We are searching for New York based jewelry companies specializing in custom, unique and one-of-a-kind jewelry creations. List your company here today.. contact us. We work with customers around the world to create incredible jewelry and wearable art. Our fine custom jewelry pieces become precious family heirlooms, are the envy of colleagues and friends, and they bring priceless pleasure and beauty into the lives of those who own them.
Custom Jewelers provides the highest quality and service available in the world of custom jewelry creation. We work very closely with local, as well as global clients, taking as much time as is needed to create the exact custom wedding ring or custom jewelry they are seeking. Being located in New York City gives us an edge that many other companies do not have.. even in this day and age of accessing most of what we want through the internet.
Through years of cultivating close and trusting relationships with diamond and precious stone cutters and vendors and well as a wide variety of service professionals, we can get the highest quality diamonds and gems at the best prices. After creating hundreds, if not thousands of individual and custom jewelry pieces we have the experience to make dreams come true. If you have been looking for integrity, honest, quality and the best service available you have finally found the right custom jewelry and wedding ring company. Our customers receive the highest respect and customer service.
Filigree Earring in 14K Yellow Gold. Light and delicate in appearance, these beautiful hand made filigree earrings are hand-made in New York City, using eco-friendly recycled metal. If you are looking for something feminine and classically styled these hand made filigree earrings are perfect. They are elegant enough to be worn with the most beautiful of dresses, and classic enough to be worn every day – these are earrings that will be cherished.
A jewelry designer is defined as a person who renders, creates, and models original Jewelry creations. By profession this person would be trained in the knowledge of metal smithing and design. Historically jewelry designers originated as goldsmiths in the cultural aspects of Etruscan Civilization and became more dominant through ancient Greek and Roman cultures. In Ancient Macedonia from Thessaloniki, the art of milling and rolling 24K Gold rose to the highest form and ignited the origins of what later 18th century jewelers such as the family of Castellani used in Italian Archeological jewelry.
Today's jewelry designers are often professionals with knowledge of Gemology, Metal smithing and rendering in order to cater to large volumes of consumers as well as private clients. These designs can be initially created in a special jewelers model wax or in silver in order to create a mold where an unlimited number of these same pieces can be cast in gold, silver or platinum. The process of creating custom jewelry in New York begins with the designer who lays the blueprint for the custom wedding ring or custom made-to-order jewelry piece. From the designer, the process is moved to the artisan and may include direct input from master craftsmen who are highly skilled in the lapidary arts. The lapidary artists are also referred to as "gemcutters". The process of faceting the stones required for creating custom New York City style custom jewelry is sometimes called: "gemcutting".
It is important to understand how gemcutting works in order to fully appreciate the "gemcutters" role in the fashioning of custom New York City wedding rings, bracelets, and other select pieces of jewelry. You may ask your self.. what exactly does a New York "gemcutter" do? The term gemcutting is used to describe the process of shaping and polishing faceted gemstones.
While the gemstone in the rough state may be trimmed to remove undesirable material or to separate it on a cleavage line with a diamond bladed saw, accurately described as cutting and once done by the use of a chisel or similar tool to simply break off pieces that were usable as single gemstones. The actual shaping and polishing of a gemstone is a grinding or sanding process. This grinding and sanding is done using a lap, a precision metal plate embedded with grit similar to the more familiar embedding of grit on paper the lap is of high precision particularly for flatness and turned by a motor. The grit material is normally diamond and sometimes corundum for their hardness. Only diamond is hard enough on the Mohs scale to shape and polish a diamond.
The initial shaping and facet placement may be done using laps with the more familiar grits of 220, 600, 1200. The polishing step, however, requires grits that are less familiar 8,000 14,000 50,000 and even 100,000. This grit is also embedded into a metal lap, but sometimes applied manually to the lap during polishing. The faceting equipment allows for very precise adjustment of angle and location of facet placement around the gemstone referred to as indexing. The facet design may be computer generated or left to the skill and experience of the individual cutting the gemstone. With the exception of diamonds a coolant is constantly applied to keep the gemstone cool since it is usually held in place on the end of a dop using high temperature shellac based wax or other adhesive. A dop is a machined brass or stainless steel rod. Diamonds are held mechanically since the heat generated by friction can be extreme and will not allow the use of adhesives.
Aside from faceted gemcutters, there is also the art of smoothing gemstones called: "cabachons". A cabochon or cabachon, from the Middle French caboche (head), is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex top with a flat bottom. Cutting en cabochon is usually applied to opaque gems, while faceting is usually applied to transparent stones. Hardness is also taken into account as softer gemstones with a hardness lower than 7 on the Mohs hardness scale are easily scratched, mainly by silicon dioxide in dust and grit. This would quickly make translucent gems unattractive - instead they are polished as cabochons, making the scratches less evident.
