CUSTOMIZED RING PROMISES TO LEAVE MARK OF INDIVIDUALITY

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 7, 1993                   TAG: 9302120408
SECTION: YOUR WEDDING                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By BECKY HEPLER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
CUSTOMIZED RING PROMISES TO LEAVE MARK OF INDIVIDUALITY
"Some people feel like the wedding ring should be like the relationship, a little unique," said Faith Capone, Blacksburg jeweler. For people who want that, Blacksburg is the place to come, where not one but two establishments specialize in custom-designed wedding rings.
Capone of Capone's Fine Jewelry has been in the business for several years, working first for established jewelers before striking out on her own. She has a background in fine arts and teaches a metalworking and jewelry class at Virginia Tech. She said the design process in this project is definitely a group effort.
"They actually formulate the ideas themselves," she said. "I'm just the technician that can make that a concrete idea."
Capone said she talks with the couple for a long time to find out what they want. If they don't know, there is research into what is important to them to find designs she can incorporate into the final product. The three of them also look at other designs for ideas and Capone will suggest other directions as well. Ideas can come from anywhere.
"I had a couple once that collected a particular brand of pottery that had a pine cone motif," she said. "I thought that had potential as a design component, so I did some research. "There are a zillion kinds of pine cones and needles. We finally created a design that they liked."
Another couple were fascinated by Art Deco architecture. After much book research, Capone was able to find design elements that would translate successfully to the scale of the ring.
"We had to narrow down those designs to this tiny piece," she said. "They were very happy with it. People can't always express the ideas they want for a piece that they will be wearing for the rest of their life. But by working together, we can make that happen."
David Hardell of Robert Smith Jewelers has been designing jewelry for six year. "Custom-designed rings are becoming more common. Tradition is being left by the wayside because people want something unique," he said.
Hardell said one trend is to design one ring with a stone rather than separate engagement and wedding rings. Other trends include colored stones rather than diamonds, and gold, especially white gold, rather than silver. Again, he sees this as getting away from tradition.
The advantage of custom-designed rings is having a piece of jewelry that reflects both the individual and the couple aspects of the two people.
"A lot of the couples want the same flavor but not a copy of the rings," Hardell said. "They want part of the ring to resemble something in the other's ring. People are different and they have different tastes. A custom-designed piece can incorporate all of those."
One client, whose wife-to-be wanted a ring that featured a ruby, decided to incorporate that stone into his ring design, but he didn't want his stone to show. So Hardell hammer-set a small ruby on the inside of the ring. The client knew about it, even if no one else did.
Both Hardell and Capone depend heavily on approval sketches and wax models so that clients aren't left with any surprises. "Word of mouth is our only form of advertising, so we try to make it exactly right," Hardell said.
The amount of time it takes to complete the rings varies; the jewelers can work with rush orders, but more time makes it easier.
"I don't like to be put under the gun, and they already have all the pressure they need, so I advise clients to come in early," said Hardell. Two months is the usual amount of time an average project would take.
"I can take as long as the couple needs," said Capone. If they're indecisive, a longer time can be a luxury." She has taken from a week to three months to finish projects.
Those on a budget might think that custom-design is beyond their reach, but Capone said the business is actually quite competitive.
"When you think about the fact that you're getting a piece of art, the costs are actually comparable to ready-made," she said. "I'll work with any budget they have. They just have to be realistic."
Hardell said the costs were clearly related to the materials and the labor. "Silver starts around $150, gold starts around $500 and goes on up," he said. "We did one that cost $15,000. It's just what you want to spend on it."

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB