What do you do when you fall in love with a necklace that’s way out of your budget?
This is the question that brought J’Adorn bride Michelle to my door!
Like many newly engaged women do, Michelle was flipping through a bridal magazine for inspiration when a gorgeous sapphire necklace caught her eye (pictured above, left). She was a woman obsessed; she just had to have it!
But she was crestfallen when she learned that her dream necklace was both unavailable for purchase and valued at over $75,000.
Thankfully, she mentioned her jewelry dilemma to her hairstylist, Erica Cote of Silver Immersion. Erica is also one of my closest friends in the wedding industry. She referred Michelle to J’Adorn Designs, suggesting my custom jewelry services to help recreate the wedding day look of her dreams.
I met with Michelle to discuss the important design elements from the original necklace that she wanted to include:
- Precious metals and stones (white gold, sapphires, and diamonds)
- A center stone large enough to really catch the eye
- A vintage-inspired halo setting
These elements served as the starting point for my custom design process. We also decided to add a pair of matching earrings to the necklace design, so Michelle would have a coordinated set to cherish & wear for years to come.
I chose lab-created sapphires for Michelle’s necklace and earrings set because they would allow me to create a perfectly matched set. Natural sapphires develop over long periods of time and typically are mined in small sizes. But lab-grown sapphires are grown in a “boule,” or large mass of stone, which is then cut into smaller counterparts.
The sapphires in Michelle’s jewelry set came from the same boule, so they are identical in color, quality, and chemical makeup.
After choosing the settings, stones, and classic rope chain for Michelle’s custom sapphire wedding jewelry set, I cut notches in the setting prongs to make a “seat” for the stones.
This ensured the perfect fit, which I adjusted around the stones by hand.
The final result was a gorgeous set of custom sapphire wedding jewelry even more radiant that I imagined. I can’t wait to see pictures of Michelle wearing her custom jewelry on her wedding day.
But the best part for me as a designer is knowing that I gave my client exactly what she wanted – a stunning set of jewelry that is 100% uniquely hers.
All photos by Madison Short Photography, except first inspiration photo.
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