Build the ring you actually want, not the closest thing in the case.

Some couples know the diamond shape first. Others bring a photo, a family stone, or a setting that is almost right. My job is to translate that into decisions about diamond type, proportions, setting profile, metal, and production path, and to tell you plainly which parts are worth paying for.

Everything happens by appointment, usually on the first floor of the Jewelers Exchange downtown, so the conversation stays about the person wearing the ring instead of a tray of preset inventory.

Two diamonds with nearly identical grading reports can look nothing alike. Inclusion placement, transparency, and cut behavior never make it onto the paper. I reject the stones whose reports flatter them and put the honest ones in front of you, side by side, reports on the desk.

Natural and lab-grown are both on that desk if you want them to be. I hold no inventory, so I have no stone to push and no agenda about which path you choose.

Whether the proposal is planned for the coast, a private dinner, or a family weekend, the ring has to be ready for the moment and practical for every day after it.

Most rings finish in 14–30 days. Heavy CAD work can run longer, so if your date is tight, tell me the date first. You’ll get a straight answer about what’s realistic before any deposit changes hands.