Four Things to consider when buying an engagement ring

When the time comes to pop the question to your special someone, the choice of ring can seem overwhelming. 

Many decisions need to be made and factors need to be considered. This blog will give you a guide to some of the numerous options available and will help you plan for the occasion. 

For most people, the sky will not be the limit in terms of what you're hoping to spend. Fortunately, there are so many factors that go into a ring, that there is a lot of leeway in terms of what you spend. I recommend coming up with a ballpark budget to begin with, and then talking to your jeweller (me I hope!) about what is possible within those parameters. 

A selection of gems. 

1: Gemstone: 

One of the biggest deciding factors for price will be the stone, or stones, you choose for your ring. The first thing to keep in mind is durability. For a ring that will be worn every day, I always recommend something which is very high on the hardness scale; this pretty much puts you at sapphire, moissonite, or diamond. Choosing to use softer stones is fine, you just have to be aware that faceted stone will scratch over time, and cabochons will become cloudy. Resurfacing stones is not straightforward, and often not feasible, so consider that, if you are unhappy with the wear pattern of your gemstone, you may find yourself replacing the it entirely one day. 

Assuming you are happy going with one of the three options mentioned above, a lot of flexibility is possible. many people think of only the classic blue colour, when they think of a sapphire. But sapphire is actually a gemstone that can come in a myriad of colours, (including the pinkish red of Ruby; they are the same family of gems) So if your partner loves purple, I recommend a purple sapphire. Orange? An orange sapphire will fit the bill. All these gemstones are  9 on the Hardness scale, so they won't scratch or chip with normal wear and tear. If you have concerns about mining practices, it can be possible to get sapphires which have been made in a lab. These will be aesthetically flawless, and will have all the same crystal properties as a naturally occurring stone, but it can be harder to find a wide range of colours.  

 Another option to consider is moissonite. Originally discovered on metors that had come to earth, scientists soon discovered that it was possible to reproduce in the lab. Moissonite is a 9.5 on the hardness scale, second only to diamond, and it has the same sparkling whiteness as classic diamonds. It is also a more affordable option, so if your intended likes a bigger piece of bling, but the sky is not the limit in terms of funds, I recommend this route. Moissonite is also super durable, and will last as well as a diamond. 

And of course, diamonds. The most classic, gemstone. I am well aware that diamonds are the best friend of many women, and if your partner falls into this category, give her what she wants. Lab made diamonds are available, they are somewhat less costly than naturally occurring stones but not by a lot. You can also get certified Canadian mined diamonds, which are considered to be conflict free, and they will run you a bit more than a regular stone. Something else to consider, are the incredible, fancy grade diamonds, which have been growing more popular lately. They have unique cuts and beautiful inclusions which give them an organic look which is full of character. Designing a ring around a gemstone like this will give you a truly one of a kind engagement ring, with the durability to last lifetimes.  

Some fancy diamonds, courtesy of dreamdiamltd. Check them out on Instagram. See why I'm obsessed? 

You may have a gemstone or stones already that you would like turned into a ring. This is usually no problem, however, I will begin the process by having a qualified gemologist appraise the type of gemstone. It's not uncommon for stones to be incorrectly designated, or simply a mystery, and it's best for everyone if this is established before any work begins. 

2: Aesthetics

 Now that you have your gemstone planned out, the fun part begins. If you would like to be inspired, I have a number of extant engagement ring designs that are abvailable or if you have something custom and unique in mind, I love working with clients to create the perfect piece for them. Be careful when purchasing to buy something you think your partner will love, rather than something you love. Our tastes can be different from our partner's and you don't want her to wear something on her hand every day that she isn't going to love. 

I recommend having spent at least a little time discussing ring ideas with her before you commit to a design, or if you want it to be a complete surprise,  see if one of her close friends can do some spy work for you. Pinterest is a great resource for ring ideas,  and of course, there's always my wedding and engagement page or my rings page.

Once you choose your engagement ring design, a wedding band can be created to fit with it, so the two stack together with comfort and elegance. 

An example of a stacking wedding and engagement combo in two metal colours. 

