Christopher Musico's Engagement Ring

In Chris' own words:

The thought of selecting a design for an engagement ring, quite frankly, terrified me. All I knew is that I wanted to ensure the ring I gave Amanda would be the one she cherished and wore for the rest of her life. After speaking with several of her close friends, we decided to consult Thomas Kurilla about what Amanda preferred in a ring. Thomas deftly walked us through each step of the process, asking all the right questions we couldn't think of on our own to figure out exactly what it was Amanda desired for an engagement ring.

I wasn't exactly starting from scratch- I had inherited my grandmother's engagement ring, which is approximately 60 years old. I knew next to nothing about it. All I knew was I wanted to use the 1.25 carat diamond as a way of connecting Amanda to my family, but reset the diamond in a ring that was truly Amanda's. Thomas worked closely with me, educating me about my grandmother's ring and how we could use portions of it to create the ring of Amanda's dreams. Some designers would want to just create the ring and use their own materials, but he was sensitive to my desire to somehow incorporate my heirloom into the ring. Thomas was quick to respond, patiently answered all my questions, and was able to create a ring beyond my wildest expectations. I couldn't be any more satisfied with the ring, and will definitely turn to him for my future jewelry needs.

Ryan Terry's Twist and Shout Ring

Not everyone wants the standard white platinum setting. Color does make a difference with one's complexion. Ryan and Stephanie nailed their color on this one. A 14ky diamond solitaire engagement ring. Their style, I call The Twist and Shout. They've been happily shouting for a while now. This weekend there certainly will be all kinds of shouting and twisting and more after their wedding.

In Ryan's own words:

Thomas was great to deal with through the entire design process of our engagement ring design. We came to him with a few ideas and he helped steer us in the right direction and made a few variations of the design based on our feedback without any problems. We love the result and will be working with him again!

Shawn Passwaters Decierdo

Paul Stivitts sent Shawn my way to create this engagement ring set. This Tacori style bridal set was fun because of the micro pave setting and the number of 1 point diamonds covering it. Finding the right setter is key to the precision and look of an elegant narrow wedding band and engagement ring. This is an I color , .72 ct diamond. Years ago these fitted wedding bands turned me off. Ha, until I made one. Oh, change is a good thing.

In Shawn's own words:
" Creating a precious and timeless expression of my love for my bride to wear the rest of her life is both terrifying and exhilarating. Working with Thomas in this process was one of the best decisions that I ever made. By personally walking me through each step and giving me many stunning diamond options he masterfully designed a beautiful ring that far exceeded what I could ever imagine. It is a unique and perfect match for my wife. His designs are special and we are both proud to wear them! "

Shawn Passwaters Decierdo

Marc Clemenceau Bailly

Marc Bailly of Gage/Clemenceau Architects, a friend and colleague ordered this atypical engagement ring . A 1.3 ct. Imperial Topaz eternity band for his lovely wife to be, Nicolette. As an architect/designer he knew an 18kt pink setting would be more stunning to set off these stones. The stars lined up for this design,her Topaz birthstone, her ring size, and the desired 26 stones for her birthday all came together. Nice job Marc.

Visit Marc's website for some exceptional architecture and product designs. GageClemenceau.com. The link is below on the left. Be sure to see the Two Tons of Love sculpture featured in Times Square for Valentines day 2009.

Matt Mahoney

Some people just want to twist and shout. This ring does that as well for my buddy's mother. A deacon colleague from Redeemer Presbyterian here in NYC, Matt Mahoney brought this request to me for his mother's 50th wedding anniversary. A nice idea with the off centered 1.0 carat diamond in a 14ktw setting just to add another twist of interest. Thank you Matt, for a very fun ring to make! Check out Matt Mahoney's utube video to see what he's doing through Operation Exodus here in NYC.

In Matt's own words:
My mom had to have both her wedding band and engagement ring cut off. Since this happened close to her 50th anniversary, she decided she would like an entirely new ring. She provided a picture of the type of ring she'd like, along with the other bands, in the hopes that someone could turn the old into the new.
I and some jewelers spent months looking through rings trying to find a commercial design that would match her desires, but none came close, so we approached Thomas to design the ring, based on the two pictures that best showed what my mom would like. Once Thomas understood the design, he made a wax design that perfectly encapsulated everything, including the 1 ct. diamond.
My mom received the ring from my dad at their 50th anniversary celebration and loved it immediately. She said it was exactly as she hoped. She wanted to know everything about Thomas' process, look at his website and blog, and get his address to send a thank you note.