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.
Because each and every project and client are unique, we offer two design tracks for our clients and between the two of them, you can be assured that you’ll find the solution that works best for you.
Our Streamlined Option:
Our Streamlined Option is ideal for the client who generally knows what they want in their design, or who are working from our Collection designs. The starting price for these designs is about $1200, so this is a great option for clients hoping to get the most efficiency out of their budget while still achieving a custom ring. When we meet with a client, we take care to cover each detail of the prospective design, from the prong style to the gallery shape, and we work with the client to create a sketch of what they envision so that everyone is on the same page about the first draft. From there, we create the design and send the renderings to the client for review. Of course, clients have every opportunity to request edits, but any substantive changes will incur a $200 iterative fee. We created this model for clients who want a custom ring but might not need a fully extended design process to get there, and since these designs take less time on our end to create, we can charge less for their creation.
Case Study: A Solitaire Ring Design
This client sourced her oval diamond with us, and then we started on her ring design. She knew she wanted a very simple solitaire setting and we pulled most of the ring’s influences from our Collection Kathryn ring, including the band profile and the prongs. We also included a view of the ring paired with a simple wedding band so that the client could see that the two would fit flush against each other.
Upon seeing the designs, our client decided that she actually preferred a talon prong instead of our classic Kathryn-style prong, so she requested that edit. Because the change was relatively minor, we did not need to charge the $200 iterative fee for this edit.
2. Our Creative Design Option:
Our Creative Design Option is best for the client who wants a more open-ended, iterative process for their ring. This is the default option for most heirloom redesign projects that involve many gemstones, or for any design that is novel in character (i.e., not really based on our Collection designs). Because these designs take more time to develop and almost always involve multiple creative steps along the way, the starting price for these rings is $2000 though that can rise considerably depending on the materials involved in the design and the complexity of the piece overall. Your Design Lead can give you a more well-rounded estimate once you talk through your project goals. Subsequent edits or iterations do not invite an added fee, so clients have every opportunity to work through a design that might not have a clear direction in the beginning.
Case Study 2: A Three-Stone Bespoke Design
This client was lucky enough to inherit a gorgeous European cut heirloom diamond that she hoped to use in her engagement ring, but she wanted to pair it with two sapphires for a true three-stone look. Fist, we sourced the most perfect, slightly oval Ceylon-blue sapphires for her ring and then got to work on the design.
We started the design draft with the idea of integrating the elements we had already sketched out together: 6 prongs for each gemstone, a fluid gallery, small antique elements in the gallery, and a generally clean look otherwise.
Upon reviewing the designs, our client decided that they wanted a bit more gallery detail. So, we created two gallery proposals: one based on a more elaborate photo that the client sent, and the other which was based on the lines from our Nora Collection ring, but we opened the gallery up dramatically. We also added a depiction of the hand-engraved detail that could be added to the ring.
Our client opted for the second design proposal, and with a few more tweaks we had a final approved design. We then created the ring in platinum, set the gemstones, and added the hand-engraved detailing. The end result was completely stunning, as you can imagine:
Designing a custom or bespoke ring can be as involved or straightforward as you like. The key with our studio is that we give you options to suite your own needs, so that you can decide which process works best for you. If you’re curious about how your design idea fits into this model reach out to us! We’re happy to walk you through how we can best fit your search.