In the case of asteriated stones such as star sapphires and chatoyant stones such as cat's eye chrysoberyl, a domed cabochon cut is used to show the star or eye, which would not be visible in a facetted cut. The usual shape for cutting cabochons is an oval. This is because the eye is less sensitive to small asymmetries in an oval. The oval shape when combined with the dome, is attractive. The procedure is to cut a slab of the rough rock, then to stencil a shape from a template. The slab is then trimmed to near the marked line using a diamond blade saw - called a trim saw - and sometimes followed by "nibbling" to the line. The purpose of nibbling is to speed the shaping of the material when using silicon carbide grinding wheels. Most lapidary workshops and production facilities have moved away from silicon carbide to diamond grinding wheels or flat lap disks.
Once the piece is trimmed and nibbled, it is usually mounted on a handle to assist manipulation. This procedure is called "dopping". Dopping is normally done by adhering the stone with wax onto a length of wooden dowel called a "dop stick". The piece is then ground to the template line, the back edges may be beveled, and finally the top is sanded and polished to a uniform dome. Artisans who are skilled in the ways of gemstone production are referred to as a "lapidary". A lapidary is an artisan who practices the craft of working, forming and finishing stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials into functional and/or decorative, even wearable, items. The adjectival term is also extended to refer to such arts. Diamond cutters are generally not referred to as lapidaries, due to their highly specialized techniques which are required to work diamond successfully.
The arts of a sculptor or stonemason are generally too broad in scale to fall within the definition, though chiseling inscriptions in stone, and preparing laboratory 'thin sections' may be considered lapidary arts. The term is most commonly associated with jewelry and decorative household items. A specialized form of lapidary work is the inlaying of marble and gemstones into a marble matrix, known in English as "pietra dura" for the hard stones like onyx, jasper and carnelian that are used, but called in Florence and Naples, where the technique was developed in the 16th century, opere di commessi. The Medici Chapel at San Lorenzo in Florence is completely veneered with inlaid hard stones. A lapidary specialty developed from the late 18th century in Naples and Rome are the "micro-mosaics" assembled out of many minute slivers of stone to create still life, cityscape views and the like. When you consider every major market across the globe for custom jewelry and custom wedding rings, New York City stands out from the rest. The New York City diamond and custom jewelry market provides the finest custom wedding rings, custom wedding bands, and custom handmade jewelry in the world.
As in every location in the world, the fundamentals of the custom jewelry market in New York City depend upon the "lapidary arts". There exist three broad categories of lapidary arts. These are the procedures of tumbling, cabochon cutting, and faceting. The distinction is somewhat loose, and leaves a broad range within the term cabochon. At present, most lapidary work is accomplished using motorized equipment and resin or metal bonded diamond tooling in successively decreasing particle sizes until a polish is achieved. Often, the final polish will use a different medium, such as tin oxide, glasitite or cerium(IV) oxide. Older techniques, still popular with hobbyists, used bonded grinding wheels of silicon carbide, with only using a diamond tipped saw. Diamond cutting, because of the extreme hardness of diamonds, cannot be done with silicon carbide, and requires the use of diamond tools.
Diamond cutting is the highest form of gemstone cutting and is considered by many to be in a category unto itself within the custom jewelry and custom wedding ring markets in New York City. In order to understand the role of the custom jewelry and custom wedding ring market in New York City, one must first consider and understand some foundational information about the art and science of diamond cutting:
Diamond cutting is the art, skill and, increasingly, science of changing a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem. Cutting diamond requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and techniques because of its extreme hardness.The first guild of diamond cutters and polishers (diamantaire) was formed 1375 in Nuremberg, Germany, and led to the development of various types of 'Cut'. This has two meanings in relation to diamonds. The first is the shape: round, oval and so on. The second relates to the specific quality of cut within the shape, and the quality and price will vary greatly based on the cut quality. Since diamonds are very hard to cut, special diamond bladed edges are used to cut them. The first major development in diamond cutting came with the "Point Cut" during the latter half of the 14th century. The Point Cut follows the natural shape of an octahedron shaped raw diamond, eliminating waste in the cutting process.
The diamond cutting process includes several steps. The several steps include planning, cleaving or sawing, bruting, polishing, and final inspection.
Diamond manufacturers analyze diamond rough from an economic perspective, with two objectives steering decisions made about how a faceted diamond will be cut. The first objective is that of maximum return on investment for the piece of diamond rough. The second is how quickly the finished diamond can be sold. Scanning devices are used to get 3-dimensional computer model of the rough stone. Also, inclusions are photographed and placed on the 3D model, which is then used to find an optimal way to cut the stone.
The process of maximizing the value of finished diamonds, from a rough diamond into a polished gemstone, is both an art and a science. The choice of cut is influenced by many factors. Market factors include the exponential increase in value of diamonds as weight increases, referred to as weight retention, and the popularity of certain shapes amongst consumers. Physical factors include the original shape of the rough stone, and location of the inclusions and flaws to be eliminated.