3: Metal

There's a few things to consider here as well. Many people prefer white gold,  to yellow gold nowadays and rose gold is also very popular. This is really based on you preference. Silver is also an option, especially if you are working under a tighter budget, but keep in mind that silver is a little less durable than gold and so some, more delicate designs may not be appropriate.

Once you chose your gold colour, rose, white or yellow, you can decide on karat. Karat is the percentage of the metal alloy that is gold. 10k means that it's 41 percent gold, the rest of the metal would be either copper, silver, nickel (if it's white gold) and potentially a few other trace elements. 14k is 58 % gold and 18 k is 75%. For engagement rings, I generally don't recommend going higher than that, since strength is lost. The higher you go in karat, the heavier the piece is, the richer the colour and the more durable, 10 karat is perfectly acceptable for an engagement ring, but 14 and 18 will have more luster and be more valuable.  

Something to consider: some people have an allergy to nickel, the metal that is alloyed with the gold which makes it white. Usually a person knows if they have this allergy, but it's worth making sure before you buy. If your partner likes white metal but has a nickel allergy, palladium white gold is an option. It looks very similar, and is very beautiful, but is a bit more costly. 

Platinum is also an option, for a very durable white metal, that is great for engagement rings and looks excellent with white stones. 

Examples of rose gold, white gold and yellow gold, with a wide variety of design options. 

4: Proposal

I am not a proposal coach (though maybe that would be a fun thing to be) but since I've been witness to a few fun proposal ideas I just wanted to send a few thoughts your way. It can be super fun to do a propose-back. If you think your partner might propose, no matter what their gender might be, I can tell you that everyone loves to feel special and be given a ring. If your partner is male consider planning a "mangagement" ring for him, either for when he pops the question to you, or if you want to get the ball rolling yourself. 

If you're in a poly relationship, even if marriage isn't where you're headed, giving your partners a piece of jewellery can be a great way to demonstrate your commitment. I once had the privilege of making 4 polyhedron pendants for a polycule and it felt very special to be able to create something  for them  to wear that connected them to each other. 

For women in a queer relationship, if your partner proposes, she will probably be hoping for a propose back so don't wait too long to give her something beautiful so she knows you appreciated her gift. 

I have to say that being involved in this very special time in people's lives is incredibly fun for me. No matter your orientation or relationship type, I love being part of this process, and if you come to me for any sort of commitment jewellery, I will make sure that you and your partner's needs are met to the very best of my ability. 

There's a lot to know about jewellery, and I will always work hard to help you plan your project and to make sure you are as well informed about your options as possible. 

Hope you enjoyed my slightly nerdy blog, and I would be delighted to answer any and all questions you may have on the subject in the comments. 

Reproducing an original artifact

There is a wonderful online auction, called Timeline Auctions, where small historical artifacts are sold. A friend of mine, recently purchased this gorgeous medieval medallion, representing Saint Michael. We aren't sure of the exact dates, it was originally listed as 7th-8th century, but it may be later. It is from Byzantine Greece.

It is always very exciting to get to handle originals. Saint Michael was a common motif in the early Medieval period. He was the leader of the army of God, so he became the patron of warriors. But he was also known as a healing angel.

There are two options when reproducing originals. Generally, I work from images because it's rare to be able to get my hands on an extant artifact. I do my best to accurately represent the proportion and shape of the original based on the image.  In this case, however, I had the option to simply pour a silicon mold around the token to make a perfect reproduction, or to hand-carve a new one in wax. There are a couple of things about the original that make it tricky to perfectly reproduce. It has some damage around the edges, and it is very, very thin, so I would have had to build up the back somewhat to create a reproduction that was viable for casting. I certainly could have done so, and one could argue that this would create a better replica.

I decided to go a different way. I really enjoy the process of carving wax, I also love testing myself by attempting to copy existing pieces. It takes extreme care and discipline to reproduce, rather than letting yourself create something from your own mind. (Of course I love to do that as well) And I had never before had the opportunity to create a reproduction when the original was actually available for me to handle.

I find that when I reproduce something I develop a  relationship with the piece that I wouldn't normally have, a kind of aesthetic intimacy. You get a much deeper sense of design elements formed by the original creator when you have to spend a long time looking at them and understanding their relationship.  On a more intangible level, I feel like I can almost reach back in time to share a small piece of the original crafter's  experience of making the piece, which I find deeply enriching. 

