Why It’s a Good Idea to Get Sized in Person, By a Professional
The other day I was bopping around online and, as usual, trying to ignore the incessant ads I am constantly subjected to by big online jewelry retailers (this is pretty much the exclusive advertising content I get because I am constantly Googling jewelry). Then, something jumped out at me: an at-home sizing tool, ostensibly created to allow people to order a ring online without ever entering a jewelry store. I immediately thought: oh, those poor people who think this will work…
Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing: What to Know Before You Buy
Sustainable and ethical sourcing are incredibly important considerations when deciding where and how to go about a major life purchase such as an engagement ring, but we’re the first to admit that the jewelry industry in general can be pretty inscrutable when it comes to understanding exactly how these terms apply…
Engagement Tips From Our Clients
Getting engaged and planning a wedding is so much fun, read up what our clients have to say about this beautiful milestone.
Fall Engagement Plans? Act now!
Picking the right engagement ring is a decision that should be thoughtful and stress-free. The best ingredient to achieving that goal is time.
Custom Design 101: What We Cover in Your First Design Appointment
So, you booked your first design appointment with Alexandria & Company - congratulations! You just made a huge step in moving your design idea forward. We know it can take a lot of research, referrals, and thinking to get here so first, allow us to say thank you for considering us for your project. We are very different from the traditional fine jewelry story experience, so you may be wondering what to expect from the process at this point. While every job is different, here are some basic elements we will hope to cover during your first consultation…
Tips to Help You Get the Ring You Want (and Still Be Surprised!)
Picture this: you’re sitting with your partner, enjoying a beautiful scenic overlook after a long hike on one of your favorite trails. The weather is perfect, and the view is stunning. You lean over to rifle through your backpack for a bottle of water, and when you look up you see your partner bent on one knee, holding open a small ring box. You are stunned: you had no idea they were planning this! You peek in the box and the ring is…
Expedited Diamond Buying: How It Works With Our Team
For most clients starting an engagement ring process, the purchase of the feature diamond is the most expensive variable to the piece. Whether you are selecting a natural mined diamond or a lab created option, the center diamond is a significant element to the overall design picture. But, more often than not, it’s also the part of the process that feels the most opaque to clients at the outset. Not many people really know what goes into selecting the right diamond, and with all the marketing out there trying to convince you of a single direction, it can be hard to see through the weeds and into the right direction…
Sourcing Ethically Considered Sapphires
More and more, clients are approaching our services with a keen eye towards ethical consideration in their gemstone sourcing process. We love this, because it’s an element of jewelry design that, for these clients, imbues their piece with more thought and meaning…
Using Heirloom Gold in New Pieces
One very popular service we provide is repurposing “old gold” - i.e., heirloom gold belonging to a client - into a new piece. This is a great option for clients to utilize a setting that might not be suited to them in its original design, but that is sentimental. By melting and reshaping the gold we can continue the life of that material while breathing new life into it with a different design. ..
Diamond Sourcing 101
One of the most common questions we get from prospective clients is how we source our diamonds. Our answer, as with many things, is that it depends on you, your goals, and what you want to achieve from your custom piece. Here’s a quick primer on our available sourcing options for diamonds and how it might work for you in a future project..
Art Deco Design
Art Deco-Inspired design is a personal favorite here at Alx&Co. and we get many requests for custom and bespoke rings that reference this era. It’s easy to see why the aesthetic is so popular: done well, Art Deco design balances intricacy with simplicity and often suites people who want something that feels extremely special without feeling frilly…
The Alx&Co. Experience
Working with Alx&Co. is a totally different experience than most encounter these days in the fine jewelry industry. Over the years, we have created a niche area of custom design expertise with which we pair a truly client-centered service approach that leaves our clients feeling considered from the moment of the initial design request all the way through our lasting guarantee policy. As one of our recent satisfied clients reported…
What to Expect in Your First Design Appointment
One thing we pride ourselves in is that we aren’t your typical jeweler. In this way, if you’re preparing for your first appointment with Alx&Co. you may want to take a look at what to expect from your consultation. If you have visited other jewelers in the past you may be (pleasantly) surprised by the experience…
What a Difference Metal Choice Makes!
When it comes to color choice for your setting, some people have a precise idea of what they like and some people really vary in their decision. Personally, I hold a solid preference for yellow gold in most pieces for myself. That being said, I like the look of platinum for other people and love the seamless look it brings. I also think that in most antique-inspired rings, platinum really reigns supreme. During consultations I explain to clients that a yellow gold setting will draw the eye towards the whole ring so that you notice the design as much as you do the diamond…
Designing For Your Lifestyle
In this profession, the internet is both our best friend and our worst enemy. On the one hand, our clients are able to come to their design consultations fully armed with plenty of ideas, photos, and knowledge that they can use to design their perfect ring. On the other hand, there is SO MUCH out there, and unless you really know jewelry, it can be difficult to really understand the difference between a good design idea and a bad design idea…
Sourcing Gemstones with Alx&Co.
For many clients, a design can barely begin without first figuring out the feature stone. Unless you are working with an heirloom redesign, most clients don’t have loose gemstones available to use and most designs are completely contingent upon that feature stone for everything from budget considerations to design proportion allowances…
How to Design Jewelry… Even If You Aren’t a Jewelry Designer
A common refrain I hear from clients is that they don’t know anything about jewelry and have no idea where to even begin when it comes to custom design. Whenever I hear this I tell them that they have nothing to worry about - jewelry design can be done by anyone, with the right guidance…
End of Summer Homework: Planning Your Holiday Engagement
Planning a holiday engagement? Let us give you one piece of advice: you need to start your ring design process now. Depending on your circumstances, that might be a bit daunting. Maybe you have never shopped for fine jewelry before, or maybe you don’t have a firm grip on the best style for your engagement ring design. Lucky for you, we kind of specialize in this sort of thing…
Custom v. Bespoke v. Private Jeweler: Do You Know the Difference?
When picking the right jeweler for your project, things can get confusing. Most jewelers now advertise some form of “custom design” but it can be difficult to know exactly what this means until you are in the middle of a sales pitch…
Do’s and Don’ts of Caring for Fine Jewelry
Taking care of fine jewelry doesn’t need to be complicated. When clients pick up their completed rings with us, we always give them the run down on how to best care for their new piece but the summary is pretty straightforward: get it professionally checked regularly and keep an eye on it. That being said, sometimes it’s helpful to know what to do and what not to do, so here is a simple breakdown of our best recommendations from our workshop…