April’s birthstone is the diamond, so it’s a good time to feature a custom engagement-ring redesign as the Jewel of the Month. This ring is particularly close to my heart because it’s now adorning the ring finger of my right-hand woman and branding chief, Eryn Patton. Before Eryn’s boyfriend Donnie popped the question, he and…
engagement rings
Beware of Nontraditional Gems in Engagement Rings
I’m both a fan and a designer of nontraditional engagement rings. (In fact, my first big jewelry design — before I was even in the jewelry business — was my own unusual ring.) Therefore, if you don’t want a diamond in your ring, I will happily come up with suggestions for you. That said, there…
I’m a Jewelers’ Choice Award Finalist!
I’m thrilled to say that I’m a finalist in the 2016 JCK’s Jewelers’ Choice Awards! The engagement/anniversary ring design that I created for my own mother won second place in the Personalized Jewelry $1,000 & Over Category. This ring design came about when my mother’s original engagement ring needed significant repairs before my parents’ 50th…
Valentine’s Day/Anti-Valentine’s Day Countdown: #7 of 14
How’s THIS for a Super Bowl 50 ring? Today’s Valentine’s Day selection is the redesigned engagement/50th anniversary ring I made for my mother last year, using her original center diamond and baguettes. Obviously you can’t buy this particular ring but I can use this style of platinum setting for any custom engagement ring. If you’re…
Jewel of the Month: Helen’s Redesigned Engagement Ring
When it comes to an engagement ring, the only thing that really matters is that the recipient loves it. Most of the wedding jewelry I design is custom-made. As a result, I’ve done all different styles of engagement rings to suit different tastes, ranging from an Asscher-diamond stone in a simple, classic pronged setting ……
Jewel of the Month: 50th-Anniversary Ring Redesign
I love to redesign old jewelry for customers and the mother of all redesign opportunities was literally handed to me in March. My gorgeous mother, BarbaraB, had to take off her engagement ring ahead of a minor medical procedure, only to find that it couldn’t be budged. The ring had to be cut off. BarbaraB…
Wendy Brandes Jewelry in the New York Post
Thanks to Lindsay Putnam for including me in today’s New York Post story on nontraditional engagement rings! CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY. The story features the custom engagement ring I did for my gorgeous clients Lori and Brian. Lori had requested a ring in the style of my Edburga poison ring, which has a…
Mom’s Engagement Ring Redesign: Before Photo
I love redesigning old jewelry, especially engagement rings. A lot of my female customers didn’t have any input into their original rings. Others — like me — felt pressured to go with a style that was more traditional than what they truly wanted. Redesigning the old rings gives those wimmins a chance to express their…
Jewel of the Month: Customizable Gold Engagement Ring
Most of the wedding jewelry I create is made to order, with the customer and I working on a one-of-a-kind design together. Here are a few examples: Lori’s white-sapphire engagement ring. Olivia’s surprise ring. Mindy’s redesigned engagement ring. Two more redesigned rings. But I do try to add new designs to the options I have…
Throwback Thursday: My Original Engagement Ring
I’ve mentioned before on this blog that I redesigned my own engagement ring years after my 2001 wedding, but I’ve never found a good picture of the original to share. Turns out I wasn’t looking in the right place, because here’s a close-up of my first setting. As you can see, there’s nothing extraordinary about…