For the years after the proposal
Anniversary jewelry has one advantage over engagement jewelry: nobody has to guess. The rings she already wears tell me the metal, the scale, and what she reaches for. I design anniversary bands and upgrades around that set, and I will tell you plainly which ideas the current ring can carry and which ones it cannot.
30+ years of experience building custom engagement rings, wedding bands, and custom jewelry. GIA Diamonds Graduate. Designed and built in the USA.
What gets decided
An anniversary ring lives beside a wedding set rather than replacing it. Basket height, band width, and profile decide whether the stack looks planned or crowded, which is why this starts with the existing rings on the desk or a clear photo of them.
The usual move is a band. Diamonds that pick up the wedding set, a contour that follows the engagement ring, or deliberate contrast in a warmer metal. The band gets built against the rings that already exist; three separate purchases can still look like one decision, but only if somebody plans it that way.
An eternity band runs diamonds the whole way around the finger, so it sparkles from every angle, and it suits the anniversaries with some weight to them: a tenth, a twentieth, a twenty-fifth. The catch nobody mentions at the counter is that a full eternity band cannot be resized, because there is no bare metal to cut. Hands change over decades. A half-eternity, with stones across the top and metal underneath, keeps most of the look and stays adjustable, and I'll tell you plainly which one her hand and her years argue for.
Some anniversaries are really about the engagement ring itself. A larger center stone, a reset into the design that was out of reach at twenty-six, or fixing a setting that never quite matched her. The original diamond can move into the new ring, become a pendant, or wait for a kid who will want it later. The honest guide to upgrades covers when to do it and when to leave the ring alone.
I will tell you which of those the current ring actually supports. Reworking the wrong foundation costs more than building the right thing once.
Earrings for a twentieth, a pendant built around one good stone, a bracelet for a year that deserved marking. The mechanics do not change. The stone gets sourced and judged by eye, the design gets built around the person, and the number is in writing before anything is made.
And if a design starts drifting past what you wanted to spend, I will say so and show you the cheaper way to the same look. That has happened at this desk more than once.
Designed and built in the USA
A lot of jewelry sold today, custom or not, is mass-manufactured and imported. Everything we make is made here in the United States, by master jewelers and U.S. manufacturing partners who are the best at what they do. Quality comes first, because this is something you’ll wear every day for the rest of your life.
That’s where the value is. Working directly with me often costs less than a big-box jewelry store, and the quality is in a different class.
Text Andrew a PhotoWhat quality looks like on your hand
Natural or lab-grown, from the best sources I know, and chosen by eye so the stone lives up to the ring around it.
Set so it doesn’t catch on sweaters or hair, and doesn’t hide the stone either.
Thin or uneven prongs are how diamonds get lost. These are formed to hold for decades.
Smooth wherever it touches skin, and clean where light enters the stone.
Made so your wedding band sits flush against it, with no gap.
Inspiration, not inventory
A center diamond with a smaller stone on each side.
Customize this direction
The diamond sits sideways across the finger. Modern and low.
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A soft, rounded rectangle with lots of sparkle.
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An oval diamond on a simple band. Romantic and timeless.
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One round diamond on a simple band. The diamond is the star.
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A round diamond wrapped in a thin rim of gold. Modern, with nothing to snag.
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A rectangular diamond wrapped in a smooth rim of gold. Sleek and simple.
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Two diamonds side by side, one for each of you. Toi et moi means "you and me."
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A long diamond with pointed ends. Bold, and it makes the finger look longer.
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A teardrop diamond on a band lined with tiny diamonds.
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A rectangular diamond with tiny diamonds hidden underneath for extra sparkle.
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Square and rectangle cuts with an antique look.
Customize this directionEngagement ring upgrades done honestly: bigger center stones, full resets, what happens to the original diamond, and when to leave it alone.
Read guideHow wedding bands and engagement rings fit together: flush or contour, match or contrast, the comfort details that matter, and when to order yours.
Read guide
Women buying fine jewelry for themselves is the quiet norm at my desk. How a self-purchase commission works, from right-hand rings to a first serious piece.
Read guideIn their words
“My husband worked with Andrew on earrings for our twentieth. When one design was going to run over budget, Andrew just said so and showed us a smarter way to get the same look. They are the nicest thing I own.”
Yes. With the rings on the desk, or a clear photo of them, the band can be built to sit flush, follow a curve, or contrast on purpose. Guessing is how stacks end up looking crowded.
Usually. A new center stone, a full reset, or a rework of the setting. The original diamond stays in the family either way, in the new ring, as a pendant, or set aside for later.
There is no menu. The design gets built around the number you are comfortable with, in writing, and if a direction will not fit that number you will hear it before you are committed to anything.
Not at all. Some of the best anniversary pieces get designed with both of you at the desk. After this many years she has earned a vote. Surprises work too, since her rings tell me most of what I need.
Start with a diamond, a setting direction, a photo, or a CAD concept.
Explore this pathCreate a band that works with the engagement ring and feels right every day.
Explore this pathExplore lab-grown diamonds with the same setting and design care as natural diamonds.
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Compare natural diamond options with guidance on shape, size, quality, and setting fit.
Explore this pathChoose, modify, or create a setting around the stone and the person wearing it.
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When no setting fits, we design yours from scratch on the computer first.
Explore this pathPut a family diamond into a ring you'll wear, and keep the old setting.
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Anniversary bands, eternity rings, and upgrades designed around the set already on her hand.
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Earrings, pendants, and one-of-one pieces, for gifts, milestones, or no occasion at all.
Explore this pathMetals, widths, and finishes compared side by side, built for decades of daily wear.
Explore this pathPick the certified stone first, natural or lab-grown, and see it on video before anything is made.
Explore this pathText Andrew
A photo, sketch, or even a rough idea is enough to start. I can usually tell you whether the smartest path is a sourced diamond, a modified setting, a CAD build, or a short call to compare options.
