I just wanted to let you know that on Saturday I proposed to my girlfriend, Alyssa, with the BEAUTIFUL ring you made for me. SHE SAID YES!!! The ring is absolutely stunning. She couldn't take her eyes off of it. Thank you so much for all of the help, advice, and service. The team there was great at responding to my inquiries, and Brian himself even took time to talk to me about the stone I was purchasing (A Brian Gavin Signature Cushion Cut). The stressful process of finding the perfect ring and the perfect stone was made simple and easy by your staff. I will be recommending Brian Gavin Diamonds to everyone I know!! The service is top notch, and the product is amazing! Thank you again for all of your help and for being part of the special time in our lives.
-Mike
P.S. Here's a picture of the ring on her hand
A Face On View of Alyssa’s BGD Cushion Cut Diamond
Alani contacted us at the beginning of November with a reset project in mind:
Hi Denise, Leslie, Brian and friends! Hope you are all well and nice and busy leading up to Christmas. I am currently researching the idea of resetting my engagement ring (1ct, in a simple solitaire setting) as I recently broke my wedding band and I'm not too sure if I want to stay with the traditional e ring / w band. I'm pretty hard on my rings and everything that I am drawn to with a lot of bling (pave, halos) isn’t really right for my lifestyle. Anyway, I was thinking of resetting into a 3 stone, but then I'm not sure if that will be enough bling so I'm looking at a Graduated 5 stone using my current 1ct stone as the center.
Denise worked with Alani to come up with the best combination of diamond sizes to get the flowing, graduated look she was after and also worked on several different ideas for the setting. The final diamond specs were as follows:
Center stone 1.05ct F SI1 is a GIA XXX round diamond.
2 x 0.20ct F VS Brian Gavin Signature diamond melee.
Alani decided not to ship her center stone to us and searched to find a qualified local Australian jeweler to set it. We had all the measurements of the stone and were able to create the CAD with that information. We tweaked the center prongs to make sure that only the prongs showed from the top view, and that the trellis wires were not visible from the top. We sent the updated CAD, received approval and proceeded to caste the ring in platinum and then set the 4 side stones. We e-mailed Glamor Shots of the almost finished ring and then shipped it:
I picked up the package and the ring is beautiful! I can't wait until I get the center stone set…
A few days later we received this e-mail:
Hello Denise, Lesley, Brian and the team at BGD! I am please to let you know that the ring has been completed with the center stone being set today!! I am in love with the ring and it is exactly what I imagined it to be. It's amazing how you guys can take a drawing and bring it to life! The ring is just one ball of sparkle at the moment. It is really unbelievable! I find myself laughing every time I catch a glimpse of it because it is just so unreal. Thanks again, Alani.
Feast your eyes on the picture gallery below!!
Alani’s Sketch of the Brian Gavin Setting she had in Mind
A Side View of Alani’s Sketch of the Brian Gavin Setting she had in Mind
CAD Rendering of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Side Glamor Shot of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
The Flowing Lines of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
3/4 View of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Hand Picture of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Close Up Hand Picture of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Another Hand Picture of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Flower Shot of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Flower Shot of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Flower Shot of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Side View Picture of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Front View Picture of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
Flower Shot of Alani’s Brian Gavin Graduated 5 Stone Trellis Ring
I got the earrings yesterday! They are so beautiful, I am extremely happy how they turn out. I absolutely adore the truth setting, it’s so delicate, unique and compliments the stones beauty. My worries regarding the clarity are blown away as I truly can’t see the difference to my IF ering. I might try and get the loupe though, as I am very curious to see those "birthmarks of the stones".
It was a pleasure to work with you, Lesley. I definitely have never experienced that great customer service here in Germany. Talking to Brian was a highlight in my diamond education, I felt I could trust his opinion and experience. Please, let him know that I am a very happy customer, he mentioned on the phone that that is very important for him to know:)
With many thanks and best wishes from Berlin, Ekaterina F
**The Truth Settings are eligible for our Diamond Stud Earring Sale which ends on February 10, 2012. Get $175 off the earring setting of your choice when you purchase a pair of Brian Gavin Signature diamonds. No other discounts or offers apply.
