CUSTOM DESIGN PROCESS

1

Contact us with your ideas, wants, and the budget you have in mind.

Our designers will reply to you and together we will make your vision come to life. We work with clients around the world, virtually, or in-person in our NYC showroom. Some of our clients like to make a trip out of visiting us here in midtown Manhattan, but it's by no means necessary. We've worked with thousands of couples through virtual meetings and email only. Working off this collaborative session with you, our designers will be able to provide you with a proposal that includes pricing, specifications and a timeline.

2

Once the proposal is agreed upon and the order has been placed, we will create a working model of your design.

You will be sent the images via email or you "can visit our NYC studio" for a sit down discussion and viewing of the images. This is your opportunity to examine the images and tweak it if need be.

3

After approval of the working model, our team will create and finish your ring.

Even at this step of the process there is still an opportunity for finishing adjustments to be made to your design. Feel confident in the fact that Ken & Dana Design will create the exact ring you envision as pure perfection for your loved one.

Custom engagement ring gallery

Whether it's a proposal, exchanging vows, giving a gift, or commemorating something special, our one-of-a-kind design experience helps you make a personal statement that mass-produced rings can't.

Ring Quality

Ken & Dana Design uses precious metals from renewed sources derived from numerous post-consumer sources, including recycled jewelry, industrial products, and electronics components. Our precious metals are of identical quality to newly mined metals. By using recycled metals, our aim is to reduce the need for additional dirty mining of precious metals, such as open pit mining. For more information about recycled metal, please visit our partner Hoover & Strong.

All designs are available in 14k & 18k white, yellow, and rose gold, as well as platinum. Certain designs such as plain wedding bands (where stone setting is not required) are available in sterling silver

Diamond Quality

We hand-select and inspect every diamond before purchasing and setting them for our clients.

For center stones, we recommend diamonds that exhibit the best combination of value and aesthetics. Brilliance is the most important factor, because every diamond should sparkle and dance in the light. Your diamond should look colorless and perfect to the naked eye (Color & Clarity). To satisfy these requirements, our recommended grade ranges from E to H color, VS1 to SI1 clarity depending on the type of diamond and shape that you choose. Our recommended grade is listed on each product page.

For accent diamonds, we only buy the best quality available on the market. We require the best cutting from our suppliers, and only accept VS clarity diamonds (with the exception of designs that call for salt and pepper diamonds, or otherwise by special request). All stones are handpicked to match the color of your center diamond. For more information, visit our Diamond FAQ for further reading on how to choose a diamond.

Finally, we also offer custom sourcing for our clients who prefer a different quality diamond than our recommendation. Email us at sales@kenanddanadesign.com for more info.

Expertise

The production team at Ken & Dana Design is composed of highly skilled experts who are all veterans of their trade. Ken, our owner and founder, has been working in gem sourcing and jewelry production for over 20 years, continuing his father’s work which started over 40 years ago. Gerry, our master jeweler, has been a model maker and jeweler for over 40 years and our gem and diamond setters likewise all have 30+ years of experience individually.

Our entire production team and workshop are located in-house in our beautiful New York City showroom which means our designers, jewelers, and sales team all work alongside each other to bring our beautiful creations to life.

At Ken & Dana Design, our goal is to become your trusted partner, lending you our knowledge and expertise every step of the way. You'll feel confident that you’ve chosen the best to handle the very special token of love for you and your partner.

We guarantee that a diamond is conflict free. We make charitable contributions to organizations that help us in keeping up with best practices when it comes to gemstone and metal mining. In addition to our ethical beliefs, we have beautiful, elegant, and unique designs that resemble your love for your partner.

Ken & Dana Design is small enough to care, yet big enough to expertly bring your dream pieces to life. We believe that client service and attention to detail for every order is central to everything that we do. At KDD you will always get a guided and personalized shopping experience with assistance from our knowledgeable sales team. Please visit our testimonials page to read what our clients have to share about Ken & Dana Design.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the custom design process work?

Custom designs start with an email, phone call, or in-person or virtual meeting.  Here are some basic information that we would need:

1. Design - Describe to us what you want, or better yet, show us visuals of what you like (or do not like).

2. Timing - Are you working with a deadline?   Certain designs can take a long time to execute, so if your special day is coming up, we need to know if your request is feasible.

3. Budget - this information helps everyone stay on track, make better design decisions, quickly eliminate ideas that are unrealistic, and ultimately allow us to deliver the best product given your goals and objectives.

4. Basic info - metal color, center stone material and shape, finger size (for rings), length (for necklaces and bracelets).

Once we have the above information, we will then provide you with an estimated cost.

When will I receive my custom design?

After your order is placed, you can expect an initial design within 1 to 4 weeks of placing your order (timing varies depending on the complexity of the project and raw material availability).  Most clients sign off on this first draft right away, or you can ask for minor tweaks and adjustments.  Once a final design is approved, fabrication time for custom designs is typically 5-8 weeks, and up to 6 months depending on the request.

How much does a custom design cost?

Every custom design is unique and is therefore priced according to the details and specifications of the design. Once an agreed-upon vision and specification is determined, we will be able to provide you with an estimate.  In general, the custom design process might add approximately $500 to $1,000 to similar designs listed on our website. Like any piece of ours, we ask for at least half down to begin production which for custom designs begins with creating a digital rendering of your design. All custom work is non-returnable and final sale.

Do you offer a warranty?

Yes. Ken & Dana Design jewelry is meticulously handcrafted in New York City with the highest standards of quality and excellence, and we are proud of our work. We offer a limited lifetime manufacturing warranty on the craftsmanship of our jewelry.

Should your jewelry require attention related to damage, please contact us at sales@kenanddanadesign.com for instructions on shipping your jewelry to us.  We can provide a two-way fully insured shipping label to you at a cost of $70. Upon receiving your shipment, your jewelry will be evaluated by one of our team members to determine what servicing needs to be done and if the damage is covered by our limited lifetime manufacturing warranty. If your repair is not covered by our warranty, we will notify you with an estimated cost for you to approve before any repair work is performed.

If a manufacturing issue is found that is covered under our warranty, Ken & Dana will repair the damage without charge. Additionally we will cover the service and shipping cost on most minor repairs that happen within twelve months from the time you receive your product (assuming no obvious major trauma is found). Examples include diamond accent replacement, tightening of loose stones, and ring warping. Beyond the first year, minor repairs are usually required because of wear and tear, and we will charge you a service fee at our cost + shipping (if applicable).

Any repair or service by someone other than Ken & Dana Design will void this warranty. This warranty excludes coverage for wear and tear, physical abuse, theft, loss of center gemstone, and damage caused by failure to obtain the proper repairs to preserve the integrity of the jewelry. Examples of issues not covered by our lifetime warranty include: precious metals worn over a long period (in particular, in delicate areas such as prongs) will wear thin over time and requires restoration as part of normal wear and tear; the loss of gemstone(s) caused by damage or wear and tear - such as prongs catching, wearing out, or being struck by force; change in metal color due to exposure to chemicals, make-up, or baths and swimming pools; and, ring warping due to improper fit.

We always recommend the purchase of independent insurance for your Ken & Dana Design jewelry. This will help recover damaged, lost or stolen jewelry, and any repairs that fall outside of our warranty.

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