The journey from my very first contact with a customer to a finished wedding or engagement ring can be very different from case to case. I will give you an example of how the journey could look, so that you get an idea of the process.
1. The first contact
Many of my customers find me through friends’ recommendations or on Instagram and other social media. Please take a look at what I post on my website and instagram. There you can get an idea of what you would like to have, or find a favourite model.
Please send me an e-mail, so that we can make an appointment for a first meeting at LOD, my studio in Stockholm. If you already have questions or wishes, please tell me in the e-mail!
Prices can vary a lot depending on the material cost (the gold price can differ every day!), size and type of stones. I can often give you an initial rough idea of the price based on your wishes.
You can of course drop by LOD directly to have a look at my work. The preferred way is to make an appointment, to be sure that I can be there to meet you!
I speak Japanese, Swedish and English. Choose the one of these languages that you feel the most confortable with!
2. The first meeting
The best way to discuss which rings i could make for you is that both of you meet me at LOD and look at different ring models. That way you can try them on your hands, feel the color of the material and its texture.
I have different models that we can have as a starting point. I often come up with new ideas while we are talking. Join me and be a part of the creative process, it is so fun.
When we meet I check the sizes of your fingers. The perfect size can differ depending on the width, the shape of the ring and the shape of your finger (nobody has perfectly round finger).
Wider ring can for example feel better on the finger in a bigger size than a thin ring would. We all have different preferences when it comes to how we want a ring to fit. Some people feel safer when the ring fits tightly, others want a looser fit.
At the end of our discussion we decide on a perfect design, material and size for you.
3. Offer / Price
After our first meeting I will calculate a price of the wedding / engagement ring based on its design, material, and size. This could take a few days.
I will send you an offer by e-mail, and wait for your respons.
If the price sounds good to you, I send you an invoice with 1/3 of the total price as a deposit or advance payment. After that payment I can get material and start working. If you want a different price we can discuss what could be changed to meet the price range that fits you.
4. The making of the ring
I would love to have 2-3 weeks for making rings and to ad an extra week or two for stone settings and engraving. It could take longer time if I need to find a special stone, or if I get many orders at the same time. I can try to work quicker if you have a tight deadline.
5. Trying on
When the rings are ready to try on your finger, we meet at LOD again.
If we decide to have stones on a ring, I will show you some stones I got from my ston supplier. I do not have a big amount of stones in my studio, so I often borrow a group of stones that could fit to the customer’s wish.
If the ring needs some adjustments, we will discuss that. These could be adjustments like changes in size or surface textures. At this point the rings has no stone or engraving yet. It is easier to adjust the metal part before the stone stetting and engraving is done.
6. Stone setting and engraving
To engrave a ring can make the ring even more personal. It is common to engrave your partner’s name, the date of the wedding or the name of the special place.
Engraving is the last step of finishing a ring. You do not need to know what you want to engrav until it’s time for this step. There are no rules about what should be written, so you can decide what is important for you. About 25-30 letters or digits ( including a space ) can be engraved on the inside of a ring.
Here are some examples of engravings that could be done on the inside of a wedding / engagement ring:
”Tobias & Maki 21/1/2011”
”48.886°N, 2.343°E”
”T & M 2020” ” T ♡ M ”
Hand engraving
Sometimes the shape of the ring is not round or you want to have a special symbol, use another alphabet. Some rings can have engraving on the side or outside of a ring. In that case I ask my favourite engravers to do hand engraving. There will be an additional cost for this.
This process can take one or two weeks.
7. A final touch, and then the wedding / engagement ring is ready to deliver.
After I get the rings back from the stone setting or engraving, it is time to add some final touches to surface of the rings.
Now your wedding rings / engagement rings are ready to deliver!
You are welcome back to LOD to pick up your wedding / engagement ring. I can also send it by mail if you wish!
