• strands of sapphires, or 2 side sapphires
• Organic (thus the twist)
• Slender (she's a slender build)
• Don't want to obscure the diamond (no bezel), it's best if you can get a good view of it from the top and a good profile view.
• Deep set and non-tangle (I want it to be something that can be worn daily)
• If possible, design a wedding band that goes along with the ring

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

I'd like to commission a diamond cross pendant, using diamonds from an eternity ring I currently own. Currently it's a 3.45 ct eternity ring, comprised of 17 diamonds, but I think using approx. 11 diamonds would give me the desired cross size.

We had made crosses before using 0.10 – 0.12 ct Brian Gavin Signature melee so we emailed her the pictures to make sure we were on the same page. She loved what she saw but requested that the bail at the back be completely flat so that the pendant would sit flat. We un mounted the diamonds from the eternity band, each one weighed approx 0.20 ct, and calculated the scrap value of the setting which we applied as a credit to her total. We created the CAD, emailed the renderings and 3D file to her for approval. We then cast it in 18K white gold and set the 11 diamonds.  We used the remaining 6 diamonds to create a beautiful DBTY chain. Each stone was carefully bezeled and then spaced at varying intervals with the last 2 stopping right at the neckline.

Lesley, The finished piece is perfection! The gallery supporting the cross is so unique and pretty, the prongs secure the diamonds without overwhelming them, the bezels delicately frame the diamonds, I could go on and on. Overall, the necklace is more than I could have expected. If you notice in the neck shots, you can barely tell that the bezels are spaced at varying lengths, yet somehow, the different spacing adds a little more dimension to the necklace. Thank you BGD, for your amazing customer service and unbelievable workmanship. You guys are truly exceptional! Jen

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

Last week we discovered some pictures of Demetri and his fiancée on flickr and asked his permission to post them on our blog.

He graciously agreed and wrote back with the wonderful testimonial featured after the picture gallery below:

Hi Jamie,

My fiancee Jodi and I are both outdoor people. We love cycling, hiking, and most of all skiing. Our first year dating I told Jodi, then a non-skier, that she wouldn't be seeing much of me in the wintertime as I'd be in Lake Tahoe on the weekends. This didn't sit well with her. When a friend came out to ski Squaw Valley with me, Jodi knew she wanted to learn how to ski. I took her up for her first time that spring and she got the hang of it right away. When we went on the ski trip to Squaw, Jodi wanted to impress me to show she could hang. We had a really nice moment near the trees at Squaw in an area called Shirley Lake.

I kicked my proposal plan into high gear in early April. I spoke to her father and then set out to find the perfect ring. The proposal was meant to be a surprise so I visited local a local jeweler after work and would stay up late nights on the computer getting a diamond education. Luckily, I quickly came to Brian Gavin Diamonds and worked with you to select the ring. Jodi has very simple tastes and tends not to wear much jewelry. This made the selection process easier in some ways but left many of the details unsettled. I chose the split shank rope style ring in 18k white gold both for its aesthetic beauty and for the symbolic value.  Each of the separate loops represented each of Jodi and me. The rope texture also spoke to me as an indication of life's ups and downs. With the setting chosen, I moved on to the center stone. Brian Gavin's Signature Hearts and Arrows represented the pinnacle of quality and craftsmanship. The round brilliant shape in a solitaire fit Jodi's personality perfectly.

When it came time, I knew I wanted to propose outdoors. The outdoors fit both our personalities and made for a romantic location. Jodi had been planning a ski trip to Squaw for the last weekend of the ski season. My plan was to propose at Shirley Lake, right on one of the ski runs. To make the event a bit more special for Jodi, I contact Squaw Valley though a friend to get some inside help. Squaw was awesome. Several folks there helped me get a bottle of champagne and glasses first from the mid-mountain restaurant, then to a ski patrol shack near Shirley Lake, then finally in the middle of the ski run hidden in some trees. Squaw also put me in touch with Jason Abraham, a world class action photographer based on the mountain. The night before we headed up, Squaw emailed me to let me know the champagne was chilling. I casually asked Jodi over dinner where she would like to ski the next day and she replied "Shirley Lake."

