Why should I have my wedding rings custom made?

Wedding jewelry is a deeply personal symbolic expression of your love and commitment. It also represents you, your lifestyle and your tastes. A custom design handcrafted by a skilled artisan brings your individual desires together with the craftsmanship of the goldsmith. Instead of a cookie-cutter object that has been mass-produced in a factory, you have a wearable piece of art infused with personal attention, integrity, and artistry. It will last a lifetime and have its own story to tell.

Do I have to have a diamond? What if I want a colored gemstone?

You can have whatever you want! At our studio, you can choose from a wide variety of colored gemstones as well as diamonds. Or bring your own. We can also order, with no obligation, a selection of diamonds and other gemstones for your approval, based on your style ideas and your budget. And remember – you can have whatever you want, so if you don’t want any gemstones, that’s ok too.

How do I start?

These are some of the questions we start with when you come to our studio. Gemstones or a simple band? Traditional or contemporary? There are also lifestyle choices. Are you planning on wearing your ring while rock-climbing or gardening? And then there’s color, or type of metal. White gold? Platinum? Yellow gold? A combination? You can also flip through magazines or scroll through websites looking at different kinds of jewelry to inspire you with the various elements that go into a ring.

What if I have no idea?

Just come by our studio and we’ll have as many conversations as we need to help you define the kind of ring design that speaks to you. We can show you the jewelry in our cases and explain the various elements like setting style, metals, and final finish. We’ll share our ideas with you to help you refine your vision, and explain each part of the process as we go along.

I want to use my grandmother’s diamonds incorporated into my rings. Can I do that?

No problem. We specialize in restyling old jewelry, dismantling out-of-date pieces, and creating new designs with family heirlooms. We can also resize a ring, add new gemstones, rebuild a worn band, or otherwise modify an existing piece of jewelry into whatever you want.

Isn’t custom jewelry expensive? I’m not sure I can afford what I want.

We do everything we can to give you a reasonable and reliable estimate within your budget. Having an idea of what kind of investment you are comfortable with in advance helps avoid sticker shock. Our raw materials are not cheap, and the time and skill it takes to create your design is based on decades of experience and artisanal refinement. But that doesn’t mean it has to break the bank, and we will work with you and your budget to give you the best custom design experience possible.

What’s next?

Once we settle on a design and the price estimate, it takes us 2-3 weeks to make your jewelry. We ask for a 50% deposit to get started, and the balance is due when your jewelry is ready. We want you to be happy with the finished piece, and we’ll do everything we can to get it right for you.

Custom Design by Appointment

1704 Lena St · Unit B-5 · Santa Fe · 505.820.1080
info@marc-howard.com