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Our Custom Jewelry Designs include items such as engagement rings, wedding bands, cocktail rings, necklaces, earrings, etc. NSG’s mission is to design and create jewelry that exceeds our customers expectations in quality, value, and service.
Mark works intimately with clients looking to create that perfect heirloom quality piece of jewelry for that special moment. When engaging NSG to build that unique one-of-a-kind piece, Mark works to understand the sentiment and desired style of the piece they are looking to build and sets a design together within their budget.
He hand selects the perfect stone and has been known to fly to the streets of Jaipur India or mountains near Cancun to find the perfect stones for his clients. Mark has partnered with several local and international reputable jewelers who guarantees their work.
We often get questions about whether or not custom jewelry is more expensive. Our vision is that the experience of getting something made just for you should be accessible to everyone. While our jewelry is all custom designed and crafted at exceptionally high standards, we’re able to keep our costs much lower than traditional jewelers who do custom work – not by cutting corners or settling for lower quality, but by finding better ways to do things. Keeping our costs down means we’re able to produce heirloom quality custom jewelry for prices that are comparable or less to what one would pay for similar quality pieces off the shelf. NSG primarily works with the Jewelry Dr in Tacoma WA https://jewelrydrwa.com for his high-end custom pieces but has several others he works with who reside outside of the country for bulk orders and some custom pieces as well.
The explosion of requests for custom jewelry has grown through word of mouth at this point. Mark would like to move into the wedding space (but he still really enjoys buying bulk for his small business owners). In 2014, our close friend who was married in India just outside of New Delhi, is who we give credit to creating the spark of what is now known as NuStart Gems. This wedding opened the door to additional trips to India and forming an extended family of individuals off the streets of Jaipur. This same friend accredited with our business idea owns a Seattle-based full service wedding and event management company Wedding and Event Management - Landmark Event Co. This company is a full-service wedding and event company that includes production, event design, vendor management, and exclusive catering offered NSG a booth at their next wedding expo in April. We see this as a huge opportunity to bust into the wedding event space and perhaps even set up booths at the larger wedding expos nearby. NSG wants to expand their marketing to not just the bride and groom but offer a full set of bridal party pieces including wedding day jewelry for the bride, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, etc.
Buying an engagement ring, or any piece of fine jewelry, can be nerve-racking. NSG takes every step possible to ensure that each piece is perfectly crafted and exactly what the client wants. We design and make the jewelry piece 100% to our customer’s specifications, with their budget in mind. We use our resources and expertise to help find exceptional diamonds or gemstones. Whether our client is spending $500 or $50,000, we give our clients the same love and attention. We stand behind everything we make and offer exceptional customer support.
Typically, custom pieces take 2-4 weeks after we’ve finalized the client’s design. However, because each project is different, the time it takes to complete a project may vary. When it comes to creating a client’s design, we work at the client’s pace. Some customers only need to exchange a few messages with us but others may prefer to design and iterate with us over many weeks or even months. Once the client has approved a design and the stones are chosen, we’ll manufacture the client’s piece, finishing all the details by hand. When it’s ready, we’ll work to deliver the items in the most efficient and fastest way possible.
How much does a custom piece cost? The real answer is… it depends. Typically an engagement ring starts at $1000 but it is possible to make one for less. We’ll talk a lot about all the nuances to help our customers understand how the choices made will influence the price of their piece. What does this cost depend on? The four main factors that determine the price of the custom jewelry are the center stone, accent stones, choice of metal, and design complexity.
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The center stone choice is often the biggest factor and can be affected by center stone type, size, quality, rarity, and more. Diamonds are by far the most popular center stones for engagement rings, and there are a lot of variations within diamond prices. Bigger diamonds and gemstones cost more than smaller ones, and even the same size diamonds and gemstones with higher grades cost more than ones with lower grades. When a client is interested in a non-diamond center stone, the gem type chosen will be a big factor in the final price. Note that a mined ruby costs more than a lab-created ruby and classic blue sapphires are often quite a bit more expensive than yellow or green sapphires.
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The number of accent stones can play a role especially if the chosen style features many gems. A few touches here and there may only impact the cost by a few hundred dollars or even less. Once the number and size of the accent stones increase – like adding a halo around a center stone or larger side stones – it tends to make a bigger difference. We work with our clients to find creative ways to glam up their pieces without breaking the budget.
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Metal type affects the durability as well as the prices. Platinum is more expensive than gold and higher karats of gold are more expensive than lower karats. On the lowest end of the price spectrum is sterling silver, a metal that can be great for jewelry like pendants and earnings, but not typically great for rings unless an absolute must due to budgetary reasons. Silver scratches and dents more easily than white gold or platinum, making it far less secure for gem settings. It’s also prone to tarnishing, and for some people causes skin reactions like turning skin green.
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The complexity of the design can sometimes result in higher costs. For example, rings that require a more significant amount of metal (such as exceptionally thick, wide or sculptural designs), and rings that require significant additional labor from our skilled jewelers (such as hand-finishing, casting and assembly).