Brian Gavin Diamonds committed to shipping the custom ring to me three days before Jodi and I left to drive up to the mountains. I got the ring via FedEx Wednesday morning and was blown away. The ring was perfect. I quickly brought it to a local respected jeweler as my last bit of due diligence. When I handed the ring over the salesman set out to pick it apart. After looking at the stone and completed ring for several minutes under the microscope the clerk said simply that the stone matched the certificate and that there was not much else he could say. I knew I had a winner.

The plan was set as we drove up Friday. I was driving over a mountain pass when I asked Jodi to telephone the resort so that we could check into our room early. She had lost her phone that week so I gave her my cell and told her to dial the most recent number in the history. I heard her talking to a confused woman on the other end of the line and when Jodi hung up she said, "hmm, that wasn't Brian Gavin Diamonds, and spoken to a "distinguished lady" who I gather was Lesley. Jodi didn't hear anything because we were at elevation and her ears hadn't adjusted. The secret was safe.

We woke up Saturday morning and got ready for the big day. I stashed the ring and its large presentation box in my ski pants and we headed out on the mountain at 9 AM. The plan was set to meet Jason at Shirley Lake at 11 AM. We skied all morning and led Jodi all over the mountain stalling for time. When 11 AM rolled around I asked her if she wanted to go over to Shirley Lake and she agreed. When we got there, I lingered behind to try to make casual contact with Jason, our photographer. Jodi caught me looking around and dawdling which was unusual so she asked me what was going on and I said simply "nothing" and kept on skiing. One of the female ski patrollers saw me gawking. She was apparently in on the plan as she flashed me a huge smile and a huge thumbs up as Jodi headed down the trail. I managed to spot Jason from the ski lift. He was lurking around in the bushes at the proscribed spot. I let Jodi go down the run first and then I skied over to the spot and called out Jason's name. He came out and I asked him where the champagne was. He pointed it out and I told him the proposal would be on the next run.

On the ride up the chairlift I started to be overcome with emotion. I held Jodi and gave her a big kiss. When we got to the top of the run, I asked Jodi to follow me. We ski like that all the time. This time, though, I went extra slow to enjoy the moment. When we got to the spot, I stopped and started to take off my skis and helmet. Jodi was perplexed. "What are you doing," she asked? I got down on one knee and pulled the ring out of my pocket. Jodi realized what was going on and a huge smile came over her face. She said yes. Thanks,  Demetri M

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

We’ll feature the larger stone in this post.  It started off at 3.28 carats and ended up at 3.06 carats. The transformation was incredible. Before and after pictures are featured in the gallery below as well as the Merline’s “new” diamond ring.

We shipped the 2 recut diamonds with a pair of Brian Gavin Signature Hearts and Arrows diamond earrings and a pair of diamond jackets!

Hi Lesley,

We just got back from our Hawaii trip and just now have a chance to write back to you about the diamonds. Well, I am hopelessly in love with it! I just can't stop looking at my ring. All day, I keep glancing at it. Brian's work is amazing to say the least. I can't tell you how happy I am with the recut. Thank you both so much for doing this for me. You both were wonderful and I really appreciate what you have done for me!

The earrings with the jacket are just perfect for everyday use too! And while I chose to pick a smaller sized earrings in the hopes of going under the radar and get minimal attention from co-workers, the opposite is actually happening LOL. Not one day has gone by where I don't get a compliment about how "big" my earrings are and how sparkly they look! I guess with Brian Gavin diamonds, it will always get attention no matter what

Please convey my warmest regards to Brian and tell him how happy I am of his work! I consider myself very lucky to have found you both!

All the best, Merline

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

In February we received an e-mail from him with a hand picture of Megan’s 3 rings, letting us know that they were expecting a baby boy around Easter Sunday in April.

A couple of weeks later he forwarded us some links to a rose gold heart shaped charm pendant with the initial B in diamonds. He wanted us to create something similar for Megan’s push present using our F/G VS Brian Gavin Signature melee and to hang it on a bead chain. We created the wax and e-mailed a picture of it for his approval. He-mailed us to proceed with the pendant and so the Megan Pendant was born! At the end of March we shipped the pendant and a complimentary Brian Gavin Signature Baby Blankee and did not hear from David right away. On April 17 we received an e-mail birth announcement that Brayden Robert was born on April 16 at 10:16 p.m. weighing in at 7lbs 15 oz and measuring 21.5”. A few days later David sent us the magnificent pictures below.