Ian contacted us by e-mail in mid November interested in having us create a custom setting for him. He was away from home when he wrote in and described it verbally: I wanted to see if you could line up 2 hearts that would twist head to head. Within each heart the .25 carat diamond would sit and right in the middle where the hearts meet, the larger diamond would sit. Also I would like to put some small diamonds into the band.
When he got back to his PC he sent us a rough free-hand sketch of what he had in mind. Jamie discussed the details with Brian Gavin and then e-mailed Ian a quote. He approved the quote and then Jamie worked with him to select a beautiful one carat K VS2 Brian Gavin Signature “Blue”.
We e-mailed him the first rendition of the CAD and he requested that the head be integrated into the shank. We fine tuned it and sent him the second and final rendition which he approved. We cast, set the and shipped his beautiful ring. He e-mailed us, thrilled with the result:
Jamie! This is even better than I thought it was going to be! I can't express how great of job you and everyone else did on my journey to get this ring made. Thanks for all your hard work. You guys truly have a gift of not only designing but bringing stories of love to life! Although it was a lengthy process it was very much worth it. Please express my gratitude to everyone else who played an important role in this wonderful ring. I look forward to working with you in the future and I know alot of people will also too! If I have any more questions I will contact you. Thanks a bunch again! I'll keep you posted. Take care! Ian
Customer's sketch, CADs and Glamor Shots:
Ian’s Hand Sketch of how he Envisioned his Brian Gavin Ring
First CAD Rendering of Ian’s Brian Gavin Ring
Updated CAD of Ian’s Custom Brian Gavin Ring with the Integrated Head
Front View Showing Ian’s Custom Brian Gavin Engagement Ring
The Flowing Lines of Ian’s Custom Brian Gavin Engagement Ring
Showing the Shank Detail of Ian’s Custom Brian Gavin Engagement Ring
CAD Rendering of Brian Gavin’s Erika Fishtail Pave Diamond Wedding Set
Brian Gavin’s Erika Fishtail Pave Diamond Wedding Set
Brian Gavin’s Erika Fishtail Pave Diamond Solitaire with “Surprise” Stones
Brian Gavin’s Erika Fishtail Pave Diamond Solitaire with the Truth Head
Brian Gavin’s Erika Fishtail Pave Diamond Wedding Set
Brian Gavin’s Erika Fishtail Pave Diamond Solitaire
Anthony contacted us in October. He had been shopping at several internet companies and wanted to come in and meet with Brian and look at several Brian Gavin Signature Hearts and Arrows diamonds in the 0.80 – 1.00 carat range. After a couple of visits he selected a beautiful 0.918 H VS2 Brian Gavin Signature H & A. We then started discussing the setting and he wanted to know if we could custom make a diamond wedding set comprising a cathedral style fishtail pave setting with the Truth head and a matching fishtail pave band using our Brian Gavin Signature Melee. He e-mailed us the specs and some inspiration pictures and we set to work to create the CAD. Once he had approved the CAD, we cast the setting in 18K White Gold and set the F/G VS Brian Gavin Signature Melee. We set one "surprise" diamond and one "surprise" sapphire on the inside of the engagement ring shank. A few days after he had received the rings, his fiancee Erika e-mailed us this wonderful testimonial:
Hi Lesley,
This is Anthony C’s (now) fiancee! Just wanted to tell you the story of how Anthony proposed. I'll give you the long version.
This past Saturday on Dec 17th, Anthony asked me what I wanted to do during the day. I noticed that he was looking at his phone for the weather updated and said, "Oh good, it's sunny." I told him I wanted to go to the museum. He was opposed to that. So I thought of another idea-the Houston Zoo, which was one of our most fun dates ever since we've been dating. His reply was, "Actually I was thinking about that too." Sometimes I like to get all made up on the weekends. I curl my hair and/or wear my "weekend" outfits. As I was curling my hair, I heard Anthony shuffling in his study closet and I was a little suspicious that he was messing with the engagement ring. It was a beautiful and fun day at the zoo. I had the best time there. After a while, Anthony asked me what I wanted for dinner. I told him I wanted some hot pot, which would require us to go to Chinatown. He was not up for it. He asked me if I wanted Italian food. I was neutral about it at the time until I was starving a few hours later and didn't care where we were going. While he was driving, I asked him where we were going to eat. He played dumb and said, "I don't know where we are going?" I replied, "TELL ME!" He again said, "I don't know where we are going?" As he turned onto Ella Blvd., I knew right away where we were eating. He was taking me to our first date restaurant called Cavatore. As we walked into the restaurant, he asked the owner if we could sit by the live music. There was a live duet playing that night-a guitarist and singer who were a couple. Since it's around Christmas time, they sung Christmas songs. Throughout our delicious Italian dinner, I noticed that Anthony had his "thinking face" on. I asked him a few times if everything was okay. He just gave me a short, "yeah" reply each time.
