I just finished what might have be the most important design project I ever worked on… After all, I will be looking at this for the rest of my life!
Over the last 5 months I worked very closely with a local Jewelry Designer and Diamond Expert to design the perfect ring for my fiancée.
I was lucky enough from the start that I know she trusted me 100% with the design, so had totally free range. She doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry, but the few pieces I have bought her in the past for special occasions from local designers have all been a hit and tended towards my own personal aesthetic of something more minimal and modern vs. traditional and overly fussy.
My goal was to design something very original, yet timeless and classic, subtle enough to wear daily and for the running we both do, but also something that works at a formal occasion.
For inspiration, I looked at everything from modern minimal design objects like the Apple Watch, to Marc Newson keychains, Danish 70’s Brutalist jewlery, to Art Deco architecture, and MCM furniture.
The design process went very smooth. While working in parallel with the Diamond Expert to source the diamond I was looking for (modified Radiant Cut Corner Yellow), I went from sketch to rough prototype working with the Jewelry Designer and learning about the process of ring casting, setting, etc. I made prototypes from wire and crazy glued on rhinestones from the dollar store and cut up pieces of eraser. I made at least 50 mockups befor setting on the final design.
Once the design was closer to final, I did 2D CAD drawings with dimensions and sections in Illustrator, and the Jewelry Designer recreated the 3D geometry in CAD. CAD models were evaluated and revised, and 3D prints were made. The 3D print is then used in a lost wax casting process to cast the Platinum, and then cleaned up, polished and finished by hand. The Diamond is then hand set, and ring finished with laser welding additional platinum and micro engraving to finish and make the diamond appear set without any visible hardware.
Overall, and amazing process and she’s super happy with the ring. I’ll design our wedding bands together and hope to start a tradition of designing jewelry for her for special occasions in out life together.
R
PS. She said Yes!
PPS. More process pics to come. I took a lot throughout the process of various models, sketches, mockups… Still going through them all. Hope to get them all together and get a hardcover photobook to give her an upcoming occasion.