Questions, answered plainly
Everything couples ask before working with Andrew.
The short version: it starts with a phone consultation, stones get sourced for you and seen in person at the Jewelers Exchange before anything is made, designs are approved before production, and rings finish in 14–30 days. The longer versions are below.
How the consultation works
What actually happens on the first call?
It starts on the phone, not in a room. We schedule a call and go through what you already know, whether that is a saved photo, a shape, or a budget, and you come off it with a concrete plan: which stones I will go source, which setting path fits, and what the timeline looks like. Nothing to browse, nothing to be talked into.
Do I need to know anything about diamonds before reaching out?
No. Most people start with a screenshot and a rough budget. Explaining the trade-offs in plain language is the majority of what the first conversation is for.
When do we actually meet in person?
After the consultation, and only once we have both decided the fit is right and I have sourced stones worth your time. That meeting happens at the Jewelers Exchange, and it has one purpose: seeing the diamonds I acquired for your piece, side by side with their reports. Everything before it runs by phone, text, and video.
Can the whole process start over text?
Most projects do. Text a photo of a ring you like to the number on this site, and the reply is a real assessment of how that ring gets made and what it should cost, not a booking funnel.
What if we talk and I decide not to move forward?
Then you end up with better information than you started with. There is no deposit taken to talk, and the quote stands in writing so you can compare it anywhere. Plenty of consultations end with me telling someone the honest answer is to buy elsewhere.
Diamonds: sourcing, comparing, choosing
How does diamond sourcing work without inventory?
You give me the spec: shape, size goal, budget. I pull the stones that genuinely compete from cutters and dealers I have worked with for years, and you compare them at the desk with a loupe, certificate in hand. Holding no inventory means I have no stone I need you to prefer.
Should we choose natural or lab-grown?
That is an origin and budget preference, not a right answer. I quote both against the same design so you see exactly what the difference buys, and either choice gets the same sourcing standard.
Can you evaluate a diamond I found on an online retailer?
Send the listing or the certificate number. I will tell you what the report cannot, and quote the same stone or an equivalent. When the online price genuinely wins, I say so.
Do you work with family stones and heirlooms?
Regularly. A family diamond can be reset into a new design, and the conversation starts with what should carry forward: the stone, a detail, or just the story.
In their words
“He put two diamonds with nearly identical reports under the loupe and showed me exactly why the cheaper one wasn’t the better deal. I have never had anyone in a sales situation talk me out of spending money before.”
Pricing, timelines, and after the ring
What does a typical project cost all-in?
The center stone drives the number more than anything else, so I work from your budget instead of a price list. Couples just getting started and one-of-one commissions get the same process. Tell me the range you have in mind and you get a straight answer about what it buys, in writing, before anything is made. The design work is part of the project, not a separate fee surprise.
How long from first conversation to finished ring?
Most rings finish in 14–30 days once the stone and design are approved. Tight proposal dates are workable when the decisions happen early: say the date first and we plan backward.
How do payments work?
A deposit starts production after you approve the stone and design in writing; the balance is due before the ring is finished. Everything is quoted before anything is made.
What happens after the proposal: sizing, cleaning, the wedding bands?
Resizing after a surprise proposal is routine and planned for. Wedding bands are usually designed against the engagement ring so the set fits like it was made together, because it was. And you are welcome back for cleaning and checkups.
Do you make jewelry other than engagement rings?
Yes: wedding bands, anniversary rings, and one-of-one custom pieces. Engagement rings are the center of the work, but the same process builds everything else.
Text Andrew
Have a question that is not here?
Text it to Andrew with a photo if you have one. You will get an answer, not a funnel.
- GIA Applied Jewelry Professional
- Trained to judge a diamond by eye, not just by its report.
- 30+ years in jewelry
- Buying and selling diamonds and gold wholesale every week.
- Most rings in 14 to 30 days
- CAD builds can run longer. You know which yours is up front.
- The price in writing first
- A written plan and a real number before any deposit.