After dinner was over, I had to run to the restroom before we left. I came back and Silent Night was being sung live. As I sat down, Anthony looked at me deeply into my eyes and said, "It's a silent night, isn't it?" I looked at him funny and said, "Yeah…sure is…" As he reached out for his glass of water, I then reached out for mine and noticed that the engagement ring was sitting right on top of an ice cube. I was shocked and said, "OH MY GOD!" I looked at him and he got down on his knees and proposed. He made me cry. It was a very emotional moment. After I said yes to him I had to remind him that he had to put the ring on my finger (it was still in the glass after all this time). The live singer came up to us and told us that nobody has ever proposed while she was singing and congratulated us. Shortly after, the owner of the restaurant came up to us and congratulated us. He surprised us with some champagne on the house. We both told him we didn't think anyone noticed the proposal, but he claimed that everyone in the restaurant did. After dinner, we called it a night and left the restaurant as a newly engaged and very happy couple. =) Erika O.
Happy New Year to all our customers, fans and blog readers. As we head into the first week of 2012, I wanted to share some highlights of jewelry designs in 2011 here at Brian Gavin Diamonds. Once again, thank you for all your interest and support, and here's to a creative and meaningful year ahead… Brian.
VIDEO
A Gallery of Some of Brian Gavin's Jewelry Highlights…
Brian Gavin Custom Yellow Gold 5 Stone Trellis Hoops
Brian Gavin Custom Double Novela Eternity Band
Brian Gavin Fancy Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin 5 Stone U Prong Band with Bezel Set Surprise Diamonds
Brian Gavin Custom Men’s Wedding Band
Brian Gavin Custom “Stephanie” Full Eternity Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Custom U-Prong Band Featuring 0.40 ct BG Signature Diamonds
Brian Gavin Custom Full Eternity Band with Milgrain
Brian Gavin Custom Platinum “Crown” Setting
Brian Gavin Custom Honeycomb Diamond Pave Earrings
Brian Gavin “Sarah” Diamond Halo Ring
Brian Gavin Custom Cushion Cut Diamond Halo Ring
Brian Gavin 5 Row Diamond Pave Band
Brian Gavin Milgrain Bezel Set Diamond and Sapphire Ring
Brian Gavin Custom Aquamarine Pendant
Brian Gavin Custom Diamond Halo Engagement Ring and Matching Band
Brian Gavin Rose Gold Diamond Bezel Earrings
Brian Gavin Custom “Regal” Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Diamond and Sapphire Halo Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Tapering Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Custom Spiral Ring and Matching Band
Brian Gavin Custom Diamond Half Eternity Band
Brian Gavin Signature Quadex Halo Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Custom Platinum U Prong Diamond Band with 0.40ct Diamonds
Brian Gavin Custom 5 Stone U Prong Band with Milgrain Shank
Brian Gavin Custom Cushion Halo Split Shank Ring
Brian Gavin Custom Tsavorite and Marquise Diamond Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Platinum and Topaz Right Hand Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Ring
Brian Gavin Platinum and Rose Gold Wedding Band
Brian Gavin Designer Wedding Set
Brian Gavin Inside Outside Hoops
Brian Gavin Designer Setting
Brian Gavin 3 Sided Diamond Pave Setting
Brian Gavin Full Eternity Trellis Diamond Band
Brian Gavin Designer Rose Gold Halo Ring
Brian Gavin Designer 2 Tone Puzzle Ring
Brian Gavin Hand Made Double Diamond Bezel Drops
Brian Gavin Designer Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Full Eternity Asscher Cut Diamond Band
Brian Gavin Designer Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Split Shank Halo Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Platinum Round and Marquise Diamond Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Two Tone Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Square Halo Diamond Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Euro Shank 3 Stone Trellis Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Double Row Diamond Hoops
Brian Gavin Signature Titanium and Diamond Hoops
Brian Gavin Triple Row Diamond Pave Halo Ring
Brian Gavin Designer Two Tone Setting
