Understanding Period & Artistic Terminology in Jewelry Design
When we work with clients on their jewelry designs, we often use period and artistic terminology that can be useful in articulating different aesthetic references. Since most of our clients aren’t fresh out of Art History 101, a refresher on these different periods is sometimes useful to frame the discussion. Understanding how these art eras express the time and place of their historical context can be useful in selecting which elements you might want to see in your own design, and how they might play with other references…
A Celebration of Rich Color: An Heirloom Redesign Story
One of our most requested services at our studio is heirloom redesign - and it’s also one of our favorite services we do, because we’re always challenged and surprised by the creative ways our clients utilize family gems. Often, these designs involve the use of strong colors. Clients are sometimes flummoxed by the color in the original pieces, feeling unsure of how to utilize such strong elements in an investment piece. Rather than viewing color as a challenge, though, we try to find the opportunities presented by using color in design in an interesting way…
Using Color in Engagement Rings
While I will always keep a special place in my heart for the incomparable beauty of an all-white diamond engagement ring (so chic!), when a client broaches the subject of potentially using color in their engagement ring, it’s always exciting to plan. Color can be used to differentiate your ring when you have a more traditional design, it can be used to draw the eye directionally, or it can be a subtle, secret touch of personality for your piece. I’ll walk you through some of the ways our clients have integrated color into their engagement rings and the elements to consider when planning your own unique design…
Why It’s a Good Idea to Get Sized in Person, By a Professional
The other day I was bopping around online and, as usual, trying to ignore the incessant ads I am constantly subjected to by big online jewelry retailers (this is pretty much the exclusive advertising content I get because I am constantly Googling jewelry). Then, something jumped out at me: an at-home sizing tool, ostensibly created to allow people to order a ring online without ever entering a jewelry store. I immediately thought: oh, those poor people who think this will work…
Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing: What to Know Before You Buy
Sustainable and ethical sourcing are incredibly important considerations when deciding where and how to go about a major life purchase such as an engagement ring, but we’re the first to admit that the jewelry industry in general can be pretty inscrutable when it comes to understanding exactly how these terms apply…
A Meaningful Engagement Ring + ReDesign
Certain projects simply hit home, and this particular one was a great example of what makes our job so special…
Fall Engagement Inspiration
Here in the DMV, Fall is an especially beautiful time of year to get engaged. The cooling temperatures, gorgeous foliage, and access to beautiful, private hikes mean that you can achieve a truly memorable engagement without requiring a complicated travel itinerary…
Engagement Tips From Our Clients
Getting engaged and planning a wedding is so much fun, read up what our clients have to say about this beautiful milestone.
Fall Engagement Plans? Act now!
Picking the right engagement ring is a decision that should be thoughtful and stress-free. The best ingredient to achieving that goal is time.
Custom Design: Extra Credit - Taking Care of Your Piece
You did it! You successfully designed your first custom design and hopefully the wearer loves it. For many of our clients, our design might be the first introduction they have to true piece of fine jewelry. Fine jewelry is special not simply because it is expensive and made of precious materials; rather, fine jewelry is special because it can be maintained and repaired for years, even decades, to come. Having a serious jeweler who can not only create your piece, but also take care of it as you move through your milestones, is vital. That being said, you can and should take an active role in keeping your jewelry well maintained at home. Here’s what you should keep in mind..
Custom Design 104: The Production Phase
Let’s begin this mini-course with a well-earned congratulations! Once you reach the Production Phase, you can sit back and rest knowing that your work is finished (ours is really just beginning). You have made all the decisions that you will need to make regarding the design, you have finessed the design to perfection, and you have paid your invoice (hopefully) without sweating too much. Now you can kick back and wait for the email letting you know that your piece is ready… oh wait, you might have a proposal speech to plan now…
Custom Design 103: The CAD Review Process
A very special and often unexpected part of working with Alx&Co. for your design is our extremely thorough CAD review process. This is another integral way that we are very different from most fine jewelers: our clients see their designed piece before production, with nearly every element clearly articulated in the design. This involves sharing drafts of designs with clients so that they can envision the piece its ultimate form and make edits according to their own taste. A lot of jewelers who say that they offer custom design services don’t actually engage this process with their clients because they would rather not endure what can be a multiple-iteration back-and-forth conversation of a piece, but we find that when clients have the opportunity to edit their own ideas, the pieces turns out better 100% of the time…
Custom Design 102: Sourcing Your Gemstone
If you are lucky enough to have an heirloom gemstone that you are happy to use in your custom design, you can skip this step. Most people, though, will start their custom engagement design process empty handed and in need of an anchor gemstone to tie their design together. At Alx&Co., we provide full gemstone sourcing services for our clients and are happy to walk you through purchasing the perfect center stone for your design. That being said, we do our gemstone sourcing a little differently than most jewelers, so here is a helpful primer on how we do it…
Custom Design 101: What We Cover in Your First Design Appointment
So, you booked your first design appointment with Alexandria & Company - congratulations! You just made a huge step in moving your design idea forward. We know it can take a lot of research, referrals, and thinking to get here so first, allow us to say thank you for considering us for your project. We are very different from the traditional fine jewelry story experience, so you may be wondering what to expect from the process at this point. While every job is different, here are some basic elements we will hope to cover during your first consultation…
Tips to Help You Get the Ring You Want (and Still Be Surprised!)
Picture this: you’re sitting with your partner, enjoying a beautiful scenic overlook after a long hike on one of your favorite trails. The weather is perfect, and the view is stunning. You lean over to rifle through your backpack for a bottle of water, and when you look up you see your partner bent on one knee, holding open a small ring box. You are stunned: you had no idea they were planning this! You peek in the box and the ring is…
Expedited Diamond Buying: How It Works With Our Team
For most clients starting an engagement ring process, the purchase of the feature diamond is the most expensive variable to the piece. Whether you are selecting a natural mined diamond or a lab created option, the center diamond is a significant element to the overall design picture. But, more often than not, it’s also the part of the process that feels the most opaque to clients at the outset. Not many people really know what goes into selecting the right diamond, and with all the marketing out there trying to convince you of a single direction, it can be hard to see through the weeds and into the right direction…
Sourcing Ethically Considered Sapphires
More and more, clients are approaching our services with a keen eye towards ethical consideration in their gemstone sourcing process. We love this, because it’s an element of jewelry design that, for these clients, imbues their piece with more thought and meaning…
Using Heirloom Gold in New Pieces
One very popular service we provide is repurposing “old gold” - i.e., heirloom gold belonging to a client - into a new piece. This is a great option for clients to utilize a setting that might not be suited to them in its original design, but that is sentimental. By melting and reshaping the gold we can continue the life of that material while breathing new life into it with a different design. ..
Diamond Sourcing 101
One of the most common questions we get from prospective clients is how we source our diamonds. Our answer, as with many things, is that it depends on you, your goals, and what you want to achieve from your custom piece. Here’s a quick primer on our available sourcing options for diamonds and how it might work for you in a future project..
Heirloom Redesign Idea: Cluster Rings
One of our specialties here at Alx&Co. is working with clients to redesign sentimental or antique pieces in order to breath new life into them. Sometimes, clients come with one piece that they want transformed into something new. Other times, they might have a collection of different pieces that we can pull from. In either case, we sometimes are left with a small pile of mismatched diamonds or gemstones and need to figure out a way to set them seamlessly together.