Custom Designs
Custom engagement rings let you design a style as unique as your love, and many are priced more reasonably than you think By Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel; from Winter 2006
Karen Karch
"First I get a sense of the couple's style and what they like about mine," explains Karen Karch, an N.Y.C. designer who created Mariska Hargitay's ring, a weathered platinum band studded with diamonds. Next comes a wax model, then a silver cast, which mimics the final ring without the stones. "We drop the stones into it so the client can see what the ring will look like," says Karch, who then adjusts the design. Time: eight to 16 weeks. Starting price: $1,200.
Left: 1.93-carat round blue sapphire with .57 carats of round and pavé diamonds in platinum, Karen Karch for Push, $8,265; 212-965-9699.
"First I get a sense of the couple's style and what they like about mine," explains Karen Karch, an N.Y.C. designer who created Mariska Hargitay's ring, a weathered platinum band studded with diamonds. Next comes a wax model, then a silver cast, which mimics the final ring without the stones. "We drop the stones into it so the client can see what the ring will look like," says Karch, who then adjusts the design. Time: eight to 16 weeks. Starting price: $1,200.
Left: 1.93-carat round blue sapphire with .57 carats of round and pavé diamonds in platinum, Karen Karch for Push, $8,265; 212-965-9699.
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