Being involved in our customers’ life cycle events is such a compliment and an honor. There are certain custom projects that we will never forget, and this will surely be one of them.

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

I have been dating my girlfriend, Dorrie, for 6 years and am finally getting ready to take that next big step. I have been browsing the guides and forums on Pricescope for the past several months learning about what to look for in a diamond and getting ideas for an engagement ring. Dorrie recently pointed out a Celtic-styled 3-stone ring online that she loved. Since then, we have visited several local jewelry stores and I have taken hints from things that she liked and disliked to form an image of the perfect ring in my mind. However, after visiting the local jewelers and searching online, I realized that this perfect ring doesn't seem to exist – yet. I shifted my thoughts toward a custom ring design and recalled seeing numerous beautiful custom pieces from Brian Gavin Diamonds posted on Pricescope with glowing reviews of working with you. I checked out your website and blog, and continued to be impressed by the pieces that you have created. Then I found out that you are located in Houston (I live near the Johnson Space Center) and it seemed like you couldn't be a better match for my needs. I'm interested in creating a 3-stone ring with a center diamond and blue sapphire side stones. I'm thinking around 0.75 ct for the diamond and 0.5 ct for each of the sapphires, and I'm leaning toward a platinum setting.

Brian met with Brian Gavin, and selected a magnificent 0.71 H VS2 Brian Gavin Signature hearts and arrows diamond. They discussed the setting design in detail and then we created the CAD and then revised it to fine tune it to how the customer had envisioned it. We then proceeded to cast the ring in platinum and hand engraved the Celtic knot into the shank.  It was received by a very satisfied customer!!!

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I took my girlfriend to the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park to propose with the ring you made for me. I got down on one knee, showed her the ring, and asked her to marry me. Initially, the only response that I got was "It's so pretty!" After a few seconds of awkward silence with her staring at the ring, she finally looked back at me and said "Yes!" I know that it took us several iterations to get the design just the way that I wanted, but she absolutely loves the ring, and everyone she shows it to comments on how beautiful and unique it is. Thank you all for taking the time to make me the perfect engagement ring. Brian T.

In late February Brian contacted us again for the matching band and a customized 8mm Palladium Concave Satin Men's Band band for himself. Images are in the gallery below.

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

This is the story of the proposal:

Hi Lesley!

I am beyond excited about how amazing everything is. I am attaching a goofy picture of me right after the engagement. Let me back up a bit…

On Thursday, I received notification that the ring had arrived at the FedEx location. I was SO excited I couldn't contain it. We went into town and proceeded to run tons of meaningless errands. All the while I was thinking, my poor ring is sitting all alone by itself just waiting for someone to arrive! Finally we went to FedEx to pick up the sparkler. Once the clerk brought the box out I panicked because the box was smushed in and didn't look too good. She made us open the box in front of her to ensure that everything was okay. Well, inside the first box was another box. Inside that box was another package. The woman asked us if someone was pulling a prank on us. I ensured her that you guys were just being super cautious. Eventually, Eric made it to the goods. Before he opened it he made me turn around so that I couldn't see it. Once he checked that all was well we headed back to the truck where he proceeded to stash my sparkler in the center console. I thought, "surely he isn't going to let it sit there the whole drive." (We were headed four hours out of town). Sure enough, he waited! I had already received the glamour shots so I knew what was in store but yet I wasn't allowed to feast my eyes on the prize. We arrived at his brother’s house and they couldn't wait to see the ring. Still, we waited! That night we went to an amazing dinner with good drinks and good food. I thought, surely Eric will propose. Nope! The following day came and went. That night, after I had changed into my comfortable house clothes (sweats!!!) I was reading comfortably on the couch. Eric got my attention and told me to go get the ring since I knew where it was. I looked up in confusion and said "SHUT UP! Are you serious?!" I didn't want him to say no so I promptly ran into the room where it was stashed and grabbed the bag. I brought it back to him and gave him the box. He dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes as he placed the ring on my finger. I was laughing hysterically the whole time because I was so overjoyed.

