I was emailing the
MANuary Founding Fathers regarding the
Moustache Cufflinks in September, when Ryan replied with an unrelated question. He mentioned that he was in the market for an Engagement Ring and wanted to know if I could create a custom piece for his girlfriend, Shannon. Excited by the prospect of another jewelry collaboration with my friend, I got to work immediately.
I had not met Shannon, but Ryan and two of her close friends shared their design ideas and suggestions. I was told that Shannon liked a solitaire diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds, and I felt the tapered baguettes would reflect the look she'd admired in estate pieces. The majority of the budget was dedicated to selecting a center stone ~ colorless, clear, and an excellent cut with sparkle and fire. In order to start designing the ring in CAD, I needed to know Shannon's finger size (boyfriends should take note). It took persistent detective work for Ryan to determine her ring size ~ with a close approximation, we were able to get the ball rolling.
Once Ryan approved the CAD design, I replied with an estimated date for completion. He kindly offered to fly me to San Francisco to deliver the ring in person, and I finally had the opportunity to meet his future fiance!
Ryan hid the ring in a Weber Grill in his closet until the following weekend...
I was thrilled to hear from Shannon following the proposal ~ "Thank you for designing such a beautiful ring! I am looking at it right now on my finger as I type, and am in awe of how beautiful it is, and how well it fits. I have to say, it looks great on my finger! :-)"
I agree!
I designed the ring in CAD.... and, upon her approval, I cast the ring in silver and set the stones.
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