Your lover is one-of-a-kind. Hilarious. Brilliant. Compassionate. Sexy. They deserve an engagement ring as special as they are, with as much personality as they have, and with intention as deep as your love for them.
That kind of romance can’t be bought. It’s built. And you’re the only one who can build it. But you probably don’t have a jewelry studio in your backyard, 22+ years of experience as a jeweler, and the design prowess to craft a rad ring all on your own.
And that’s where I come in.
Join me in an adventure you’ll never forget
Whether you already have a clear idea of your engagement ring design or you need help understanding what’s possible with custom ring design, we’ll work together to bring your vision to life.
A guided design process that celebrates you and your partner’s style
We’ll source metals and gems that are personal to you. Our work uses 100% FAIRMINED gold and ethically sourced or repurposed diamonds and gems. We can also evolve an existing vintage or heirloom piece you have into a brand new custom engagement ring.
Sourced from 100% FAIRMINED Gold and Ethically-Sourced Diamonds and Other Gems
My commitment to preserving our ecosystem and ensuring the welfare of those involved in mining precious materials within the jewelry industry is unwavering. To support this cause, I have become a proud member of Ethical Metalsmiths, and in my practice, I solely utilize fairtrade or post-consumer gems, as well as recycled, fairtrade, or FAIRMINED metal.
There are two ways we can collaborate on your custom ring:
Fully Custom Design
As described on this page, this is a 4-step process where you come with your genius idea, and I come with my expertise, and we create a ring that has never existed before and will never exist again. Just like your beloved.
Build a Ring
We’ve JUST LAUNCHED a brand new way to design your own ring, all on your own! We have an extensive library of ethically sourced and repurposed gems, to be paired with our signature Ringed settings. Pick your gem, pick your setting, hit order and voilà—your ring is on it’s way! NOTE: This is not a custom design process, but you can start here and fill out a customization request for minor changes to your ring. Click the link below to get started!
Get Some Inspiration
“Designing a ring for my wife with Allison was an amazing experience. Discussing my ideas and watching the ring come to life – from drawings and molds – up until I put it on my wife’s hand was magical. Allison was open to my ideas and with her vast knowledge was able to guide the process toward a beautiful result.”
The Custom Jewelry Design Process
This process takes 6-8 weeks from fabrication (after designing and sourcing are complete). Please plan your engagement well in advance to allow for a stress-free process.
Below are detailed the four-steps to our custom ring process. PLEASE NOTE: We don’t only design engagement rings at Ringed, but rings celebrating ALL manners of love.
Designing
I’ll start by asking you about yourself or your partner — their color and shape preferences, elements of their personality, key moments in your love story, and what their daily lifestyle is. Once the initial deposit is made, I’ll start sketching a stunning-yet-sturdy design that will last a lifetime.
2. Sourcing
Sourcing the metals and gemstones for your custom jewelry is an essential step because materials influence both design and budget. As such, we may end up tweaking the sketches slightly.
Design changes that occur after materials have been ordered will incur an additional fee.
3. Fabrication
Your design is finalized, your materials have arrived, and now it’s time for you to take a step back and let me get my hands dirty. Using either metal fabrication or wax carving techniques, I’ll begin crafting your custom ring.
4. Ring Delivery
Start planning your celebration or proposal… your ring is finished! It’ll take around 6 – 8 weeks after creation begins for the ring to be completed, at which point you can come pick it up at my Portland, Oregon studio. If you’re not local, I will mail your ring to you. Each ring comes in a walnut box, perfect for popping the question.
READ ABOUT FOLKS’ WEDDING RING EXPERIENCEs HERE
Meet Your Teacher, Allison!
Welcome to my studio! I’m Allison Ullmer, a jeweler and metalsmith of 22+ years, and a jewelry teacher and metalsmithing instructor for more than 12 years.
You’re in for an exciting day with me as we develop a rad ring design together, craft heirloom jewelry in honor of your wedding, and share a few laughs along the way.
Ringed Experiences FAQ
Are you looking to contribute to a Custom Ring for a loved one? CLICK HERE!
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So it costs $5,700 - $6,400 to get two weddings rings? Yes. Every project may potentially have additional fees such as a finishing fee, outside ring engraving, gem stones or additional stone setting fees, additional material costs, shipping costs, and a refundable deposit for the wax carving toolkit (only for virtual wax carving classes).
Most couples do not end up spending more than $5,700 for a pair of rings made in a fabrication workshop or $7,000 for a pair of rings made in a wax carving workshop.
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Metal fabrication is the process of heating and hammering small strips of metal into a ring. Wax carving is just as it sounds: you file a block of wax, carving it into a ring design. From there, the wax model is used to make a mold, and the mold is cast using a melted metal alloy of your choosing.
While we can complete fabrication or wax carving in my Portland studio, please note that all virtual workshops must use the wax carving method.
When it comes to deciding which workshop best suits your needs, first we need to discuss ring design. What type of metal, width, texture and style are you looking for?
If you want a simple, half-domed or flat band without much texture, or a cut out, hammered or planished texture, then fabrication is the best choice. If you want an organic or detailed texture, asymmetrical shapes, a more undulating surface, or a nesting ring - a band that will fit flush to your engagement ring, then wax carving is ideal.
Still unsure which is right for you? Please email me at allison@ringedpdx.com and we can discuss together.
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When you click on each workshop you’ll see an option to choose between a class for two people making two rings total, or one person making one ring total. Some couples ask if they can make a third ring. My answer, absolutely! We will just need to add an extra workshop day.
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My newly-renovated studio is located in the backyard of my Northeast Portland, Oregon home.
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Fuck yes — anyone and everyone can learn how to make their own wedding ring! Ringed is designed for first-timers and those without metalsmithing experience, making the experience as accessible as possible. I’ve taught jewelry making at the high school and college level for more than 10 years, so trust me when I say that you and your partner can absolutely do this. Still feeling unsure? Here is a step by step look at how it’s done.
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Make your own wedding ring workshops by Ringed take 4 – 6 hours. You’ll arrive at my studio at 10 a.m., and we’ll take a one-hour lunch break from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Our work should be done around 3 - 4:30 p.m. If you’d like to better understand the day from the client’s perspective, consider reading this blog by a Ringed customer and local Portland wedding planner, Beth Kramer.
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Not a problem! You can visit any jewelry store around to get fitted properly. Just to make sure, we will size you when you visit my studio too. Or, if you’re doing a virtual workshop, check out this ring sizing guide.
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You get to choose what kind of metal you make your wedding ring out of (yellow gold and white gold are the two most common). I have recycled 14K or 18K gold in Yellow, Rose, Peach, or Palladium White and Palladium. Platinum is available only with Wax Carving Workshops. Regardless of what you choose, you should know that I’m dedicated to only using 100% recycled metal, ethically-sourced stones, and local Portland professionals. Read more about my sourcing policies here and environmental ethics here.
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First, let me say that I am stoked you’ll be joining me for a workshop! The first step is to purchase your workshop ticket. Once purchased, you’ll answer a questionnaire for dates that work best for you. Workshops take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays and must be scheduled at least eight weeks in advance so we have time to chat about design and I can source the materials. If you’re looking for a specific date that is outside of my normal parameters, (maybe you’re hoping to do the workshop during a vacation in Portland, for example), please email me at allison@ringedpdx.com.
Do You Want To Make It An Experience?
Make Your Ring Workshop
The Portland Wedding Ring Experience
