Justin’s beach pebble and Vesuvianite ring – an “almost commission”!

Justin contacted me and wanted me to make a birthday present for his wife. He has bought from me a few times before, and it’s always such a pleasure to have clients coming back for more!

The brief

His wife had seen the Beach pebble and Tanzanite ring online and loved the design. Justin asked if perhaps I could make one with a green stone instead of the Tanzanite, as green is his wife’s favourite colour. I love it when people really think about what would suit the recipient; it’s all too easy to just pick an item off the shelf so to speak. Sometimes you can be lucky and find the perfect piece, but not always and it’s so much more personal and special when it’s tailored to the recipients taste.

This commission is a perfect example of what I call an “almost commission” or an “I want that one but in a different colour” commission. Basically it’s a variation on a previous design to suit the recipient. A commission or custom order really can be this easy, it doesn’t have to involve massive head ache and decision making. “Here’s a design she loves, but let’s make it personal to her!” The little changes can have a big impact and make the gift so much more personal.

Stone choice and sizing

So, I went through my inventory of stones and picked out a few different green stones that would work for the ring. I sent a photo of the possible choices to Justin and he decided on the beautiful triangular shaped Vesuvianite stone on the far left.

Vesuvianite is quite an unusual stone and its lovely deep olive green go really well with the grey of the beach pebbles. The matte brushed silver finish also works really well on this ring.

The ring was made with an open, slightly off-set band, which is a lovely design and it’s slightly adjustable, which can be a great idea when buying a present. Lots of people don’t know their own ring sizes, let alone their partners, so an adjustable shank can be a good idea. Justin did know his wife’s wedding ring size (from the receipt of the ring!), but was slightly concerned as she had developed a bit of arthritis and this can affect your ring size. So I suggested we went up a size so that she would be able to wear it on her right hand. Being adjustable this would also give enough margin for sizing up a few sizes, should she need it. Most people are a size or two larger on the right hand anyway (assuming they are right handed!) but with the design being adjustable, we were pretty confident that it would work for her.

The finished ring

So, we agreed on the stones, the design and the size, and I made the ring. Shown here is the rather gorgeous result! I love the combination of the matte grey pebble with the polished deep green stone, a natural but elegant and simple combination! The matte brushed finish on the silver also contributes to the understated elegance. The finished ring was posted off in time for the birthday celebration and I am pleased to say that I received a message from Justin a few days later to say it had gone down very well! That’s what it’s all about, happy customers!

“I was very impressed with Carin’s flexibility and help in creating this new ring. She kept in contact throughout and was really helpful with the design changes. The finished ring is great and very individual – I’ll definitely be returning again in the future! Thanks.”
Justin

You may enjoy reading about these commissions too…

Sonja’s aquamarine cluster pendant – a very personal gift

18
Jun

A Scandi affair – Thumb rings with a Scandinavian pattern

06
Apr

A very Cornish pendant – Tin for 10 years!

30
Apr