A custom ring is like no other piece of jewelry in that it is designed specifically for you, and by you, with the help of our artisans and craftsmen.  Although it might be similar to other existing designs, it is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece.

Many people have concerns about custom jewelry. The main concerns are usually some of the following:  How do I know you will make what I want?  Will I like what you make?  Doesn’t custom jewelry take a long time to create?  Isn’t custom a lot more expensive?  These can be real concerns to someone who would consider a custom-designed ring.

"Is custom jewelry really more expensive than manufactured?"  Well, yes … but only about 15% more!  First, gold is gold and diamonds are diamonds, regardless of whether they are used in manufactured or custom jewelry.   They are commodities and, for the most part, cost the same in New York City, NY or Salt Lake City, UT. 

Second, manufactured jewelry has labor costs figured into the price just like any other product.  The difference is in manufactured jewelry the designer’s costs are spread over hundred of copies of the same ring.   This produces a little savings to you, but you (she) have to wear the same ring that hundreds, or even thousands, of other women are wearing.  We think the extra cost is worth having a piece that is yours and yours alone, but we’ll let you decide.  And that’s why we have over 1,000 manufactured rings in stock everyday.   It’s all about options – your options.

"Will I like it?"  First, and most important, William’s Jewelers creates custom jewelry right here at our store, and you will team directly with the designer/goldsmith.  We do not send out your designs to someone you haven’t met.  Our jeweler is here on site and will meet with you and our knowledgeable salesperson.  It’s truly a team effort, and you are the team leader.

Together, the initial concept of the design is discussed, planned, and sometimes drawn out in detail. The original design can come from many sources.  You may have an idea you’ve drawn or considered, or a photograph you’ve have seen online or in a magazine.  You may certainly consult with our jeweler/designer and sales staff for help in coming up with a design based on key elements to be achieved.  It is in this key phase of communication directly to the designer that a custom ring begins to come to life.  It is through this direct communication that we can make sure that we are going to create the right ring. We go into all details of the possible custom creation and can explain in detail how the piece will look in the finished phase. This portion of the process is critical in ensuring that we have a design our custom will love.

Moving to the second phase of how we create  a custom piece of jewelry, would be the wax mold phase. William’s jewelers uses the techniques of lost wax casting, which means that we create our initial model in a wax phase and can then present that wax model rendering to our client for evaluation. Most of the design work and true artistry is accomplished in this phase.  The wax model is created from two major types of techniques. First, it can be hand-carved  or created by Cad-cam computer technology. Typically we use hand carving, unless the details need to be so precise or minute that using a cad-cam design can be preferred.  After the wax has been created we then meet again with our client to determine how perfectly we have achieved their custom masterpiece.  If the design at this point is not completely perfect,  then we can make modifications or start a new wax model . Our goal is to make sure that the customer is totally in love with their new creation. It is by going through this process we can ensure that our client will love the finished product. Once the wax rendition is perfect and the design is perfect then the client can feel assured that we have created the right design for them.

Now we move to the third phase, which is to take our approved wax model /carving and cast it into a beautiful metal of our customer’s choice. Typically we will cast in 14k white and yellow gold, 18k white and yellow gold, Platinum 950, or Silver.  The casting process is relatively quick, usually takes around a day or so. The model that was created is now in the metal choice of the customer and ready for the final phase of polishing, cleaning and setting of any stones that are included in the design. The complete process is done on site at William’s Jewelers and can be done in as little as a week to two weeks.  By doing everything on site and by not using third party sources we are able to maintain a very low cost and can then pass those savings onto our customer.

There are many advantages to having William’s Jewelers design a custom ring for you. For example, we can also control the quality of metal we use when designing your ring. One major benefit to our custom design has been in our white gold casting, in that we use a really bright white alloy that does not need rhodium plating that most white gold needs to look white and shiny.  We have been creating unique one of a kind jewelry for our customers for 28 years.  How much more special is a piece of jewelry that you were involved with in the design?  Now that you know how the custom designing process works at William’s Jewelers, isn’t it worth considering  having a completely  unique piece of jewelry designed for you?

Mike Nixon
Store Manager

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