Emma J, a nurse from the North-East, was particularly close to her grandmother who has sadly passed. She was lucky enough to have inherited her grandmother’s wedding ring as a forever keepsake to remember the woman who had been so special to her. After her partner, Gary, had proposed she absolutely knew that she wanted a bespoke wedding ring which would use her grandmother’s ring in some way.
Knowing that she wanted to keep her grandmother with her always, Emma had originally discussed trying to make her own bespoke wedding ring using the material of her grandmother’s ring. Obviously, this would mean losing the ring itself, but it would allow her to keep the memory of her grandmother with her always. Emma and her friend headed to the internet to investigate what and how it could be done.
Fortunately for Emma, her friend shared with her the Rings By Design social media. After taking a look at our previous work and liking what she had seen she got in touch to arrange a chat about her ideas of recycling her grandmother’s ring to create her own bespoke wedding ring. We arranged an appointment and she came to see us.
Absolutely EVERY piece we create has massive importance. In this case we just knew that this was an especially important piece of bespoke jewellery. Not only was this going to be Emma and Gary’s symbol of unending love and dedication, but this was going to be a way for Emma to carry her grandmother’s memory for the rest of her life. A tribute not only to her grandmother but to her grandmother’s own successful marriage.
Emma’s idea of creating a bespoke ring by recycling the original material was a fine idea and we most certainly could achieve that very easily. However, we felt that there was something more we could offer. Recycling the material would effectively mean destroying the original piece which seemed a terrible shame.
As with all of our bespoke jewellery we explored different design options and we came up with an incredible solution that would mean that not only would Emma be able to have the bespoke wedding ring of her dreams, but she would be able to retain her grandmother’s ring! Emma loved the plans and selected the design she loved the most.
We took Emma’s grandmother’s ring and cut a slice off it. This meant that she would retain most of the ring intact. We when rolled this piece of the ring into a sheet of material. We cast a ring of white gold as per Emma’s choice, but with a channel running around it. We then laid Emma’s Grandmother’s yellow gold into the channel, soldering it in place. This created a beautiful bespoke wedding band of Emma’s modern looking white gold selection and her grandmother’s classic yellow gold.
The next dilemma was that Emma wanted diamonds. Unfortunately, because she is a nurse, she thought that diamonds wouldn’t be an option because of restrictions on jewellery in her workplace. Claw settings, Tiffany’s, Illusions – she thought all settings were out of the equation. Leave it to us Emma! We’ve got you.
As part of the design of her bespoke wedding ring, we introduced Emma to the channel setting. With this style of setting the tops of the gems are flush with the surface of the band. This meant that the gems could be seated in such a way that no gem projected out beyond the surface on the band. So, into Emma’s band we channel set a row of beautiful diamonds.
Emma had obviously looked for the ideal wedding rings in a variety of places, it’s a natural part of the shopping process. She had planned her budget and having seen pre-made rings within her budget, she anticipated having to pay a king’s ransom in order to be able to have her own bespoke rings. Emma was very pleasantly surprised to find that having her own unique wedding rings created fell well within her budget!
Emma’s ringFor Emma, we created a beautiful bespoke ring that allowed her to have white gold, diamonds which she had thought she wouldn’t be able to have AND we were able to incorporate her grandmother’s original jewellery. Not only did she get a unique bespoke wedding ring to symbolise her eternal love for Gary, she has a piece that will be a constant reminder of her beloved grandmother. Emma will be able to carry a symbol of her grandparents’ successful marriage through her own. And still has the original piece which she can continue to pass through the generations of her own family as it develops and grows.
Emma and Gary’s wedding may have unfortunately been postponed by the pandemic, but when she does finally get the chance to marry her beloved she will be exchanging her perfect wedding ring.
At Rings by Design we specialise in completely bespoke jewellery. No matter how big or small the budget we are here to create the perfect expression of your love. We offer Face to Face consultations in the North East. We also offer a completely unique national service for creating bespoke ‘shape around’ rings so you can have a wedding band that fits snugly with your engagement ring wherever you live. No matter your needs, tastes or budgets get in touch to see how we can make your dreams come true like we did with Emma and Gary.
