I recently picked up my custom designed ring from Bonebakker, and I was so happy on how much more beautiful it was than I could have ever expected or imagined - so I needed to rush to write this review. I highly recommend Bonebakker for anyone who is looking for fine jewelry and custom made designs. Don’t be intimidated by the store, they have a lot of jewelry with different price points and even if you are not ready to buy the store is just good for some jewelry eye candy.
Prior to visiting Bonebakker I went to about 10 different fine jewelry shops to look for an engagement ring. Walking in I already could tell there was something different . They have very personal/professional service and Aron was very knowledgable about fine jewelry, without pushing to sell. They are kind of like jewelry nerds, and just love jewelry and want to share this love with others. I learned so much from Aron since he knew so much about the stones, aesthetics, designs and metals- which helped me express what I wanted. He patiently helped me figure out what I would like by letting me try different rings, and let him know what I liked/didn’t like about the styles (I learned I love millegrain, I had no idea what it was until then). We then looked at a few loose stones, so I can understand what the different sizes and shapes mean (I didn’t know a lot about diamonds until then).
When making a custom ring, they first try to understand what your style is, what how I wanted to wear the ring (I wanted a ring that I could wear everyday so easy to maintain and low profile), and what are my must haves for the ring. I call this first phase, educational and exploratory.
The next phase is the design of the ring. After that visit, we did the rest over email (I do not live in Amsterdam). Aron and Jannie asked me more questions, showed me sketches to help me decide which style I would like better. The last step before making the ring is to review the 3D designs of the ring, which gives you an idea of different angles of the ring. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous making such a big investment with drawings/3D images, since this is the first time I had a custom ring.
The last phase is the “ohh and ahh”, or when you pick up the ring. When I first saw my ring, I was so happy since it was exactly what I wanted, if not even better than what I could imagine. I could tell that the stones and metal work was such high quality, especially when next to my other rings. They didn’t set the final diamond, in order to measure my other ring I was going to stack below to make sure that the two rings didn’t rub and ruin the stone. These little touches, and the design of the ring felt that it was made specially for me. An engagement ring already is special, but having it custom made makes it unique, personal and I have a great story behind it.
Second part of the review. I loved the jewelry so much, I got one of the rings available in the store (not custom made). Again, high quality jewelry and absolutely gorgeous.