Introducing a client of HP Diamonds.
Maxim Gelmann, 36 from London is a start-up founder. Maxim opted for a bespoke engagement ring when he was planning to propose to his girlfriend, now wife, Alice, commissioning Henry to create the piece.
“I’d never bought bespoke jewellery before, but this was a one-off special occasion. I wanted the engagement ring to be personal. I was working in the commercial world at the time, in strategic consulting, so I was aware that if I purchased from one of the luxury jewellery retailers that I would be paying for the brand and the marketing and not getting the best value for money with the diamond,” explains Maxim.
“There is a huge amount of trust involved when you buy an engagement ring. It’s a lot of money and when someone presents a range of diamonds to you as a non-expert, they’ll all look the same. You need to have that expert by your side to show you the parameters,” he adds.
“I had an idea of budget and setting and Henry guided me through decisions like colour, cut and clarity. Henry was able to go into depth about the diamond grades, explaining that flawless diamonds are extremely rare and that most will have inclusions. With Henry’s guidance I was able to choose the stone myself.
“The bespoke engagement ring Henry created was a round diamond, a ring that I felt was a safe, quality choice that Alice would love. During the design process, we talked about wedding bands too and how the engagement ring could sit with the band. Alice didn’t wear many rings at that time, so it was tricky to get the right size. I managed to borrow one of her rings though and Henry sized from there,” explains Maxim.
“I planned to propose in Cuba, so it was a race against time to get the ring ready. The whole process took around 2-3 months. I carried that ring around for two weeks as we travelled across Cuba. Thankfully, Alice said yes, and loved the ring. When we returned to the UK, Henry resized the ring to Alice’s exact size and created our wedding bands, bespoke platinum rings, so the engagement ring and wedding band sat perfectly next to each other.
“Henry made what could be a really complicated process easy. If I hadn’t had that expert guidance, I’d have just bought off the shelf,” says Maxim.
The first step to buying bespoke is to get an idea of what you like suggests Henry. Spend time looking in magazines or browsing online to get an idea of shapes, settings and colours.
If you too are interested in having an engagement ring and wedding band made, you can get in-touch with me directly at [email protected].
I look forward to hearing from you.
