Making the Most of Your Appointment

Want to make the most of your appointment time for your custom jobs? Appointments are usually 45 mins, but how you prep beforehand can help you really create your dream piece. Rae, one of our custom designers at The Vault, has created a list of advice to give to customers before their appointments so things can run as smoothly as it can to make this a stress-free experience. It's not every day you get to create a future heirloom!

Rae's Advice:

What to bring 

Any loose stones you may be interested in reusing

They don't have to be "real"- you just have to like them and want to wear them!

Pieces of jewelry that have stones you'd like to remove and reuse

We can replace the stones in the original jewelry so they're still able to be worn, OR for precious metals, you can trade them in for credit towards the project if you don't intend to wear those pieces again. 

Misc. Metals

Even if you're not sure if they are precious metals, we'll test them for you. Check the bottom of your jewelry box/drawer for broken or loose components- such as stud posts, broken clasps, bits of metal from ring downsizing, mismatched earrings, unworn jewelry, etc. You can cash in any amount of precious metal towards the cost of your custom job! 

3 Square Cut Diamonds

What to prepare in advance 

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Pinterest Boards for inspiration are great! 

Compiling a file of pieces you're drawn to can help us merge your favorite features into one item. Likes and dislikes: Pinterest boards are great for things you like, but it's also good to know what you don't like, so we can avoid including those features in your custom piece(s). Especially if you're unsure of the terminology- having pictures provides the context we need!

Ring Types

If the setting is high enough from the finger, another ring can slide right below the center stone setting. If it's lower, the added ring needs to be contoured around it for a seamless look.

For new engagements or redesigned engagement rings specifically, it's important to know if you want a high-profile, stackable ring versus a low-profile, contoured ring. High-profile rings are much easier to stack straight wedding bands against without gaps or friction between rings.  Low-profile rings usually need a handmade or special-ordered contoured wedding band to fit against the main ring without gaps or friction. Even if you aren't sure how you want the wedding band(s) to look yet, having an idea of the profile will help make the process of purchasing bands easier down the line! Your future self will thank you. 

Have a budget range

A hard maximum in mind! The last thing we want is to go into the appointment with no cost boundaries, design a piece you fall in love with, but the cost to create that piece is above your ideal spending goal. Before we start designing your project- even the initial drafts- it's good to have a budget, so that every version of the project is reasonable for what you'd like to spend. 

Have a timeframe in mind

We need to know whether there is enough time for an intricate and difficult project, or if a premade/special-ordered piece will be the best way to meet your deadline. Knowing- for example- when you intend to propose/when the recipient's birthday is/if it's a Christmas gift/when you're attending a special event to wear the piece at/etc.  will help us create a reasonable timeframe and plan of action for creating your piece. Depending on how much time we are given, plus your budget, your project can fall under three categories: CAD and Cast, Hand Fabricated, or Special Ordered.

Pinterest ideas!

Three types of custom 

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CAD-designed ring.

CAD and Cast 

We create a hyper-realistic 3D design that will be printed and cast into your metal of choice. This process is most common for engagement rings, but it works for large pendants/earrings/bracelets. CAD and Cast is ideal for people who are very visually oriented, as you can see your piece in front of you before committing to a design, and we can alter the model as many times as necessary until you are happy with the look. We can also order resin prototypes for you to view in person before deciding on the final design. This comes in handy for couples who are ring shopping but can't decide between two center stone shapes! 

Hand Fabrication

Our in-house jeweler can take your provided precious metal and rework it into simple designs, or we'll order premade findings that he will assemble. For hand-made items, we will make a simple mock-CAD model during your appointment, which will function as a blueprint for the assembly. Our jeweler will use that "blueprint" to put together all the parts in the correct order. It's important to note that hand fabrication is not an exact replica of the CADed 'blueprint'; there will be minor aesthetic differences since it is created by hand rather than by a computer!

Special Ordering

We find a premade style from a vendor, and order it in your metal of choice. There are minimal customization options available for premade styles, but it can be the most helpful for last-minute projects. There is a wide variety of items we can special order, that can be ready within weeks or even days!