How do I find a good and trustworthy jeweler to make custom engagement/wedding rings for me?

I would think that if there is an established jeweler’s in a stable neighborhood, you could begin there. How long has he been in business, does he have any credentials from the legit sites, is he certified to make appraisals?

Check info on link below.

Start here: http://www.americangemsociety.org/

We designed our own rings. We knew of the jeweler who was fairly well known in my home town. We went to his store and saw a lot of his work. He was an artisan type, not just a jewelry sales type.

We spoke of the concept—that the ring move in three dimensions, not just two. He said that he had actually been thinking about such a thing, and this would give him an excuse to work it through. We didn’t give him any CAD drawing. We only described it verbally. It worked out really well for us.

One thing you can do is go to a fancy crafts show in your area. There are a lot of them near Philadelphia, where I live, so it’s not hard to find one. You then go look at all the jewelers, and look for one whose work appeals to you. Then you talk to them about your concept, and ask if they would be interested in working with you and with your diamond and how much that would cost.

I would not go in with an attitude. By an attitude, I consider your concern about someone cheating you on the diamond and by having a CAD drawing. These crafts people are i it for the art of it. And since they are in it for the art, they don’t want to be someone’s engineer. You have a CAD drawing and you don’t need a jeweler. You need a manufacturing robot.

You can talk to the guy, and if you have a fit, then you might mention you have a drawing, just to give him or her the idea. It’s a starting point. You have to trust that the person you select knows what they are doing and you don’t. You have to accept that the issue of sureties will come up, and that they will know what to do to guarantee the integrity of your diamond. If it doesn’t come up naturally, then you can ask.

My mother gave me her diamond for my wife. We then took her ring and had an opal set in it and gave it back to her. I don’t know if she wears it. She’s not much of a ring person, but she appreciated the gesture, I think.

Google jewelers or jewelry stores in your zipcodes by home or work then call around and explain you’ve got a stone you want a setting built around. They’ll explain if they have fees and what they entail. CAD drawings are neat but most fabricating (actual smithing) jewelrs don’t use them beyond looking at what you want and then sculpting for a casting based on the drawing.

You don’t have to know anything about jewelry in order to buy some. Look at it the same way you’d see a picture of some fancy new electronic gizmo that you’ll research. Pull up a wikipedia or whatever on the 4 C’s of diamonds, google the different karats of gold and what makes the color differences. Google platinum and Rhodium. You’ll be fine :) It’s fun!

I always start by asking my friends. Another option is to read reviews from different users in the internet for trustworthy jeweller.