Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, for 25yrs we have specialized in custom jewellery design! Because everyone is unique in their tastes or needs, we can also repair or upgrade most makes of jewellery.

Yes, every customer is met on a one-to-one basis. It is very difficult to give more than one person at a time proper attention. It is easiest to call or e-mail me so I can answer all your questions and we can start the process.

The process typically takes about a 3 to 5 weeks from start to finish. We make a computer rendering first, and if needed a physical wax model; we can fine-tune the piece until you’re happy with it.

Times can vary greatly depending on the details and your timeline. For very straight-forward, simple designs within 2 weeks- others can take up to 8 months. This is dependent on a bunch of factors: is the item factory made or totally custom; how rare are the stones that need to be sourced; does the stone have to be cut; how complex the design is; how many alterations or adjustment we need to make; etc.

No, I do not sell synthetics – they are never ever the same or comparable to the real gemstone. Be wary as simulants are softer and have an off look to them (e.g… Moissanite has a strange slightly greenish colour tinge, they are softer and they have zero re-salability). The best thing is always going to be a natural diamond or a natural gemstone.

The CVD lab grown diamonds are the only ones worth considering if you have a tight budget and don’t mind a man made diamond. Although they are almost identical to diamonds, they still have differences from the natural diamonds.

Yes, 100% Alberta bred – started in Edmonton in 1999 and cater to any western Canadian customers from BC to Manitoba.

Typically it’s a couple of days, but can be up to 2 weeks depending on what repair(s) need to be done and depending on how busy the goldsmith is.

We do repairs on gold and platinum. When dealing with other metals, we might be limited on what we can do, but we can take a look and let you know the options. We do not repair costume jewellery.

Yes, it’s free for anything we custom make or sell, and $10ea fee for all other items.

All gemstone jewellery we sell or make has an appraisal included from an independent professional certified gemologist. This has two positive aspects; first – it is a lot less expensive for me to get it than for you; and second – it verifies that everything we sell is correct, accurate and based on true market values.

*Be wary of places that include their own appraisal in-house. It is critical to have documentation from an independent certified professional gemologist to avoid bias or conflict of interest.

Yes, we can get Canadian mined diamonds. Typically Canadian diamonds cost around 10% more due to the added costs of tracking them through the entire process. All diamonds we supply are part of the Kimberly Process to ensure they are free of conflict and ethically sourced. 

**There is unfortunately no such thing as a “green” environmentally neutral diamond – all stones weather mined or created take a lot of energy to produce, cut and ship.

Platinum and gold are both excellent and the preferred metals for jewelry, and both have their pros and cons.

Platinum is more durable and break resistant compared to gold. Platinum has a natural grey white tone. It is hypoallergenic, making it a safer option for individuals with severe metal allergies or hyper sensitive skin. Platinum is more expensive than gold due to the fact that it is much denser – it typically weighs 80% more and takes more time to work with which of course adds to the cost.

Gold has many more options – it can be alloyed to create different purities (10k-14k-18k-19k) and different colours (such as yellow, white, rose or green gold). 

Ultimately, the choice between gold and platinum depends on personal preferences, budget, and desired characteristics for the jewelry.

Typically, the man shops for the engagement ring by himself mostly because there is no better experience than surprising her with a ring!

Hopefully she has hinted at her preferences so he has some idea of what kind of ring style to get. Today’s ring market is so diverse the choices are almost infinite, and most women have a preference, so it’s a good idea for the man to get ideas from her or her friends. Classic engagement styles like solitaires are usually a pretty safe pick if he doesn’t have any ideas. Almost all couples shop for the wedding bands together while they plan their wedding. On the other hand, some people may prefer to shop for rings individually. This could be because they want to surprise their partner with the ring or because they feel more comfortable making the decision on their own.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to shop for rings together or individually depends on the couple’s dynamics, personal preferences, and the significance they place on the element of surprise in the ring-giving process. It’s important for couples to communicate openly and discuss their expectations and desires to ensure a positive and enjoyable ring shopping experience.

It’s a common problem and the best way to fix it is to have the ring sized correctly – however, fingers are dynamic due to humidity, activity and temperature, and they rarely ever stay the same size. If you can get a ring to fit 75% of the time, declare victory! The main thing is you don’t want it falling off your finger or cutting off circulation.

There are a couple of options when dealing with ring rotation. The first and best is to do a Euro shank/stirrup bottom. This flattens out the bottom of the ring, and has two main benefits 1) it makes the ring match the profile of the bottom of your hand so there is less impact/ contact on surfaces. 2) when the bottom of the ring is flattened it makes two small corners at the bottom edges of the ring. These naturally catch and stop the ring when you close your fingers, and straightens it out and keeps the ring from flipping all the way around.

In other cases we can also add gold beads or bars to the inside to take up some space and to provide extra friction, or for other more extreme situations we can add a permanent ring guard, ring spring or an arthritic shank.

This all depends on how you wear your items. Rings will see much more wear then a pendant or earrings. More exposure = more ware. Most common problems that will arise are scratches on your piece or the loosening of stones, which are easily fixed. In more rare cases you can actually break something. If you treat your items gently, like wearable art, they will last more than a lifetime. 

How your ring wears depends on a large group of factors: how do you wear it? When and in what situations do you wear it? What kind of design is it? Is it a thick robust design of a very intricate piece? You are the best judge of your item – if something is amiss come have it checked.

As a rule you should have your jewellery checked every couple of years just to catch any major issues before they arise. Remember, metal and stone are very durable but they are not indestructible.