What should I bring to a consultation?

Any grading report you already have, a ring that fits the way you like, and a rough sense of the shape you are drawn to. If you are starting from nothing, that is fine too. The first meeting is mostly about narrowing the field.

Do I need to choose a stone before a fitting?

No. Stone selection and setting decisions usually happen together, because cut, color, and clarity read differently once a stone sits in a specific mount. Seeing the stone loose first is often the more useful step.

How long does a custom piece take?

Timelines depend on the stone, the setting, and whether CAD modeling is involved. Rather than quote a fixed window, the studio maps out the stages with you at the start so nothing is a surprise later.

Can a finished ring be resized later?

Plain bands can usually be adjusted within a reasonable range. Styles with stones set around the full circumference are much harder to change, so it is worth thinking about future resizing before the design is locked in.

How do I read a grading report without help?

Start with cut, then color and clarity, then carat. The extra notes on fluorescence and polish matter less day to day. If a section is unclear, the studio can walk through a specific certificate line by line before you commit.

What if I am not ready to decide?

That is a normal place to be. You can compare two stones of similar size, ask about a growth lab record, or simply take notes and come back. Nothing is reserved or ordered until you say so.

Still weighing something specific? The help page covers common sticking points, and you can always get in touch to ask about a certificate before a fitting.

Clarifications

A few terms on this page get read in more than one way. Here is what each one means in the studio's own language, so nothing is left open to interpretation.

"Lab-grown"

A stone produced in a controlled reactor, not extracted from the ground. It is graded on the same cut, color, and clarity scales as a mined diamond. The term says nothing about quality on its own.

"Certified"

The stone comes with a grading report from an independent laboratory. It is not a guarantee of beauty or value, and it does not replace looking at the stone before it is set.

"Traceable"

The growth lab record identifies where the stone was produced. It documents origin, not performance. Two traceable stones of the same size can still differ in cut and in how they handle light.

"Custom"

A piece built around a chosen stone and setting, not a catalog item with a different finish. The guides here describe how to read a stone; they do not quote a build or confirm a timeline.

"Care routine"

The at-home steps described in the guides, such as a soft brush and lukewarm water. They are general guidance for gold and platinum pieces, not a substitute for a professional inspection.

"Plain language"

The guides translate gemological terms into everyday words. Where a report uses a technical label, the explanation describes what it means in practice rather than repeating the label.

These notes cover how the guides use their terms. They do not describe a specific stone, a specific piece, or a specific report. If a certificate you are holding does not match what a guide describes, the document in front of you is the one to read first.