An old friend of mine from grade school was engaged and married a few years ago. We were fortunate to be able to help him make this custom antique style engagement ring. During the process, he showed up with this picture of the two of us along with a few other friends. No clues as to which one is me other than I have a hat and suspenders on and have a brass band instrument!
Here's the ring!
We are in the process of hand fabricating a piece of custom jewelry – a palladium engagement ring for a client and thought we would show you how a hand fabricated piece starts out and explain a little how the process works.
A truly hand fabricated piece of jewelry is different from a traditional lost wax/cast process. With a custom lost wax process, the wax model is carved by hand or carved with a machine (CAM). This wax is then used to directly cast in metal the final piece of jewelry. With a hand fabricated piece, we start out with a piece of metal, like the metal rod shown here. The metal is then worked (filed, hammered, shaped, etc.) by hand into the shape of the final piece. So, rather than carve a wax and cast from the wax, a hand fabricated piece is literally made entirely from hand. It is a much more difficult process to do.
Some pieces are better off being hand fabricated than cast. For example, jewelry that has very fine scroll detail or gallery sections that require fine, intricate polishing are great candidates for hand fabrication. This piece will have very long, smooth curves, and hand fabrication will give us a smoother, more even finish when we’re through.
We’ll try to get some pictures of this ring mid process and post to the blog.
Looking for a platinum alternative? Try palladium (click here for additional information).
Custom design jewelry is a way to break off from the pack and claim your own style. And when it comes to something as important as your wedding or anniversary, why rely on someone else’s style?
You and your partner can create a piece that is forged directly from your imaginations to a tangible piece of jewelry that genuinely represents your love, your style and your creativity.
Here are a few pieces from our customers who wouldn’t have done it any other way:
Visit our Gallery of Custom Design Jewelry so you can get started!
It’s easy to celebrate cornerstones in your life but often harder to memorialize them. Custom design jewelry can help you mark a special moment in your way and in a permanent way – something a generic gift or party can’t do.
We live in an age where most of the items we buy are mass-made. You might love that dress of yours – but you know full well that its worn by millions of others. It doesn’t have that deeply personal feel.
When I received my first custom made piece of jewelry, I had no clue how much it would mean to me. It was one of a kind. And it was designed with me in mind. It’s a simple piece but it really exemplifies my personality. When I wear it, it’s a distinctly different feel than my other necklaces. It’s mine.
If you’re celebrating a special occasion in your life, consider a piece of custom design jewelry from Joseph Schubach Jewelers.
We are professionals at making personal jewelry.
(Above) An existing customer of ours, Mary Beth, upgraded to a magnificent handmade platinum oval diamond ring, entitled simply Platinum Dream.
Joseph Schubach Jewelers keeps in step with the traditional, classic look of jewelry but isn’t afraid to take some bold and innovative chances.
Take our Joe Jewelry line, for instance. These are personally crafted pieces by Joseph Schubach himself that break from tradition and showcase sharp, distinctive lines with stylish and inviting cuts.
Joe Jewelry is for the customer who’s not afraid to take make a bold statement with her choice of jewelry. Reminiscent of the Art Deco jewelry movement, these pieces are geometrically fun and love to grab attention
Take a look at this video on Joe Jewelry to see the artist in action:
If you’re looking for an inspired piece that distinctly one-on-of-a-kind, contact us directly at (888) 724-8222 or email us. Joe Jewelry is waiting for you!
Here’s a few more samples:
Artist and Custom Design Jeweler Joe Schubach
The Art Deco movement introduced styles that focused squarely on bold colors and sharp geometric shapes. Technology was evolving and Art Deco became part of the emerging look.
According to one Art Deco Jewelry website:
The economic and social pressures that immediately followed the First World War brought with them a new mood for a rigorous and clean-cut look.
Art Deco was an innovative design style popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Its sleek, streamlined forms conveyed elegance and sophistication. It was the age of the Flapper, the Jazz and the Machine Age.
Materials used ranged from rubies, gold, and pearls to plastic, chrome and steel. Platinum was the new luxury metal used with opaque stones like coral, jade, onyx and lapis lazuli. Costume jewelry became even more popular and outrageous.
Trend-setting couturiers were Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli. Influences were Pharaonic Egypt, the Orient, tribal Africa, Cubism, Futurism, machines and graphic design.
However, jewelry of the 1920’s and 30’s was in thrall to geometry: circles, arcs, squares, rectangles and triangles and so on. René Lalique, who created glass jewelry in the 1920’s and 30’s, created romantic designs from nature.
If you want to step back in time and create your own piece of Art Deco jewelry, contact us and we’ll create a piece from your mind’s eye. Custom design jewelry is our specialty.
