The Touch Of Love: One-n-Only Fingerprint Rings

1st Picture: Metal Clay CaptureTechnique

2nd Picture: Hand Engraved Technique

3rd Picture: Digital Machine Engrave Technique

"Why would you ever put a fingerprint on your wedding rings?!" my cousin brother asked with doubtful eyes twinkling..... How should I make him understand about this very important issue - a unique wood grain resemble human texture means? (especially to fellow ladies?) 

In terms of sentimental value - a unique and meaningful piece of jewellery is always a huge preference. A genetic generated barcode from our loves one that is possible own by ME exclusively....  unexplainable sensuality feel... not to mention the beauty of each unique fingerprint pattern and the touch of  texture on your wedding ring.

We have been researching this particular technique for months. The crucial part is to capture each individual fingerprint as natural as possible. Meaning the actual dimension and the actual texture must is our 1 st consideration. Then the second important point is the ring quality in term of finishing (i.e. fingerprint texture will be enhance more by mirror finishing - and to get a mirror effect the metal itself has to be strong enough) and the ring surface structure must be smooth  after the fingerprint engraving. (we do not want dented surface that produce from metal clay technique)

There are a few ways to produce it e.g. place your fingerprint mark by physically stamp on a metal clay, hand engrave or machine digital engrave. Below are comparison based on the outcome of fingerprint capture and the metal finishing quality.

1st Picture: 

Metal Clay Technique is quite simple to produce which capture exact fingerprint. Due to the limitation of material hardness, this technique can't produce good mirror finishing. I will say not even moderate quality polish/mirror finishing. This is why you will never have the "expensive" jewellery look but a street jewellery effect.

2nd Picture: 

Hand Engraved Technique create the fingerprint texture on ring by using specific craving tools.  This is a time consuming and highly skill needed job but the outcome is quite organic that does show only 50 to 70% similarity of the actual fingerprint. Due to the carving is done by bare hand which the crafter must good eyesight and stable hand skill. The skills to control the craving depth of each tiny lines of fingerprint is so details that years of experience is necessary to created something near perfect.

3rd Picture:

So we settle down with this perfect technique - Digital Machining Technique. The different size of bandwidth custom made ring is handmade that produce a solid base for fine fingerprint engraving. (if produce by casting there will be porosity issue) Harder metal meaning better mirror polishing. Better finishing meaning sharp contrast between detailed fingerprint texture with the metal surface. That will make the ring looks elegant and dramatic. And results of computerized craving, you will get exact your fingerprints that seems gently touching on your rings - how unique is that!

Fingerprint or thumbprint jewellery design is quite common in the US and European markets. And their price is relatively high after material cost deduction.  The minimum price starts from RM 1690/pair (USD 520) onwards just for a sterling silver or 925 silver ring. 

As from us, we want to offer more and better to our customer. With the price of RM 1200/pair comes with anti-tarnishing material i.e. Palladium Silver. (Learn more about this metal here) You will also have the choice of different color materials like 18K Rose, Yellow and White Gold.

Owned this One-and-Only Fingerprint HERE

Some other design of fingerprint rings from our Facebook Page: Custom Made Jewellery

Welcome to Jewelries Land - Project of Mr & Mrs Smiths

Can't stop relating to this movie :D

Proposal Ring: hand saw petal patterns to maximize the blink of rock

Solid Bowl Cuff-links: Mrs Smith secret gift -  during "Guo Tai Lai" (过大礼 -  Presenting of betrothal gifts)

For the whole 3 months, these cutie couple came to visit in different timing. After Mr Smith accomplish his successful top secret proposal mission.
There came Mrs Smith like an secret agent with her sketch and brain with full ideas of jewelries projects for her wedding day - earrings, necklace, cuff links, bangle (for HIM) and bracelets (for HER). The most important thing is not to let Mr Smith know. Her secret mission was nearly expose - right, thanks to GPS! Anyway she manage to convince Mr Smith with all sorts of excuses. Got these thought - wont be surprise if SHE change her job to become a secret agent. This is not about talent anymore, but the firing PASSION to complete this task :)
This is something I like about her character - instead of just keep taking, she wants to return something unique to her future husband. The designs concept that branch from HIS proposal ring that matched their wedding theme - Solid Rice Bowl -  a life long commitment that based on God's love.

HER Necklace design branch from HIS Soild Bowl Proposal Ring Design - So memorable one! 

Solid Bowl Earrings Design
Material: Sterling Silver With White Gold Plating
Stone:  3 - 4 mm White Cubic Zirconia

We were quite unsure of the necklace if the stones will stay balance until the final piece is worn by HER during the BIG day... the rocks ROCK!
Solid Bowl Earrings & Necklace Design
Material: Sterling Silver With White Gold Plating
Stone:  3 - 4 mm White Cubic Zirconia

Both Solid Bowl Design Concept:
Hammered Texture Bangle for HIS & Three Chain Bracelet for HER

Perfect Matching Bangle and Bracelet

Their combined project - Wedding Bands
Love Is Always Positive - says the designer cum bride
Material: 18K White Gold
Inlay: Black Enamel and Black Diamond

Let age be no excuse....

What will you do to gain knowledge? Will you drive 182 miles or 292 kilometres from Penang to KL? 

At the age of 60+++, what will you do as leisure? Will you learn hand skills from scratch? 

Josef Bronner will...

A German senior engineer cum GM who sign up "Basic Jewelry Design and Smithing Course" with MC Square Studio. 

Travel back and forth, spending 20 over days with us to create his series of master piece. 

You must have these ingredient to make the course a success namely passion, time, money and diligence.

Josef Bronner has these all (^.^)

After the course, he will be leaving Malaysia - a place he has spend almost his entire life and back to Germany 

Me, Chin, Lizzie, Dawn and Wei will surely missed him much - a humble senior citizen.