Brian Gavin Bezel Set Designer Platinum and Diamond Ring
Brian Gavin Diamond Tennis Bracelet and Custom Heart Charm
Brian Gavin Custom Diamond Halo Setting
Brian Gavin Custom 3 Stone Bezel Set DBTY Necklace
Brian Gavin Custom Platinum Aquamarine and Diamond Pendant
Brian Gavin Custom Square Halo for Round Diamond Ring
Brian Gavin Crossed Rope Diamond Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin Signature Platinum Full Eternity Diamond Band
H Levi & Son Designer Setting with Brian Gavin Diamond
Brian Gavin Signature Elegance with Diamonds Solitaire
Brian Gavin Designer Diamond Engagement Setting
Brian Gavin Designer Princess Cut Diamond Wedding Set
We met Brian and Lesley in 2009 and they created what can only be described as a “dream pair” of matching engagement and wedding bands – http://bit.ly/ydfDTp . Stephanie is originally from Texas and so when it came time this year to counter-balance those with a little “fun” stone that is the official gemstone of Texas, well, we knew there was only one couple that we could fully entrust with the job. I can only say that Brian and Lesley not only came up with an amazing looking ring but also one that it is also eminently comfortable and wearable on a daily basis just like their original engagement and wedding band duet. The only remaining question is what color gemstone is next? Ian
At the beginning of October Ian contacted us about creating a unique setting for a topaz he was considering purchasing. He had visited John Dyer’s website and was fascinated by the magnificent colored stones he had been cutting. He specifically wanted the topaz to be a deep “windex” blue. The first stone he liked was sold but he managed to secure a magnificent 22.01 carat cushion cut blue topaz.
Pretty basic ring design. Could be "no stones" modern and a little clunky to some nice side stones
We got to work on several sketches and e-mailed him out 4 different options (see below in gallery). He selected design #2. We then created the ring on CAD, e-mailed it to him for review and then cast the ring in platinum. Ian had said that he would need it no later than February 8, but we wanted to make sure he had it in time for New Years Eve. The ring took many hours to clean and prepare for setting and we thankfully managed to ship it out on Friday evening – our last shipment of the year.
She loves the ring, fits perfectly! The pics were spectacular but also showed just how much work goes into these and that they don’t pop out completely done. Nice to get an appreciation for all of the craftsmanship. Happy Holidays! Ian
The process and magnificent Glamor Shots are chronicled below:
A Side View of the John Dyer 22 Carat Topaz
The John Dyer 22 Carat Topaz Photographed Upside Down
A Face On View of the John Dyer 22 Carat Topaz
4 Proposed Sketches offered by Brian Gavin’s Design Team
Calculating the Measurements of the Topaz for the CAD
Brian Gavin’s CAD Rendition of Ian’s Ring
Welcome 2012 – Brian Gavin’s Designer Platinum and Topaz Ring!
Brian Gavin is Ambidextrous – With the Stephanie Wedding Set
An Explosion of Color and Beauty
A View from the Side of Brian Gavin’s Designer Platinum and Topaz Ring
Side View of Brian Gavin’s Designer Platinum and Topaz Ring
A Face On View of Brian Gavin’s Designer Platinum and Topaz Ring
A Close Up View of Brian Gavin’s Designer Platinum and Topaz Ring
Side View of Brian Gavin’s Designer Platinum and Topaz Ring
On October 25 we posted the video of our customer opening his ring box… but there was only a paper ring inside!!!
We promised to share the real thing with you so here goes!!
Mike and Dejana – Newly Engaged
Dejana’s Magnificent Brian Gavin Diamond Wedding Set
Side View of Dejana’s New Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin’s Signature Diamond Halo Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin’s Signature Diamond Halo Engagement Ring
Brian Gavin’s Signature Diamond Halo Engagement Ring
Our customer from Hong Kong, Brian, had purchased his magnificent platinum wedding set in February 2011. He contacted us again in July having purchased a magnificent 5.75 carat (10.3mm) square cushion cut aquamarine from Jeff White and wanted us to create a pendant as a wedding gift for his future wife.