Everyone I have showed it to compliments how beautiful it is. I can't get over how delicate it is. I saw the pictures of the Melissa setting which is a spectacular piece of art. When I saw it in person, I was blown away. The elegance of the lines and how it wraps around the diamond is something you can't explain without showing it off. We went to my future in-laws last night to show Eric's Dad the ring. He kept saying how much it sparkled and how he had never seen anything sparkle that much. I had to agree! I don't think I'll ever get tired of gazing at my hand. Thank you so much for making the entire process amazing. Your service and quality are second to none! Ana F.

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

I really like your halo rings, but I wanted something a little bit simpler. Basically I want a halo with but without any diamonds on the band. I saw this pear ring you made which is beautiful. I would love the front to look like this, i.e. a delicate halo close to the diamond. The prongs are awesome here too, in fact there is nothing I could improve on this front view (or maybe it is called top view, ie the view straight at the diamond):

Denise sourced a beautiful GIA certified 1.57 carat pear shape diamond, which was carefully checked and approved by Brian Gavin and his team. We then set about creating the CAD for the setting. After clarifying some details, Tommy approved the CAD. We cast the platinum setting and then set the F/G VS Brian Gavin Signature melee. We set the pear shape with 4 delicate claw shape prongs and a thin v tip. We shipped the package via FedEx Priority International fully insured, along with the AUSFTA paperwork for customs.

The proposal went well, and even though she knew I was proposing later this year, I managed to surprise her both with an early proposal and with the ring (which was much more than she expected). She still hasn't been able to take her eyes of the ring

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

We created 2 options for the matching set and one for his band and e-mailed the CAD files to Perry for approval. He selected one of the 2 files for the ladies band and we proceeded to cast the 3 settings. The result was spectacular!

He requested that we ship all 3 rings to Dave Atlas, a nationally recognized independent appraiser in Philadelphia. Dave gave his mark of approval and then shipped everything to Perry. He called in when he received the package and was extremely pleased. We asked him to name the rings so we could add them to our catalog:

Princess Zhanna is agreeable to your posting her ring set.   She would like the name of "Princess Z" for both the engagement ring and wedding band. She does not wish to claim these solely as "Princess" or "The Princess" as she understands that other Princesses in the world may desire other rings. She also felt that my ring should be called "Prince P".

The CAD renderings and Glamor Shots are in the gallery below:

VIDEOS

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.

Dear Brian Gavin, I am looking to purchase an engagement ring for my girlfriend. I’ve talked to her and got a good idea of what she likes and dislikes. In hours and days of searching I believe the closest thing is your Eternal Grace ring. With a few custom changes I believe this will be the perfect ring for her. I would like to know if it is possible to make it a pave shaft. ….

Travis supplied us with an Asha stone and Brian worked with him to fine tune the details of the setting. Once the CAD was approved, we cast the setting in platinum using all F/G VS Brian Gavin Signature diamond melee and then set teh center stone.  The Eternal Grace with Pave was born!

Dear Lesley and Brian, I wanted to start by telling you that I appreciate everything that you did for me. I know I wasn't the easiest customer you have had but I promise I am one of your happiest. I picked the ring up last Thursday afternoon. On Friday morning, I found out I matched in Emergency Medicine and will be moving to Richmond, VA for my 3 year medical residency. After a night of celebration, my girlfriend and I left for Richmond the following morning. The night we arrived I told her I wanted to take her to a nice restaurant and stay at a nice hotel. After she got ready, I pulled her over to the window of our hotel room, which overlooked the Richmond skyline and the James River. While telling her this is the place I wanted us to start our lives together, I got down on one knee and pulled the ring out. She was so surprised and happy all I could hear was shrieks of joy and the word yes repeatedly. She says it is the most beautiful ring she has ever seen. I look forward to doing work in the future on a matching wedding band. Thank you so much for making the perfect engagement ring! Sincerely, Travis

© 2012, Brian Gavin. All rights reserved. Including all photographs, written word and video, but not limited to unless noted.