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For many, the thought of going into a shop to spend more money than they’ve ever spent on one piece of jewellery before, is daunting enough. Selecting from rows and rows of seemingly similar (yet vastly different) sparkling stones can be overwhelming.
But suggest that a prospective groom doesn’t even choose from anything in front of him, but instead dreams up his own design – as Prince Harry did – and it can quite frankly be enough to push him over the edge. Even if the bride offers her assistance (more and more couples are now opting to choose a ring together), it can still seem an impossible task, no matter how clear an idea you might have of what you want.
So where to start? When choosing to design an entirely unique ring, it’s important to find a talented expert who does the right amount of hand-holding, while still inspiring you to design an ambitiously individual piece of jewellery. We spoke to some of Bazaar‘s favourite bespoke jewellers to get your creative juices flowing…
1. Jessica McCormack
Gold and diamond ring, Jessica McCormack
Jessica McCormack is the fashion industry’s darling; editors have developed an addiction to her blackened finishes, punk-Georgian settings and her eye for selecting fiery, characterful stones. McCormack has engagement rings available to purchase as they are from her Mount Street boutique, will happily transform inherited heirlooms into new pieces, and also encourages her clients to select loose stones to propose with, so that brides can come in and design their own unique settings. “Lots men have an important jewel, something from their mum or grandmother, but they want to add a part of them to it too – just giving their bride the original ring feels too much like a shortcut,” she explains.
McCormack presents various examples to her clients, gradually opening their minds to different levels of unusually beautiful settings not found elsewhere. “We take it step by step, it’s a little journey,” she says. Her clients often come in with sketches, paper tears, screen grabs or a moodboard, much like you might design a wedding dress. “Sometimes I’ve seen people get much more stressed about their wedding dress,” she points out, “but you’re wearing that for one day – you are going to wear this for the rest of your life.”
Her bespoke pieces range from dainty bands of round stones that spell out secret messages, such as her own ring, which reads “my love” using the first letter of each gemstone type. Another popular purchase is the “party jacket”, often bought to upgrade wedding jewels; surrounding an engagement ring with a blazing, jagged halo of diamonds.
Visit jessicamccormack.com.
Jessica McCormack is the fashion industry’s darling; editors have developed an addiction to her blackened finishes, punk-Georgian settings and her eye for selecting fiery, characterful stones. McCormack has engagement rings available to purchase as they are from her Mount Street boutique, will happily transform inherited heirlooms into new pieces, and also encourages her clients to select loose stones to propose with, so that brides can come in and design their own unique settings. “Lots men have an important jewel, something from their mum or grandmother, but they want to add a part of them to it too – just giving their bride the original ring feels too much like a shortcut,” she explains.
McCormack presents various examples to her clients, gradually opening their minds to different levels of unusually beautiful settings not found elsewhere. “We take it step by step, it’s a little journey,” she says. Her clients often come in with sketches, paper tears, screen grabs or a moodboard, much like you might design a wedding dress. “Sometimes I’ve seen people get much more stressed about their wedding dress,” she points out, “but you’re wearing that for one day – you are going to wear this for the rest of your life.”
Her bespoke pieces range from dainty bands of round stones that spell out secret messages, such as her own ring, which reads “my love” using the first letter of each gemstone type. Another popular purchase is the “party jacket”, often bought to upgrade wedding jewels; surrounding an engagement ring with a blazing, jagged halo of diamonds.
Visit jessicamccormack.com.