It took me around two hours to carve the medallion, and despite much technological wrangling, (phones, videos, memory space, video-editing, youtube, website platforms etc. which I trust the original creator did not have to negotiate) I did take some video footage of the process. I have edited this footage (at great length, and with much swearing) into the video you see below. 

My wax carving tools are super low tech. I use a sharpened needle-file, gravers, and steel-wool and a toothbrush for cleanup. All technology that was readily available to jewelers of the past. ( ok maybe it wouldn't have been a tooth brush per se,) Sometimes they used wax for their models, but they also used wood and sometimes clay or stone for their originals. The wax I use is a modern mix with very good hardness and a very high melting temperature. 

It was a very enjoyable process and I have to say I am quite satisfied with the result, though my finished product did end up a little smaller than the original. I hope you will find the video interesting and that it will give you bit of insight into the laborous process of carving wax. I have a number of additional original medieval buckles and belt fittings. I plan to make my next blog about them, so stay tuned.

If you like this medallion, and would like to own one yourself, you can purchase one, in sterling silver. Just scroll down.

Sterling silver Saint Michael Pendant

from CA$30.00

Handmade What?

People sometimes ask me why the things I make cost so much.  If you are comparing my work to something that was assembled from manufactured parts, or other mass produced jewellery, the  answer should be fairly obvious. Because I have to make a living wage in Canada, because I am not a huge corporation who can buy vast quantities of raw materials in bulk and because making things by hand takes time, education and swearing. I also use high quality materials that won't make your ears melt.  Yesterday I made three pairs of studs (really two and a half because I started one of the pairs the day before)  I thought I would document the process step by step, in boring detail, so you can follow me on this magical journey of craft.  If you count the pictures you will find that there are about 30 individual stages that these studs go through before they are finished. Usually I make them in batches because it's a bit more efficient. I have interspersed a few comments through the gallery to clarify details. I hope you follow me all the way to the end :)  

Citrine, onyx and amethyst cabs

Getting the measurements.

Cutting the bezels from silver sheet.

Bezels!

Filing them to the perfect length

Bending them for soldering

Ready for soldering

Fire!

Hammering them to shape

Look, now they fit!

Emerying the bottoms so they can be soldered

Layout for the bottoms

More sawing

I like to solder them all at once.

Trying not to solder the bezels to each other

Acidic pickle to clean off the soldering residue

Sawing them apart

Filing the edges smooth

Individual bezels

Emery the bottom so it's smooth

Drilling the holes for the posts

Filing the end of the post wire flat

Wire!

I usually cut them long on purpose

Fit them together

More soldering. Don't melt the posts!

Pickle again, bored yet?

Emerying the sides smooth

File the top edge to the right height

Using a diamond burr to clean out the inside.

Using a silicon wheel to do basic clean up

Look it's kind of shiny.

I use a heat gun to soften pitch

Then I smoosh the studs into the warm pitch

The pitch holds the studs in place

I gently push the bezel towards the stone a bit at a time.

Look, the gems are set.

Silver dust

The adorable facemask I wear to keep dust and flying things out of my face.

Cleaning off the pitch

Straightening out the posts.

Polishing with silicon wheels

Putting a divot in the post

More polishing.

Look studs!

Still with me? That's great. Luckily yesterday I didn't actually manage to make any of the very exciting mistakes that can cause this process to be even more time consuming. For example, you can melt the posts when you are soldering them on. You can fling the studs across the room when polishing and be unable to find them. This actually happened a few times but I found them after only 5 to 10 minutes of swearing. You can break gems when setting which is a real kicker. Sometimes it's because you suck, other times it's because the stone had a fracture plane you didn't know about. If you are feeling really talented you can drop a gem on the floor and be unable to find it. That I have definitely done. But not yesterday. If this magical image series has made you desperate to own your own studs you can purchase them below. I have two pairs that I wear all the time. But of course, I am a jeweller and can't really help myself.  If you scroll down, you can see me squinting awkwardly at the camera with a pair of studs in my ears. Those are peridot and blue topaz. I am probably going to get more holes in my ears just so I can wear more studs. I was thinking green tourmaline. Ok maybe I do have a problem.