Artist Tekar !
In this article, I will take you through one couples’ design process to show how the inspiration for a ring can come from unexpected places!
Let me start by explaining this image. Alex and Charlie met while touring Newfoundland and Labrador Canada. They both have a fondness for street art, and this was one of their favorites. This image is the starting point and inspiration for our design.
The couple had been looking for a ring for a while and had not been able to find the right one. They realized that they wanted something special to them, after all the ring is supposed to embody their love and commitment to each other.
That was for sure, but how do you get started designing your ring?
Que Ethos Custom Jewelry! There are a few ways to get started but in this case, they took our design quiz. This is just a quick questionnaire meant to get some general style ideas and give the customer a chance to send any images or other ideas. Alex thought of the photo they had taken on their trip. They had no idea how that could involve a ring design but they sent it anyway.
I received their design request and loved hearing the story of how they met. These are the moments that make me love being a jewelry designer!
Charlie liked a more classic style of ring and Alex leaned more towards designs with organic design elements.
They were not at all sure of metal color but did know that they wanted an oval center stone. Charlie and Alex are very passionate about the environment and were concerned about buying jewelry that was obtained by mining.
I decided to send a drawing of each color metal, use an oval center stone for all three, and used colored gems to reflect the vibrant colors in the mural. To address environmental concerns we will use recycled gold and lab grown gems.
In this article, I will take you through one couples’ design process to show how the inspiration for a ring can come from unexpected places!
Let me start by explaining this image. Alex and Charlie met while touring Newfoundland and Labrador Canada. They both have a fondness for street art, and this was one of their favorites. This image is the starting point and inspiration for our design.
The couple had been looking for a ring for a while and had not been able to find the right one. They realized that they wanted something special to them, after all the ring is supposed to embody their love and commitment to each other.
That was for sure, but how do you get started designing your ring?
Que Ethos Custom Jewelry! There are a few ways to get started but in this case, they took our design quiz. This is just a quick questionnaire meant to get some general style ideas and give the customer a chance to send any images or other ideas. Alex thought of the photo they had taken on their trip. They had no idea how that could involve a ring design but they sent it anyway.
I received their design request and loved hearing the story of how they met. These are the moments that make me love being a jewelry designer!
Charlie liked a more classic style of ring and Alex leaned more towards designs with organic design elements.
They were not at all sure of metal color but did know that they wanted an oval center stone. Charlie and Alex are very passionate about the environment and were concerned about buying jewelry that was obtained by mining.
I decided to send a drawing of each color metal, use an oval center stone for all three, and used colored gems to reflect the vibrant colors in the mural. To address environmental concerns we will use recycled gold and lab grown gems.
The first design has a very classic look from the top. I included some carved details on the side that echoed the patterns used in the mural. The center is set in a full bezel and the side stones are in prongs. We were able to use sapphire for all the colored stones. I like to use the most durable stones possible in my designs. Sapphire and diamond are great in this department!
For the second design, I started with arguably the most classic of all engagement ring designs, the solitaire. From there I incorporated some geometric patterns echoed through the mural. I used rose gold to represent magenta color in the mural and blue and yellow sapphire.
For the final design, I went with smooth and flowing elements to incorporate an organic feel without completely departing from a cleaner and classic feel. I pulled in all of the colors of the mural with gems and used some sculptural elements with shapes inspired by the mural.
The first design has a very classic look from the top. I included some carved details on the side that echoed the patterns used in the mural. The center is set in a full bezel and the side stones are in prongs. We were able to use sapphire for all the colored stones. I like to use the most durable stones possible in my designs. Sapphire and diamond are great in this department!
For the second design, I started with arguably the most classic of all engagement ring designs, the solitaire. From there I incorporated some geometric patterns echoed through the mural. I used rose gold to represent magenta color in the mural and blue and yellow sapphire.
For the final design, I went with smooth and flowing elements to incorporate an organic feel without completely departing from a cleaner and classic feel. I pulled in all of the colors of the mural with gems and used some sculptural elements with shapes inspired by the mural.
Now instead of having zero rings they liked, they could not pick between the three! I asked them to think carefully about what they liked the most about each ring design. Here is what they came up with.
“I like the full bezel around the center stone in the design with yellow gold. I think that is my favorite color for the metal is yellow. I am most drawn to the design of the rose gold ring. I like how you can see the mural inspiration from the top. But I want a ring that we both like and Alex’s favorite is the white gold ring.”
They went on to express that they felt stuck and didn’t know where to go from here. I told them their feedback was perfect! I had a bunch for ideas for combining all of their needs into one ring. With a little more digging I figured out that they would also like matching wedding bands. Sometimes matching wedding bands are a great way to tie a set together.
This is the final design that they picked! I used the original rose gold ring as a base, changing to yellow gold. The center setting went from prongs to a full bezel. Then I designed a wedding band that incorporated the patterns from the mural, but also fit next to the engagement ring. I also wanted this design to have some organic movement inspired by the white gold ring. Then pulled some of the texture from the band into the engagement ring design so that they looked like a cohesive set.
Now instead of having zero rings they liked, they could not pick between the three! I asked them to think carefully about what they liked the most about each ring design. Here is what they came up with.
“I like the full bezel around the center stone in the design with yellow gold. I think that is my favorite color for the metal is yellow. I am most drawn to the design of the rose gold ring. I like how you can see the mural inspiration from the top. But I want a ring that we both like and Alex’s favorite is the white gold ring.”
They went on to express that they felt stuck and didn’t know where to go from here. I told them their feedback was perfect! I had a bunch for ideas for combining all of their needs into one ring. With a little more digging I figured out that they would also like matching wedding bands. Sometimes matching wedding bands are a great way to tie a set together.
This is the final design that they picked! I used the original rose gold ring as a base, changing to yellow gold. The center setting went from prongs to a full bezel. Then I designed a wedding band that incorporated the patterns from the mural, but also fit next to the engagement ring. I also wanted this design to have some organic movement inspired by the white gold ring. Then pulled some of the texture from the band into the engagement ring design so that they looked like a cohesive set.
There are a lot of different ways to get started having your piece of custom jewelry made. Most fall into one of these categories.
Try this:
Open a design account and get started! Fill in the required information and you are done.
You will be automatically directed to your design board. From here you can email a designer. The more information you can include the better. Visual information is the most efficient. Do you or your partner have a Pinterest idea page? Send the link! Do you have a photo of a ring you lost and want to recreate? Add it as an attachment to your email. You get the gist.
Try this:
We suggest you start by checking out our design galleries. This will help you narrow down the style you are looking for. First, you need to decide if you would like a ring or a band. Then compare the different styles of rings, is there a gallery where you like the ring designs better than the others? If there are a few that catch your eye, just let us know which ones. An experienced designer will be able you thread together the design elements that are prominent. They can use these elements to make suggestions for new designs you may like.
The next step would be to take the design quiz. You can follow this link, or start a design board and find it there.
We feel you. Most of us never fit into the main categories either:) Just contact us and we will go from there.
10am-5pm Tuesday – Saturday
319-895-2026 (text)
360-878-8428
info@ethoscustomjewelry.com
203 4th Ave W
Olympia, WA 98501