June 10, 2021
The Brooklyn Bridge Ring
Building Bridges… A Love Story
Made In New York
Chapter 1:
Dani and Jet took a romantic stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge on one of their very first dates. As their relationship progressed they eventually moved out from Queens and into Brooklyn together. The Brooklyn Bridge symbolizes the moves they’ve made in building their union, the bridging of two families, and crossing over into each other's
hearts and home.
When I first heard Dani’s Brooklyn Bridge inspired engagement ring idea, I was thrilled that she chose me as her designer. Having created a Chrysler Building inspired marquis center engagement ring for
'The Engagement Authority' @engagement101 a few years back, I was excited to pay homage to another iconic NYC landmark. Here are some of the first a few designs on paper and the specific architectural details I borrowed for this very special piece:
Chapter 2: The Making of a Super Custom; and so it begins…
Our bride to be had a diamond passed down from her grandmother. Well not so much passed down through the generations as found in a drawer! Luckily! This 1.6 carat round seemed to have lived a very full life before Dani received her. She arrived with tiny chips all over her culet and pavilion. So one of the very first steps we took was re-faceting the entire stone to bring back it's value. With a loss of only .10 carat his old lady went from 'well worn' to 'rise and shine'! Taking off just a little weight restored the stone to its full potential.
Next up were the bullet shape sapphires. Dani requested deep blue sapphires for her side stones instead of the diamond sides I originally sketched, the shape taken from the peak of the arches on the
Brooklyn Bridge.
My friends at Color Source Gems had the right stuff and we were able to custom cut the desired shape from baguettes I picked out. As 2D became 3D in the CAD model making process we changed up some of our initial details.
Dani was going for a modern vintage vibe for her very petite ring finger. We realize we didn’t have room for diamonds on the bridge of the shank and skipped the millgrain detail in favor of this absolutely flawless cut down setting. The diamond setting involved a genuine cut down or fishtail technique and gave us just the right look without making this piece look too busy. Who wants to sit in bridge traffic?!
Last but not least there’s a whole line of custom laser engraving inside the band consisting of the couple's initials, NYC, 2021, the Platinum metal mark and of course, my Lamb logo. Not sure how we fit all that in this size 4.75 ring but we did!
I always say 'trust the process' and this super customized custom engagement ring was the perfect example. I would text Dani progress pictures and the days decisions to be made, explain the technical stuff and we would forge a head. Flexible and on the same page- I think that's called a 'Dream Job'!
Chapter 3: From Concept to Reality.
Here she is! All set and done. This is my hand – even harder to let go of a ring that you loved designing when it fits perfectly!
I am so proud of how this piece came out! The design work, inspiration, precious materials, customization and highly skilled labor all came together seamlessly for a result that is timeless, architectural yet feminine, and so very New York. It’s serendipitous that my client Danielle found me in this city full of talent. I felt uniquely qualified for this challenge having previously designed a Chrysler Building themed ring and my CITY collection. Making an heirloom piece is a responsibility that I don’t take like lightly. My connection with the client has to be as strong as my communication with the artisans I work with. No skipping steps. Every detail poured over, every option discussed. I said this before and I’ll say it again – it was an honor to bring this idea into reality. I’m so happy to attract creative thinkers looking for something they haven’t seen in the market. 'Different by Design'- it’s not just a tagline!
The End
of Building Bridges... a Love Story, Made in New York,
but just the beginning for these young Brooklynites in love!
Congratulations Dani and Jet! Thank you for this design journey,
I know your road to marriage will be just as thoughtful.
XO