her there are "better ways".
Personally, I would discuss the wedding ring issue with your girlfriend RIGHT NOW and make sure she's at least open to options. If she's not, then drop it. Do what she wants. If she is open to new ideas, THEN start to do your research, perhaps getting her to help you. I don't know your girlfriend but most women would not be pleased to find out that you've done all this research on ring alternatives without even discussing the idea with her first.
GMD
Dental implement maker? (Score:3, Interesting)
That's sort of along the lines of the person who recommended an artist... try to find someone with the skills to do it that might be willing to do it on the side.
Advice (Score:2)
Some of these questions have popped up on Slashdot earlier and you can search older stories for some suggestions.
Two important things.
It's vitally important you and your mate-to-be feel very comfortable about communicating with one another honestly. You should be able to ask her what she thinks about jewelry, engagement rings, wedding bands. And she should be able to tell you honestly what she thinks ("Really - everythings fine!" [goes off to pout]). If it turns out that she doesn't say what she means, t
Walnut Creek (Score:2)
They took the diamonds that I gave them. I picked out a setting and a sapphire, and they made the ring exactly as I wan
Re:waste of time (Score:2)
You have answered your own question.
-ccm
Check estate pieces (Score:2)
DIY (Score:2)
Scary (Score:1)
I think society has you a bit trained about what is acceptable. I put it simply: Diamonds are murder. Diamonds support terror. [allafrica.com]
So-called conflict diamonds are re-sourced via Amsterdam, just like oil from Iraq was re-routed via Turkey. Diamonds only have value because of their monopoly status [professionaljeweler.com], too. Please think of this before committing to diamonds.
Much better to go with semi-precious stones. Can you imagine the trouble over losing a ring worth over $1000? It still surprises me that this is often the most
Re:Scary (Score:2)
All he said was that the engagement ring was a "touchy subject". Perhaps she feels the same way you do, or perhaps he does. I don't claim to know.
It is true that some diamonds end up going through the hands of terrorist groups. Others do not. Believe it or not, there are even ways of finding out where a given diamond comes from, and thus one can be careful not to "support terror" when buying a diamond. For example, hty www.wholesalecanadiand [wholesalec...amonds.com]
Ours were Mobius Strips (Score:2)
When my wife and I got married we didn't have alot of money. We took my parents (they were dead) wedding rings and had the gold melted down and combined into two new rings. We wanted them to be special and we'd always been interested in the topology and symbolism of a mobius strip (one sided one edged object).
We found a local designer and presented our request and made him a couple of mobius strips outta paper so he
Re:Ours were Mobius Strips (Score:2)
You should get her a plain gold band (Score:3, Funny)
And when you talk to your "Precious", she'll think you mean
-her-!
Ummm... (Score:1)
Re:Ummm... (Score:2)
Wow. (Score:1)
Got any dead relatives laying around? (Score:2)
Machine Shop + Local Jeweler (Score:2)
Re:Machine Shop + Local Jeweler (Score:1)
Moebius (Score:2)
Anyway, being the semi-geeks that they are, they have Moebius rings. Neat.
Watch the diamonds! (Score:1)
what i did (Score:1)
half the price of where i live and she loves the ring
News for Nerds? (Score:1)
Well, not to say your upcoming wedding isn't important, but I can't quite see how it all relates to the general genre of this site. It seems I've had a growing concern regarding the contents of Slashdot since mid last year, and I often question / wonder how one chooses an everyday delemma over a funky new scientific discovery to post to the geek community.
I apologise if this is the wrong place for such a comment, but hasn't anybody else noticed the rising trend
Hmm. (Score:2)
Luckily for me, diamonds are not traditional for her; infact, she did not want a diamond. We simply bought gold bands with a cut design in them and had them engrave the title of 'our song' inside, "No More Shall We Part" (Nick Cave). Each ring was $100.
There isn't any use is spending loads of
Belgian Diamond, Los Gatos (Score:2)
In Europe... (Score:3, Interesting)
If your fiance balks at not getting an engagement ring, tell her you're following in your (hopefully) German heritage. It'll probably be a good conversation starter, and sounds better than, "We decided not to get an engagement ring." Which, BTW, translates into, "My stupid fiance is too cheap to buy be a frikken ring!"
Just a thought.
I recommend Tradeshop (Score:2)
I recommend taking a look at Tradeshop [tradeshop.com]. There is a wealth of information on their website, and be sure to take a look at their specials. You can also read client letters and see previews of client (who have given permission) custom rings in the making
And, yes, this is who made my wife's engagement and wedding rings and my wedding band (custom platinum and gold celtic design). The customer service was outstanding, there was always a real person to talk to at the other end of the telephone.
There websit
Check your salary (Score:2)
If you want to truly test the strength of your relationship, propose over the phone. *ring* "Hi! This is your engagement ring! Will you marry me?"
Custom design, from scratch, decent prices (Score:2)
My wife and I went through the same thing a little over a year ago looking for rings (in fact, our anniversary is Monday
We found a number of custom jewelers online and emailed/phoned a few of them to get a feel for the process. We ende
You should Roll your own (Score:1)
Sailor's knots (Score:1)
After my experience dealing with him, I would happily steer some more business his way. Unfortunately, this comment is a day late and probably won't be read by anyone.
make it yourself (Score:1)
Get a job, get the diamond (Score:3, Informative)
Yep, stupid social traditions, but there they are.
If you want to avoid supporting DeBeers, get a second-hand diamond, they're "forever", remember? If you're picky, you'll have to get new (I wanted a brilliant cut VVSI G
For the Wedding bands, we did well at Sam's Club. Simple gold bands can be had for about $50 each, I think we splurged for the $70 variety. But the wedding band isn't important, there's a ceremony coincident with them which is far more important. There's no engagement ceremony though, so the engagement ring is very important.
whatever you do... (Score:1)
How about estate ring? (Score:2)
Add to that, the fact that since star sapphires can be manufactured, nobody wants to pay for a real one [followed by the fact that nobody wants a fake one, since they all must be fake], so good star sapphires were relatively hard to find.
So anyhow, for our engagement, I went down to Rocky's Gold and Silver in Weyers Cave, VA, and saw a 5mm x 7 mm estate star sapphire mounted with four microdimonds in
I think the least of your troubles is the ring. (Score:2)
You're getting married in 8 months and you can't talk to your soon to be wife because it's a touchy subject? It's not gonna get any easier. Wait til the issue of finances come up. I hope you are prepared.
Know this expression -- Triple Keystone (Score:2)
The problem is, they are charging that because they mostly have to. They need to have a jeweler on staff to put people's stones back in the mounting, size rings, etc. Jewelers expect to be paid reasonably well. They have to pay insane insurance on all of the diamonds that are just lying around.
Now, the problem is, it's not going to save you any to have the jeweler do stuff for you. Any savings in them not needing to keep stock goes to
A site that might be useful (Score:1)
re-enacters? (Score:2)
I'd try calling/emailing some of the re-enacters [google.com] in your area and asking them. There's often good tradesfolk among them who are happy to work with special designs.
Good luck, and congratulations.
Ralf