Tag Archives: Unique Design

Love at First Sight

As you know, we went to Sweden on an inspirational trip in August – and inspired we were! We were excited to see so many independent jewellers around different areas of the city. Can you imagine that some of these businesses close for the whole summer – and can take up to 5 weeks of personal time! You wonder if this is their secret for coming up with such beautiful designs.

One brand especially, caught our eye. At first, we only wanted to visit the shop and meet the designer for our blog, but after seeing the jewellery we knew we had to be part of it! As the first shop outside of the Scandinavian countries to sell these lovelies, we are proud to present Drakenberg Sjölin at More than Diamonds. Each piece is inspired by light and dark, which defines the seasons in the Nordic countries.

Winter, spring, summer or fall, now you can wear them all.

Showroom
131 Tanglin Road
#02-16 Tudor Court
Singapore 247924
Tel: +65 6235 8873

Every Diamond Counts

One of the important parts of custom designing, is getting the Diamond sizes and proportions right. Diamond accents are ‘supporting actors’ so they should enhance, but not over- shine the star of the show – the centrepiece Diamond.Finding the right proportion between the centrepiece Diamond, surrounding stones and the Diamonds on the band.

When we have decided on the right size for the design, we select the Diamonds.

An example of a stunning result! Large centrepiece can look even bigger with the right selection of surrounding Diamonds.Another reason to custom make is that you can make the wedding or anniversary ring match the size of Diamonds and band exactly. 

As you can see, the size of the surrounding Diamonds, affect the design more than the size of the centrepiece Diamond does.  Just as in Hollywood, it is often the supporting actors, who make a good  film great.

Men’s Fashion, in Gold and Silver

Be it wedding rings, or ‘just’ for fashion, men are becoming more creative with their jewellery. Gone are the days when men will get the thinnest or the most basic wedding ring, just because they have to. A ring can also be a statement, as you can see in these designs, custom made in the last few months.

Chunky Men’s Ring with Round Diamond. Unpolished White Gold leaves the yellow tone of the original colour and makes this design that extra bit special. What is even more amazing, is that the tiny gap on the side of the ring, is positioned to reveal the entire laser inscription on the diamond girdle. Now, that will give you an idea of how small those numbers really are. Another chunky design with a square Diamond to match the shape. Matte Finish for that rough, manly look.

Same shape in a much smaller version – for the pinky. Can be set with a gemstone of choice, and if you have a family crest or want to engrave your initials, that will sit just fine, too.

More about Men’s Jewellery: Signet Rings – Make your Mark

Tiny Masters Workshop

In Stockholm we took the opportunity to get ‘inside’ info and joined a Silversmith class. The students were a mix of beginners and more advanced students, so our workshop was very much a ‘learn as you go’ session and we all helped each other. After hours of sawing, filing, soldering, polishing and engraving we got some beautiful results. Enjoy!Simplicity wins again. Initials engraved on a pair of Silver Studs.Rough finish on these Pendants for men with hand stamped engraving, inspired by guitar picks.Flower Ring layered with thin sheets of Silver.Gorgeous twisted Silver bangle in Infinity design.

More from Stockholm: Wedding Rings of the moment and Inspiration on the Go.

Land of the Midnight Sun – and Beautiful Design

We will be going to Stockholm and Helsinki on an inspirational trip and will be away for the most of August. We hear that the sun will set at 10pm and rise at 5 am at this time of year, so we are looking forward to looong days exploring Scandinavian design, cool weather and good company…

Follow Chris & Sara for interesting updates from the counties that gave us Nokia phones, Marimekko textiles, Orrefors and Iittala glassware, Absolut Vodka, Efva Attling jewellery and a whole lot more.

TO BE CONTINUED….

Our Wedding Rings

Since choosing your wedding rings can be a tricky yet important decision in your wedding planning, we’ll give you some insights into our own discussions.

