Bespoke Bridal Jewellery: Mr Eric Tay of Larry Jewelry gives us his tips

Engagement rings and wedding bands are quite possibly the most tricky piece of jewellery to buy. It is after all the one item that’ll grace your ring finger for an eternity. So instead of settling for just one design that’s readily available at various jewellers, perhaps what would be far more meaningful is a specially crafted bespoke ring.

With a unique customised engagement ring, you’ll be able to detail exactly what you’re looking for and even interweave stories of how you met your partner into the design – reminding you everyday of the love you two share.

However, going down the customisation route itself could prove to become quite the mind boggling journey. Hence, to soothe your concerns and the impending headache that might ensue, we’ve enlisted the help of Mr Eric Tay, Retail Director of Larry Jewelry to highlight what exactly goes on in a customisation session, what to look out for and key bridal styles to consider.

Marie France Asia: What can a client expect from a customisation session?

Eric Tay: The jewellery customisation process with Larry Jewelry starts with a face-to-face consultation with our in-house designers, who will speak to the customer about their preferences, the purpose of the piece they wish to customise, their lifestyles and other relevant details such as timelines, budget, etc. We recommend keeping aside at least an hour for the face-to-face customisation session as we want to have a good understanding of the customer’s requirements before we dive into the designing process.

Based on the client’s requirements, the designer will then create some initial sketches and make recommendations on the selection of gemstones. Simultaneously, the designer will also share his or her expert advice on alterations that can be made to the design in view of other considerations such as suitability of gemstones, purpose of jewellery piece, budget, etc. A working session with the customer and the design is subsequently arranged to ensure that the customer has an opportunity to share input on the designs – after all, the resulting jewellery piece is a reflection of their personal story!

Once a design is agreed on, Larry Jewelry will create a jewellery mould, which the client will review and approve. Upon confirmation, the jewellery piece will be crafted and then sent for stone setting, polishing and plating, before being presented to the client.

MFA: What form of customisation is available?

E.T.: We specialise in handcrafted jewellery and this enables us to customise many types of pieces. We have been doing this for the last 50 years and are extremely proud of our capabilities and adherence to high-quality.

Our customers have customised everything from gifts for milestone occasions such as birthdays, engagements, anniversaries, graduations, as well as heirloom pieces. Many of our customers have even come to us with requests to enhance their existing jewellery sets with additions such as a pair of earrings, rings, etc, or update their legacy pieces with a personal touch that is reflective of their personality and preferences. We have even had customers coming in to customise belt buckles!

MFA: How long would the process usually take?

E.T.: It is important that every piece of customised jewellery is a reflection of the self/ someone’s story. In view of this, we are committed to investing as much time as required to ensure that the customer receives a piece of jewellery art that they are satisfied with.

When designing a customised jewellery piece, there is a lot of time that goes into the thought process and the initial discussion, to finalising and sharing the end-product. The typical time frame can stretch from about three weeks, to a few months, depending on the requests. The timeframe is dependent on the simplicity or intricacy of the chosen design, as well as the follow up changes that need to take place. For example, tweaks to the jewellery mould or the weight of a jewellery piece. In some instances, some rare gemstones or materials might take longer to source and test (as we believe in using only the best quality materials available), and that could further delay the process.

To put this into perspective, a ring with a simple design could take up to three weeks before it is completed, while a sophisticated, fancy necklace may take more than three months before the final delivery.

MFA: What are some of your usual customisation requests?

E.T.: We have received customisation requests for a variety of jewellery pieces, including rings, earrings and necklaces. The most common requests are wedding bands and proposal rings as customers want these pieces to be unique, special and relatable to their love story.

MFA: What would be some of the popular bridal styles at Larry Jewelry?

E.T.: At Larry Jewelry, the popular choices amongst brides-to-be are the elegant jewellery pieces. Some of the pieces are very luxurious but at the same time, minimalistic – they are often selected because these pieces are suitable for every day wear, but yet stand out from the crowd. Colourless diamonds are also the favoured stone for our bridal clientele.

MFA: What are some of the things to consider before investing in an engagement ring?

E.T.: The most important consideration would be the quality of the diamond. This can be determined by the 4Cs: carat, colour, clarity and cut – with the last one (‘cut’) being the most important.

When selecting a diamond, we should aim to buy the best in terms of the cut before selecting the other three Cs, since it is the cut that puts the sparkles in a diamond. The cut determines the optimal combination of brilliance, scintillation and fire in a diamond.

Alternatively if coloured stones are the preferred stone, the couple should invest in a good quality gem as it will never go out of style. This could be fancy coloured diamonds, which get their colours from different elements, radiation or high pressure that changes the structure of the diamond during formation.

Coloured diamonds can be pink, yellow, brown, blue, green or red, and many shades in between. Some diamonds, known as chameleon diamonds, can even change colour based on light and temperature.

MFA: In terms of stone settings, one which would protect the diamond and ensure low maintenance, what type of setting would you recommend? 

E.T.: A four or ‘six prong’ setting (also known as ‘claw’ setting) is ideal for those who prefer simple maintenance yet would require utmost protection for the diamond. This setting is ideal for solitaires or big gemstones, designed to elaborate their stone to the best advantage. The stone is more exposed to light which results in maximum brilliance.

Another recommended setting is the ‘channel’ setting, which comes with two rows of gold or platinum that sandwich the row of diamonds, thus protecting the edge of the diamonds. This setting is often used in mounting a number of stones in a row and its uniformity enhances the design. It has a smooth surface that will not catch onto clothing.

MFA: How would you design something for the no-frills bride? 

E.T.: For a no-frills bride, I would recommend selecting classic jewellery styles that can be paired with all kinds of wedding gowns and styles. It can also be worn every day and with various fashion styles. If a bride selects an elegant and classic jewelry piece, one that transcends fashion styles and trends, it can be passed on to future generations, cementing an heirloom in the family.

For such a bride, I would recommend a style similar to the Minimalism series in our latest collection, the Eternal Bride collection. The Minimalism Necklace, inspired by the minimalist art movement, is made up of an 18K white-gold dazzling necklace with a prominent heart-shaped pendant creating a visual of ultimate simplification of form and colour, giving total emphasis to the bride’s natural beauty on her wedding day.

The Eternal Bride collection also has seven other series, all inspired by the various eras in fashion, and developed to compliment the free spirited bride of today.

To arrange for a customisation session at Larry Jewelry, contact the stores at +65 6235 5848 (ION Orchard) or +65 6732 3222 (Paragon) for an appointment. 

Tarandip Kaur