"My name is Jesse and I live in Rhode Island. I am planning on proposing to my girlfriend and I want to have the perfect engagement ring for her...
"...all metal and stones must be completely fair trade and conflict free...
"...I want a ring in which the band is either white gold, platinum or silver (bottom line NOT GOLD). In that band I would like two sparrows etched into it. For the stones, I would like a sapphire as the center piece and then two small diamonds...
"...Obviously I am not someone who knows the ins and outs of designing rings. However, I do know that I love my girlfriend very much and that a ring like the one I have described would make her very happy."
Above are excerpts of Jesse's first communication with us in July, 2007. He had sent this email to several other jewelers whom he had found through the Fair Trade website. Jesse received a couple responses, but ultimately, Henderson & Co. Jewelers was able to meet his requirements in terms of materials and price.
Jesse and his then girlfriend Erin , are both social workers, and making absolutely sure all materials used in the ring were conflict free was of high importance to him. The band was to be made of recycled (white) gold from H & Co. directly, and we assured him that the stones were either certified, or passed through strict guidelines of Fair Trade compliance.
"I am just curious as to what makes one ring cost one price and another cost a totally different price?...Some of the other people who have gotten back to me about this ring definitely see the opportunity to run up the tab because of the custom nature of the ring."
"Well, Jesse, you've asked a very good question about the price difference.
I have always tried to be fair to my customers & to myself, as well. We have to pay the rent, after all. I know I'll never get rich doing what I do, but I can also sleep at night knowing that I haven't taken unfair advantage of someone..."
At this time Jesse is ready to go ahead with our offer. The following images were taken and sent to him, per request, to appear in a scrapbook to chronicle the process.
The tools to be used in creating the ring's wax mold. Once the mold was complete, it was attached to a small stick of wax, and suspended into a small, metal cylinder filled with plaster.
Melting the gold to be vacuumed through the plaster impression of the stick, into the impression of the ring (all of which had been melted away in the small, in-house kiln).
The finished casting, ready to be cleaned off and prepared for stone mounting.
David soldering the setting for the sapphire.
The ring awaiting the custom sparrow engravings.
"In regards to the significance of the sparrows, Erin just loves sparrows, always has (specifically she likes the way "they hop around." Since we have been together I have been looking high and low for a piece of jewelry that had sparrows on it. Every time I looked I came up empty handed. I thus decided that once I decided to ask Erin to marry me I would have a ring custom made with sparrows on it."
Birds of a feather ready to be traced/engraved onto their new home.
David meticulously tracing the sparrows on the paper, while the engraver simultaneously etches them onto the ring.
The completed sparrow.
Sparrow close-up. Ready for buffing to remove any rough edges left from engraving.
Once the ring was finished and payment was received, this special ring was mailed out express, and insured. It arrived at Jesse's parents' house (in part to avoid suspicion) in time for the deadline. Included with it were hard copies of the progress photos and a new sale report so that Jesse could have the ring insured later.
The Story Continues...
Everything was coming together. Erin said 'Yes', the date was set (Sept. 13), and the task was clear: Find the perfect wedding bands. Once again, Jesse and Erin turned to Henderson & Co. Jewelers...
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