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Designed and built in the USA · Text Andrew
Andrew Gonzalez, Luxury Custom JewelerLuxury Custom Jewelerby Andrew Gonzalez

Pick the stone before the ring

Loose diamonds in San Diego, chosen for you, one stone at a time.

Most of an engagement ring budget is the center stone, and most people choose it from a listing photo they cannot verify. I do this differently. You tell me the shape, the size goal, and the budget; I pull graded stones from the brokers I've bought from for thirty years, natural and lab-grown, and you compare them, filmed beside their reports or under a loupe with me if you’d rather see them in person, before a single decision is final.

30+ years of experience building custom engagement rings, wedding bands, and custom jewelry. GIA Diamonds Graduate. Designed and built in the USA.

Text Andrew a Photo

What I’ll want to know

  1. The shape and the size you're after, or the look if you don't know the names yet.
  2. The range, and whether you want natural, lab-grown, or both on the desk.
  3. Whether you already have a setting, or the stone comes first.
Oval solitaire engagement ring on a woman's left hand ring finger in a warm jeweler's studioOval SolitaireClassic round solitaire engagement ring on a woman's left hand ring finger in a warm jeweler's studioClassic SolitaireElongated cushion solitaire engagement ring in yellow gold on a woman's left hand ring finger against warm travertine stoneElongated CushionRadiant hidden halo engagement ring on a woman's left hand ring finger in a clean studio close-upRadiant Hidden Halo

What gets decided

The report starts the conversation. The stone ends it.

What gets decided: the shape, the size that actually shows on the hand, natural or lab-grown, and which of two or three honest candidates is the right one, checked by you against its report before anything is final. Here's where the good stones actually go.

Tell me the shape, the size goal, and the number

I hold no inventory, which means there is no stone here I need you to like. Give me the shape, the size you're hoping for, and the budget, and I'll call the cutters and dealers I've bought from for thirty years and bring in the two or three stones that genuinely compete at your number. If the best answer is a stone you already found online, I'll tell you to buy it there.

  • Natural and lab-grown, quoted against the same goal.
  • Two or three real candidates, not a list of hundreds.
Loose diamonds in several shapes on a jeweler's tray with tweezers and a loupe
AI-generated inspiration imagery.

Compared under the loupe, reports beside them

Every stone arrives with its grading report, and GIA is the standard for the natural stones I bring in. You can check the certificate number against the stone yourself, on video or under the loupe at the Jewelers Exchange. Size on paper and size on the hand aren't the same thing either: I'll show you how each candidate actually looks face-up, not just what it weighs.

  • You verify the report against the stone with your own eyes.
  • Outside San Diego? Photos and video of every candidate, with my honest read.
Two loose diamonds compared side by side next to a grading report in a jeweler's tray
AI-generated inspiration imagery.

Where I buy, and why it matters

The finest stones are offered to private jewelers first, because we're choosing one diamond for one person's piece. That's where I buy, natural and lab-grown, from dealers I've trusted for years in New York and London. I hold every candidate to a higher standard than a big-box store or a diamond website has to, because you're the one who will look down at it every day. And there's no showroom in the number, so your money goes into the stone itself.

  • First look at the finest stones, from dealers I've trusted for years.
  • No showroom in the number, so your money goes into the diamond.
Jeweler's hands examining a diamond with a loupe at the desk
AI-generated inspiration imagery.

The stone alone, or the whole ring

Some people come just for the diamond and have their own setting plan; the stone purchase stands on its own. Others start with the stone and design the ring around it, which works beautifully, because every setting decision gets made against the real proportions of a diamond you've already approved. Still deciding on shape? The design directions show how each one behaves on a hand.

  • Buy the stone on its own if you already have a plan for it.
  • Or build the ring around it, designed and built in the USA by master jewelers.
Ring settings ready to receive a chosen center stone
AI-generated inspiration imagery.

Designed and built in the USA

Made by master jewelers. Built to last a lifetime.

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.

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What quality looks like on your hand

A diamond worth the work

Natural or lab-grown, from the best sources I know, and chosen by eye so the stone lives up to the ring around it.

The right height

Set so it doesn’t catch on sweaters or hair, and doesn’t hide the stone either.

Strong, even prongs

Thin or uneven prongs are how diamonds get lost. These are formed to hold for decades.

A clean finish

Smooth wherever it touches skin, and clean where light enters the stone.

A band that fits beside it

Made so your wedding band sits flush against it, with no gap.

Inspiration, not inventory

Design directions to customize

View all directions

Guides for this decision

A clean diamond examined through a jeweler's loupe

How to Read a Diamond Grading Report

A GIA diamond report explained line by line: what each entry means for the ring, what to verify, and what the paper can't tell you.

Read guide
Two loose diamonds beside a grading report, ready for side-by-side inspection

What a Diamond Report Won’t Tell You

Two diamonds with nearly identical grading reports can look completely different in person. What the paper leaves out, and how sellers profit from it.

Read guide
A lab-grown and a natural diamond compared side by side

Lab-Grown vs Natural Diamonds

Lab-grown and natural diamonds compared honestly by a wholesale dealer: what is identical, what the price gap actually buys, and how to choose between them.

Read guide

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.”
Priya · Radiant engagement ring

Questions couples ask before they start

Can I buy just the diamond from you and set it elsewhere?

Yes. Some clients buy the stone here and have a family jeweler set it, or hold it while they decide on the design. The stone purchase stands on its own.

Are your loose diamonds GIA certified?

Natural stones I bring in carry GIA reports as the standard. Lab-grown stones typically carry IGI or GIA reports. You verify the certificate against the stone at the desk before anything moves forward.

What if I already found a stone online?

Send me the specs and the certificate number. I will quote the same stone or a genuine equivalent, in writing, and if the online price is the better deal I will say so on the first reply.

Do you sell loose diamonds to people outside San Diego?

Yes. You get photos and video of each candidate with its report and my honest read on each. The in-person comparison is the bonus for local clients.

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Text Andrew

Text Andrew the ring style you keep coming back to.

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.

Prefer a call or text?

Prefer to reach Andrew now? Call or text 619-279-7738.

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Andrew Gonzalez, GIA Diamonds Graduate
Trained by GIA to judge a diamond by eye, not just by its report.
30+ years in jewelry
Choosing diamonds and building custom jewelry, every week.
Designed and built in the USA
All our custom jewelry, made here by master jewelers and U.S. partners.
The price in writing first
A written plan and a real number before any deposit.