Why Custom Takes Eight Weeks

Week One: Sketch and Alignment

The initial week focuses on design work. We typically complete two rounds of hand sketches before moving to digital tools, showing profile and top views with rough proportions. Clients review and mark up these sketches before revision.

The first two sketch rounds come included; additional revisions cost $120 each. This pricing structure encourages decisive feedback rather than endless iteration. Once the sketch is approved, we move to either CAD for geometrically complex designs or carved wax for organic shapes.

Client approval must be signed — via PDF, email, or paper — before metalwork begins. Scope locks at that point.

Week Two: Wax Model + Casting Setup

The wax model serves as a physical prototype. CAD designs are 3D-printed into wax, while carved designs are sculpted directly from wax blocks using jeweler's tools.

Once finalized, the wax attaches to a casting tree — a vertical wax stem with multiple models branched from it. The assembly goes into a flask surrounded by investment plaster and cures for 12 hours. During burnout, the flask reaches 1350°F over seven hours, completely vaporizing the wax and leaving a hollow cavity. Molten metal is then poured or vacuum-drawn into the cavity under heat, cooling overnight. If casting issues arise, re-casting adds three additional days.

Week Three: Cleanup and Filing

Raw castings require extensive studio finishing. Sprue metal, plaster contact marks, and surface defects must be addressed through progressive filing and polishing stages — from 3-0 to 6-0 cut files, then emery paper from 400 to 1500 grit.

Bezels demand particular attention; any asymmetry becomes apparent during stone setting. This work typically spans three to four studio days. Milgrain detailing — those tiny beaded edges on vintage settings — involves milling each bead individually with a punch. A full milgrain band might have 300 beads. That's a full day, sometimes two.

Week Four: Stone Procurement Verification

While metalwork progresses, stone procurement moves forward. Heirloom stones are already in hand; sourced stones are held by trusted suppliers. Stones ship in week three for week five setting.

Upon arrival, verification includes measurements, certification checks, and visible inclusion pattern comparison with the diamond plot. Approximately 8% of stones require return, usually due to minor measurement discrepancies (0.02mm variance) that may or may not be acceptable depending on setting tolerances.

Week Five: Setting

Stone setting represents the critical installation phase. For bezel settings — the most common approach — the bezel cup is cut slightly undersized. The stone drops in, and the metal edge burnishes over the diamond's girdle using either a roller bezel or pusher, creating a secure wraparound setting.

Prong settings require individual prong bending over the stone's crown; a four-prong round brilliant typically takes 45 minutes, while a halo with 18 surrounding stones consumes a full day. Pave setting — grain-setting tiny stones into channels — demands the most labor, allowing only four hours of work daily before precision becomes unreliable under magnification. A full pave band can take a week alone.

Week Six: Polishing and Finishing

Final finishing proceeds through successive polishing wheels: felt with tripoli compound, muslin with rouge, and high-shine bristle buffing. Brushed or matte finishes use nylon wheels, while hammer textures are applied by hand with a ball-peen tool.

Internal engravings are engraved using a graver rather than laser technology. Laser engraving is faster and cheaper and we don't use it: the depth is shallow and it wears out after a few years of sizing cream and daily wear.

Week Seven: Rhodium Plating (If Applicable)

White gold rings receive rhodium plating to achieve true whiteness, as unplated 14k and 18k white gold retain yellow undertones. The process involves ultrasonic cleaning, acid stripping, and 60-90 seconds in a rhodium bath at low voltage, creating a mirror-white surface lasting 12-18 months before reapplication becomes necessary.

Platinum pieces skip this step since platinum is naturally white.

Week Eight: Final Inspection, Photography, Appraisal

Before shipping, rings undergo final loupe inspection, with approximately 15% requiring touch-up work. Professional photography captures four angles: top, profile, three-quarter, and macro stone detail. Pieces exceeding $2,000 receive LuxeGemsCo appraisals at retail replacement value for insurance purposes.

Packaging includes a signed ledger card, linen pouch, walnut box, and double-boxing for transit. Shipments go out with required signatures and full replacement insurance.

Where the Time Actually Goes

Active studio hours total 35 – 60 per custom ring, with remaining weeks consumed by material drying, curing, waiting, and workshop capacity constraints. Rushing the process doesn't compress it. Plaster takes 12 hours to cure. Burnout is seven hours.

While competitors offer three-week turnarounds through "rush" fees, those pieces receive less studio work. The eight-week timeline reflects actual craftwork requirements rather than artificial delays.

If you have a proposal timeline you're worried about, reach out and we'll give you an honest read on feasibility.