The weight retention analysis studies the diamond rough to find the best combination of finished stones as it relates to per carat value. For instance a 2.20 carat (440 mg) octahedron may produce either two half carat (100 mg) diamonds whose combined value may be higher than that of a 0.80 carat (160 mg) diamond and 0.30 carat (60 mg) diamond that could be cut from the same rough diamond. The round brilliant cut and square brilliant cuts are preferred when the crystal is an octahedron, as often two stones may be cut from one such crystal. Oddly shaped crystals, such as macles are more likely to be cut in a fancy cut - that is, a cut other than the round brilliant - which the particular crystal shape lends itself to. Even with modern techniques, the cutting and polishing of a diamond crystal always results in a dramatic loss of weight; rarely is it less than 50%. Sometimes the cutters compromise and accept lesser proportions and symmetry in order to avoid inclusions or to preserve the weight. Since the per-carat price of a diamond shifts around key milestones (such as 1.00 carat), many one-carat (200 mg) diamonds are the result of compromising Cut quality for Carat weight. Some jewelry experts advise consumers to buy a 0.99 carat (198 mg) diamond for its better price or buy a 1.10 carat (220 mg) diamond for its better cut, avoiding a 1.00 carat (200 mg) diamond, which is more likely to be a poorly cut stone.
In colored diamonds, cutting can influence the color grade of the diamond, thereby raising its value. Certain cut shapes are used to intensify the color of the diamond. The radiant cut is an example of this type of cut. Natural green color diamonds most often have merely a surface coloration caused by natural irradiation, which does not extend through the stone. For this reason green diamonds are cut with significant portions of the original rough diamond's surface left on the finished gem. It is these naturals that provide the color to the diamond.
The other consideration of diamond planning is how quickly a diamond will sell. This consideration is often unique to the type of manufacturer. While a certain cutting plan may yield a better value, a different plan may yield diamonds that will sell sooner, and thereby returning the investment sooner.
Cleaving is the separation of a piece of diamond rough into separate pieces, to be finished as separate gems. Sawing is the usage of a diamond saw or laser to cut the diamond rough into separate pieces.
Bruting is the process whereby two diamonds are set onto spinning axles turning in opposite directions, which are then set to grind against each other to shape each diamond into a round shape. This can also be known as girdling.
Polishing is the name given to process whereby the facets are cut onto the diamond and final polishing is performed. The process takes the steps blocking, faceting, and polishing.
The final stage involves thoroughly cleaning the diamond in acids, and examining the diamond to see whether it meets the quality standards of the manufacturer.
It is possible only because the hardness of diamond varies widely according to the direction in which one is trying to cut or grind. A simplified round brilliant cut process includes the following stages:
This is just one, although fairly common way of creating a round brilliant cut. The actual process also includes many more stages depending on the size and quality of the rough. For example, bigger stones are first scanned to get the 3-dimensional shape, which is then used to find the optimal usage. The scanning may be repeated after each stage and bruting may be done in several steps, each bringing the girdle closer to the final shape.
There are also many other forms of lapidary, not just cutting and polishing stones and gemstones. These include: casting, faceting, carving, jewellery, and mosaics. There are lapidary clubs through-out NYC and there are numerous gemshows including an annual gemshow. There is also a collection of gem and mineral shows held in the New York City area each year.
In order to understand the role of New York City in the international jewelry market, one must consider it's direct role in producing some of the finest custom, handmade, and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces in the world. These custom jewelry pieces include custom wedding rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, and custom wedding bands crafted by New York jewelry experts. To fully grasp the role of New York City as a leader in the custom jewelry markets, it is important to understand some basic information and demographics about the city itself.
The City of New York is the most populous city in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the world's most populous urban areas. It is a leading global city, exerting a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, and entertainment. The city is also an important center for international affairs, hosting the United Nations headquarters.
Located on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. It is the most densely populated major city in the United States, with an estimated 8,274,527 people occupying just under 305 square miles.The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's highest, estimated at 18,815,988 people over 6,720 square miles. Within the five boroughs you can find hundreds of jewelry dealers and participants in the world jewelry markets.
New York is unique among American cities for its high use of and 24-hour availability of mass transit, and for the overall density and diversity of its population. In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city and 36% of its population was born outside the United States. The city is sometimes referred to as "The City that Never Sleeps", while other nicknames include Gotham and the Big Apple. Access to custom jewelry pieces and custom wedding bands and wedding rings is available twenty-four hors a day in some cases.
New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch East India Company in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under British control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790, and has been the nation's largest city since 1790. Having such a rich history of immigrants which include metallurgists, gemcutters, faceters, and custom jewelry artisans who flock to New York and it's major international diamond market, it is easy to see why the city is a major influence in global custom jewelry trade.
The geography of New York lends itself to trade and a vibrant role in the international custom jewelry market. To understand this it is important to consider some basic geographical facts about New York City. New York City is located in the Northeastern United States, approximately halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston. The location at the mouth of the Hudson River, which feeds into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Atlantic Ocean, has helped the city grow in significance as a trading city. This is especially important to the international diamond market and the international custom jewelry trade. Much of New York is built on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island, making land scarce and encouraging a high population density. The population density is a direct contributor to the success of New York custom jewelry craftsmen and diamond dealers.
As the custom jewelry industry grows in New York, the market for custom wedding rings, custom wedding bands, and all pieces of custom handmade jewelry with a "New York Flair" expands. Demand is growing for New York styled custom jewelry and the competition among dealers and jewelry artisans is fierce. Bookmark this page and check back regularly to find the latest news and information from the New York City diamond market, custom jewelry market, and craftsmen who create the finest New York custom wedding rings & wedding bands available.