We are looking for a pendant with a back that allows the chain to slide through, and a front that is free of distractions.
He originally wanted the Barbara pendant with a bezel finish but aquamarine is a soft stone and if we bezeled it there was a 50/50 chance that we would either scratch it or it would break when heat for the bezel process was applied. We explained this to Brian and he wrote back:
We have been browsing through the website to look at more prong settings for ideas and came across the V-Prong Lever Backs<http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/home/ring-details/?product_id=5373>.We like how smoothly the prongs and basket fit together. Is it possible to adapt the basket and prong design for our pendant?
After some discussion we decided to create the back basket similar to that of the v prong lever backs and set it with 4 split claw prongs. In addition, Brian wanted her to have the option to wear the pendant both straight and kite set. We explained that the design would not allow for it and so we created it to be kite set with an invisible tube like bail to allow the pendant to move on the chain.
We set about creating the wax model for the pendant, cast it in platinum and then very carefully set the magnificent aquamarine.
Hi Shandel, We picked up the pendant last night and it looks absolutely amazing. Please send our most sincere thanks to Jamie, Lesley, Brian, and everyone else involved in the process. Thanks, Brian
The process and results are in the gallery below.
Jeff White 5.75 Carat (10.3mm) Square Cushion Cut Aquamarine
The Jeff White Aquamarine Prior to being Set
Showing the Depth of the Jeff White Aquamarine Prior to being Set
Wax Model of the Brian Gavin Pendant
Showing the Curves of the Brian Gavin Pendant
Wax Model of the Brian Gavin Pendant from the Back
Side View of the Wax Model of the Brian Gavin Pendant
Brian Gavin’s Custom Aquamarine Pendant
Beautiful Curves of Brian Gavin’s Custom Aquamarine Pendant
Liquid Reflections of the Custom Brian Gavin Aquamarine Pendant
A View from the Bottom of Brian Gavin’s Custom Aquamarine Pendant
18K Rose Gold Rings and Earrings continue to be very popular here at Brian Gavin Diamonds. The Gallery below features the following 4 products that were shipped in the past few days:
Product ID 5437R18 18K Rose Gold Half Bezel Solitaire with a 0.45 ct Brian Gavin Signature Hearts and Arrows diamond
Product ID 5409R18 18K Rose Gold Hand Made Bezel Stud Earrings
Product ID 5542R18 18K Rose Gold Classic Truth Sleek Micro Pave with 18K White Gold Head and an additional Milgrain Finish set with a 1.35 ct Brian Gavin Quadex (and 6 surprise pink sapphires set inside the shank)
Product ID 5540R18 18K Rose Gold Tapered Tiffany Style Half Round with 18K White Gold 6 prong Tiffany basket set with a 0.78 ct Brian Gavin Signature H & A diamond and a surprise garnet set inside the shank
Brian Gavin’s 5437R18 18K Rose Gold Half Bezel Solitaire
Brian Gavin’s 5437R18 18K Rose Gold Half Bezel Solitaire
Brian Gavin’s 5437R18 18K Rose Gold Half Bezel Solitaire
Brian Gavin’s 5409R18 18K Rose Gold Hand Made Bezel Stud Earrings
Brian Gavin’s 5409R18 18K Rose Gold Hand Made Bezel Stud Earrings
Brian Gavin’s18K Rose Gold and 18K Yellow Gold Hand Made Bezel Earrings
Brian Gavin’s 5542R18 18K Rose Gold Classic Truth Sleek Micro Pave with Milgrain Finish
Brian Gavin’s 5542R18 18K Rose Gold Classic Truth Sleek Micro Pave with Milgrain Finish
Brian Gavin’s 5542R18 18K Rose Gold Classic Truth Sleek Micro Pave with Milgrain Finish
Brian Gavin’s 5540R18 18K Rose Gold Tapered Tiffany Style Half Round Solitaire
Brian Gavin’s 5540R18 18K Rose Gold Tapered Tiffany Style Half Round Solitaire
Brian Gavin’s 5540R18 18K Rose Gold Tapered Tiffany Style Half Round Solitaire