Here are some ideas, to get the creative juices flowing:
Art Deco Ring
photo courtesy of Sandra Smith
Art Deco Diamond Clips
photo courtesy of Richard Whitehouse
French Art Deco Silver &Paste Clip & Pin
1920s Theodor Fahrner Earrings
photograph courtesy of Ramona Tung
Whether it’s moissanite, diamonds of cubic zirconia, you can make your own lucky charm from your mind’s eye!
Most of us believe, somewhere in the depths of our mind, that jewelry holds a certain degree of power. Of course, we all know someone (or we are that someone) who has a “good luck charm” of some sort.
My grandmother swears by her lucky pearl earrings. She had them on when she married her husband of 43 years. She wore them when she bought a winning lottery ticket (she only won $300 but still!) and she had them on when she graduated college years after her kids had grown.
Celebrity Heidi Klum has gotten a lot of recent attention for “clover necklace” which has double the luck, since of course, 4 leaf clovers hold tons of lucky power.
What’s your lucky charm? Do you have one? Is there a necklace or pair of earrings that make you feel stronger, protected?
If you don’t have anything, why not make one of your own. Our Dream it Yourself program allows you to be the designer of your own piece. At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we’re more than just designers, we’re artists. We know how to translate your dream into reality.
Harry Winston
Extraordinary Diamond Drop Earrings
$8.5 million
According to Forbes, these earrings may be one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry in the world. And with 60.1 carats to these pear-shaped diamond drop earrings, who would expect less?
You may sigh with diamond envy, but figure it this way: you'd have to hire your own personal bodyguards every time you wear them. And you could never casually say, "Oh shoot, I lost an earring." Instead, you'd bellow, "I just lost four million bucks! Four MILLION bucks!"
At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we can create extraordinary diamond (or moissanite or clarity-enhanced diamond) earrings like this for a fraction (and we do mean a fraction!) of the price. We specialize in recreating fine pieces like the ones above at a price you can afford.
Better yet, join our DIY (Dream it Yourself) Custom Design Jewelry Contest and create drop earrings that are drop dead. Just by entering, you save 50% in custom design fees. If you're piece is chosen as the Winner, you win $500 toward your purchase.
At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, you create the price, we create the piece!
Sweetheart jewelry has a touching history. It began during World War I when soldiers in the trenches would send mementos home to their loved ones. Along with letters, it was a way to stay connected during perilous times.
Sweetheart jewelry was often machine made and sold to servicemen abroad but many pieces were also handcrafted in the trenches. This "trench art" as it is referred to, is often made from available material such as wood or scrap metal.
Sweetheart jewelry continues to garner attention from collectors, decades and decades later.
If you want to send a long-lasting message to a loved one faraway, consider Joseph Schubach Jewelers Custom Designs. We can make a piece of Sweetheart Jewelry that speaks only to the two of you.
Here are some vintage samples of Sweetheart Jewelry from Bay State Militaria and Antiques:
Souvenir bracelet made form Aircraft aluminum
Elaborate Silver bow with heart and liberty head
cut from
a silver dime.
WWII Sweetheart Bracelet Grenade, Plane, Bullet,
Torpedo
and Eagle charms.
At Joe's Blog, we've been talking a lot about the latest trends in jewelry. From the statement piece to "world" jewelry, the trends say bold, colorful and singularly amazing. But what if you're not the "trendy" type? What if want to play it safe and own one piece of jewelry that works for decades to come? In this binding economy, you may want to focus on purchasing a piece where you get some serious "fashion mileage."
Here are a few timeless, recession-proof choices:
1. Single stone diamond earrings and pendants – Sometimes less is best. A single stone pendant can add an elegant accent to just about any outfit, which isthe key with timeless jewelry – it works anytime, with just about any outfit.
2. Pearl studded earrings – The epitome of a timeless classic. What outfit doesn't work with a simple, stately set of pearl studded earrings?
3. Cocktail Rings – These fun, affordable dazzlers have been around since the 1920's. Cocktail rings can be created from a wide array of material. The motivating factor with a classic cocktail ring? Sheer fun.
4. The Diamond Tennis Bracelet – A diamond tennis bracelet
is eye-catching without being too flashy and can be worn with an array of outfits.
5. Hoop Earrings – Like the pearl studded earrings, hoops work in just about any occasion. They're fun, flirty and feminine.
6. Custom Design Jewelry – When its a timeless look you want, why look any further than your own imagination? A piece designed from your own mind's eye is incomparable.
Classic Hoops with a Diamond Studded Twist
A Simple, Elegant Pendant Necklace – What outfit wouldn't this work with?
The Classic to end All Classics – Pearls
A Playful Eye-Catching Cocktail Ring – Design One Yourself!
And Remember – Our D.I.Y. Custom Design Contest is officially ON. Make your own classic!
