Speaking of Bespoke

October 6, 2020
By Leah Meirovich

Jaci Schleigh Jewelry designer Nelson Coleman Jewelers Towson, Maryland“The most interesting custom piece I’ve designed is a ring I call the ‘The Coffee Cup.’ To date, it is still my favorite because it is understated yet unique in design, with lots of meaning. From a distance, you would think it’s just a traditional three-stone engagement ring. But when you look closer, you see that the side diamonds are bezel-set in coffee cups. It is the perfect ring to represent this couple’s history. They first met at his coffee shop; she would come in for coffee every morning before heading off to work. Their relationship blossomed from there and brought him to meet with me for an engagement ring…. My creative wheels began turning, and we collaborated to create [this] ring. The under-gallery detail of the center diamond is also the logo of the coffee shop. It is a one-of-a-kind conversation piece that lets them tell their love story every time it’s admired.”

Madison Wycoff Jewelry designer Fox Fine Jewelry Ventura, California“As a designer and artist, I adore the Art Nouveau movement. One of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha, is known for his illustrations of elegant women in soft pastels and fantastic jewels. They’re often depicted like Venus, gracing the world in the midst of nature. It inspires whimsy, like it’s come straight out of a fairytale. I was thrilled when I was asked to design an Art Nouveau-inspired ring for my client’s heirloom opal. I wanted to capture the same elegance and simplicity that enchanted me in Mucha’s illustrations, with soft colors and whimsical curves. The pairing of enamel with the 14-karat rose gold denotes elements of both spring and fall, like a changing leaf, and also pulls forward the different flashes of color from the opal. It represents change, and the journey the opal and wearer have traveled, as well as the fantastic journeys to come.”

Alicia Arnold Custom design director Tiny Jewel Box Washington, DC“One of my favorite custom projects began with an email stuffed with perfect phrases. ‘My girlfriend is an entomologist and loves insects,’ and ‘I’m looking for a design inspired by the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus),’ as well as ‘I’d like the ring to subtly show off the beetle, but also look like an engagement ring.’ He graciously included pictures of the beetle. Any day that begins with a request for a beetle engagement ring is going to be a great day. I presented several sketches, he picked a lovely option. After I cast into platinum, we engaged in a series of conversations about which technique I was going to use to show the beetle’s colored spots (we went with a single-direction florentine). While I’m proud of the ring, I’m even more proud of maintaining my professional demeanor…. All in a day’s work for a custom jeweler.”

Images: Jaci Schleigh, Madison Wycoff, Alicia Arnold