Chris designed this engagement ring as a secret and threw it in the sea. Read more about the proposal on Wedding Guide Asia.

According to Swedish custom, both the lady – and the man – wear engagement rings from the time of engagement. So following the surprise proposal, we wanted Chris to wear a ring as well. The man will usually wear the same ring for the wedding, while the bride adds a second ring to the finger.

Since we designed Chris’ ring before considering wedding bands, his engagement/wedding ring matches Sara’s engagement ring – not the wedding ring.

When it came to Sara’s wedding ring, the choices were slightly limited because of the width of the engagement ring. The new ring needed to be slim to even fit the finger! Being a fan of 2-tone, Sara considered getting a very slim flat band in Yellow Gold to add to the first one, but did not want it to be too chunky and heavy looking.Checking the mockup to ensure that the size is right before setting the Diamonds

In the end, the result was a ring that was the total opposite of the engagement ring. A combination of a chunky, modern Engagement band and a vintage inspired delicate Eternity Ring.Two very different styles, yet somehow matching….

The Diamond Eternity Ring was made following the thickness of the engagement ring so that they would fit nicely together. Now, they fit so snug, that people often think that it is all one ring – and that must be a good sign that they are well matched…. :)

All three rings on display with Sara’s wedding shoes as ring pillows. 

Goldilocks™ for You & Me

I was designing a Goldilocks™ for myself, for my wedding and wanted something that is less direct than, let’s say, a heart or both our initials. To begin with, I was planning a bracelet saying mr & mrs, in the style of our yes/no bracelet (above) but the minimalist in me kicked in, and all that remained for the final piece was the &.


You & Me, Mr & Mrs; the ampersand (&)  is what binds the words together. Being an everyday symbol connecting words, it can stand for so much more. Goldilocks™ You & Me is made in 2-tone, as a symbol of the joining of two parts, words – or people.

What other symbols would you want to see in Goldilocks? What would they represent? x Sara

 

* Update: Goldilocks™ You & Me has been featured in the press!

Her World Singapore, February 2012. 

I-S Magazine, 3-16 Feb 2012. 5 design labels to look out for. 

See more on Goldilocksjewellery.com

We have Moved

Some of you noticed that we weren’t updating the blog during April/May. That is because we were busy moving and setting up our new studio.

Located next to Tanglin Mall (Taxi stand), we are perched on the second floor of this cute cottage looking Shopping Gallery called Tudor Court. Being smaller, we have a more intimate setting for discussing your custom jewellery ideas.

Us at Work; From left to right-  Sara Ooi, Chris Lim

Our DIY artwork; made from Marimekko fabric; Finnish design with leaves of the typically Chinese plant Ginko. Almost as mixed as Sara :)

We look forward to seeing you here soon! See More than Diamonds website for directions and more information.

The Power of Gemstones

Whether you are a believer of Feng Shui, the power of crystals, colour therapy or just happen to be a lover of pretty things, precious gemstones can be of great meaning and relevance to you. Apart from everyone having their special stone — the birthstone — each gemstone is also believed to have different characteristics and healing properties.

We recently found out that a dear friend was ill, and since we work with gemstones, we designed a pendant with healing powers.

Now, we cannot guarantee that the Pink Tourmaline that we made for her has stronger powers than other gemstones, but we are firm believers of sending love and happy vibes – and happiness is known to have amazing healing power.

Signet Rings – Make Your Mark

Signet rings are most commonly seen in Europe, originally used by royalty and aristocrats. A signet ring will have a family crest or initials engraved on the top. The engraving is meant to leave a mark on hot wax like a stamp and was traditionally used as a seal to sign and seal documents, instead of a signature.Chris wearing his father’s ring with engraved initials.

Nowadays, used more for commemorative purposes, signet rings are still passed down through generations. Some schools and clubs have their own seal for members to wear. Often used on the pinky, signet rings are mainly worn by men, although they can also be seen on fashion-forward women.

So, how would you leave your mark?