Where can I find a special ring?

June 7, 2008 4:44 PM

Does anyone know where I can find this ring? (Ideally, in San Francisco)

My wife and I haven't worn wedding rings for awhile. Previously, we started with cheap silver rings we'd buy form streetside vendors. We'd lose them and pick up another set. I'd like for us to get back in the ring wearing habit. I know what I'm looking for, as I've seen it once or twice before, but I'm having the hardest time finding it. I've seen one here. You can't see it in that picture, but it's kind of a lead pewter ring that's got a hammered texture. It also had a few tiny diamonds embedded in it in a random pattern. It was beautiful and really evoked this feeling of stars in the sky. While I've seen rings at Etsy like this one, this one, and this one which are all close as far as texture goes, but I can't find anything that has the embedded diamonds. Has anyone seen such a ring, and if not, I'm in San Francisco for the next week, so do you know where I might try going to have the best luck finding one?

Thanks!

posted by AaRdVarK to shopping (12 comments total)

Why not get in touch with those jewelers at Etsy and see if they can make the design you have in mind? That's the great thing about Etsy--you can deal directly with the artists.

If the three jewelers who made the rings you linked to above can't do what you like, how about trying Etsy's Alchemy feature?

Good luck!
posted by Sublimity at 5:18 PM on June 7

Let me preface this by saying your question brought a smile to my face because you just described the ring buying habits of our first decade of marriage. Lose and replace, rinse and repeat. Plus we had several sets of hammered silver bands, so I think you guys have excellent taste (^_^)

Anyway, this is what came to mind when I read your description. Is this the sort of thing you are looking for? I can't think of a jeweler in San Francisco off the top of my head that specializes in pewter, but I would check the boutique districts...like Fillmore street around California or Chestnut in the Marina district.

Finally, these rings might be something best ordered directly from an artisan jeweler so you get exactly what you want...we had some made in Vietnam for next to nothing, but if you are willing to pay US prices, I'm sure you can find an excellent artist in the City.
posted by squasha at 5:30 PM on June 7

@squasha: that ring maybe with half the thickness, a quarter the diamonds, and a more matte appearance, but it's the right idea. There were only a 6-8 diamonds on the ring i saw. It looked like they were sprinkled on there. They were very tiny which made for a subtle effect.

@Sublimity: I don't know why I didn't think of that. I'll definitely contact the artists.
posted by AaRdVarK at 5:49 PM on June 7

shade jewelry makes beatiful, similar rings, and I know they do custom orders. Or, if your wife will be in SF with you, it might be fun to make your own wedding rings.
posted by logic vs love at 6:45 PM on June 7

Go with silver for this rather than pewter. My 14K wedding ring is routinely not even remotely round and pewter is much softer. Plus the technique they're going to have use to create bezels to mount the stones will produce additional weaknesses.

(Trust me on this, I have 30 or 40 pounds of pewter in the basement waiting for me to get back at some projects.)
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 6:49 PM on June 7

When reading your description, the Starry Night ring came to mind. I don't know what the price point is on these, but I've got a friend who wears one as her wedding ring, and its very lovely IRL.
posted by Mimzy at 8:20 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]

@Kid Charlemagne: Thanks for the tip. Pewter is now out.

@Mimzy: OMG! That is beautiful. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but it may even be better. It's about a grand for gold and three for platinum. It's pricy considering our past performance on ring retention. I might send the design to some people at Etsy and see what they come back with. Thanks!
posted by AaRdVarK at 9:44 PM on June 7

Anne Sportun makes the type of ring you describe, but in gold, either yellow or white, and matte or shiny.
posted by essexjan at 1:37 AM on June 8

@essexjan: YES! This is pretty much exactly what I had in mind. Too bad the dollar sucks so much right now. Wow, I'm really excited. Thank you!
posted by AaRdVarK at 1:28 PM on June 8

I hate to be a downer, but the "Diamond Star band" looks to me like a rip-off of the Tiffany Etoile ring. "Etoile" even means star.
posted by radioamy at 10:30 AM on June 9

@radioamy: not a downer at all! there is a subtle, but important difference. The diamonds in the Tiffany ring are evenly patterned, while the Sportun ring are randomly and uniquely placed. My wife would definitely be more of a fan of the Sportun ring. I will say, though, I'm surprised to see a Tiffany ring with _only_ a 100% markup over a comparable ring from someone else. Of course, the Tiffany ring is platinum and probably has bigger diamonds.
posted by AaRdVarK at 10:18 PM on June 9

Coincidentally, AaRdVarK, I got my wife precisely that ring, only in gold, when we were dating. (I say "coincidentally" because AaRdVarK and I know each other IRL.) FWIW, which ain't much now, it came from Harlan & McGuire.
posted by waldo at 5:48 PM on July 22