This quote from Henry Ford most well describes him:
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

Spot the teacher and the student :)

Amazing piece crafts from wax....

Pink Silver -  I call this "Happy Metal"

Josef Bronner has good polishing and crafting skills

Meeting An Old Friend - A Gift With Heart

her basic concept design

the final approved art work

smooth couture of Chinese calligraphy - "heart"

sapphire blue cz with bezel setting

the sand blast like texture shine elegantly under the sun

 A two years back project worked with a very soft spoken pretty lady. She has this beautiful idea in mind, wanted to make the very unique wedding gift for her sister. I presented 4 for similar designs and ended with the most simple one - her very origin idea. We took about half-a-year to complete this assignment. The most challenging but interesting part was the ring finishing. CAD has it limit and the art work did not present whole of her idea of the finishing. So Chin, the pretty lady and me crowded in front of the jewelry bench to discuss about the finishing. We carefully stamp each holes, big and small, near and far, deep and shallow. The results did not show until a few trial attempts. The moment we manage to capture her image in mind, we rush out for the sun set. Cause wanted to see hows the ring shine under the natural light. And the shines like thousands of tiny little diamonds scattered around the "heart". The results was marvellous.
After two years, she brought back for retouching. I just can't stop admiring this master piece, the beautiful curvature of the "心", the diamond bling-bling effect and the antic-rustic finishing. Just like meeting an old friend (^,^)

When "g" meets "b"......

the very 1st concept of her design

chosen fonts

CZ is firmly hold by initial "g" and "b"

never though of triangle shape highlight gives such unique result

the initials is position in such a way that the flowery shape shown

She emailed me the sketch and the fonts and was very sure of the type of stone setting she requested for tension set. However the ring structure is too delicate to set a 4mm size CZ, then we amend a bit to have a loop to support the bottom of the stone and apparently it still visible as tension set from the top. Her basic idea is to make the letter 'g' and 'b' to design this way so from far the ring looks like a flower with sparkling stamen.

Starry Night

Little pillar supporting the diamond from the back

Material: Palladium Silver
Diamond: 3.75mm(0.16 ct)
Cert: AIGS

beautiful curves that hold the diamond

Painting: 

Vincent van Gogh. (Dutch, 1853-1890). 

The Starry Night Saint Rémy, June 1889 

This assignment was customer refers customer.

No doubt a challenging task due to:
. need to source a right size diamond which have to be within a budget plus must have a cert. (AIGS cert)
. communication was done via email cause customer (the artist) was overseas for a month
. left two weeks to complete the project (from the date of design and diamond confirmation)

When looking at the design, I keep thinking of Vincent Van Gogh's famous masterpiece : Starry Night. The big bright stars were capture in the magnificent swirling breeze. This remind me the great song from John Denver describing Van Gogh's story. (Only able to get song sang by Don McLean)

Celtic Knots Wedding Bands

CAD art works

lovely matching wedding bands

the rings even match the embroidery of her tops

the weaving knots

Material: Palladium Silver

My favorite Celtic wedding ring is the Celtic Knot. The rugged twists and turns of the Celtic knot symbolize the unending love that binds two people together in marriage, and are thought to symbolize the interconnectedness through life. 

In fact this is one of my favorite project. Ample of time to plan and execute, the rings were deliver half a year later. Thanks to this couple - both artists, have full trust in us. Never call until the last month and the timing was just right. 

I took about two weeks to plan (on and off) for CAD drafting. When seeing the knots go, feel just like playing a game. Knowing the restriction of the CNC machine, plus making sure the Celtic knot proportion is right, then have to calculate the total repeat pattern to be fit into their rings sizes. 

At first glance, I though the man ring is more difficult to do but most of the time, I was struggle with the lady's simple knot design. The man's ring was blacken underneath, which highlighted the complicated knots texture. 

Her wedding band is perfectly match to the engagement ring. (as you can see from the pictures) The rings picture was taken with her black fine embroiderer blouse and everything just came out right. Their stylemaah....

House of Chimney Wedding Ring?

i receive this rough design sketch via email

Ring surface: Mirror Finishing

Front and back surface finishing: Matte

Sculpture ring design

Material: Palladium Silver

I never talk to the owner of the ring but his best friend. They are from UK. The only information I got for this custom made ring design is the rough sketch. Not even the ring size. He wanted it to be silver so I recommend him a better quality palladium silver.
We meet the best friend at Ikea in one morning. With nice coffee, hot dog, curry puff and ice cream, we chat for two hours more. We took 20% of the time to discuss about the ring design and the rest was about life. This is always the best part of my work. Meeting and sharing though with  people from differences backgrounds and experiences. Chin and me take turn chatting with him and taking care of our two princesses. (Sign!)
I never have a chance to know the origin of design ideas. Anyway, its structure create a house of chimney picture in my mind.

KISS Wedding Bands

the 1st design:
band type: half-round (male ring) and flat (female ring)
finishing: coarse filed texture (male ring) and matte finishing (female ring) 

material: palladium silver
the amended designs that matches as wedding bands

personal symbols, only the owner will understand :)

I name this K.I.S.S. wedding bands design. Very simple but elegant. At 1st they have different preference on ring design but the outcome did not match as a wedding bands. So Chin make another exactly male ring to pair to the bride's. The design match perfectly to her solitaire engagement white gold ring. They are tattoos artists. Wise choice for them to decide on this ring design. Cause the ring will not take the attention of tattoos on their body but complement them.

Heart Knotted Proposal Ring - where two souls united to one

this inspire him

another inspired design

    

the tiny love plate will hide behind of the finger

the beautiful love knot from front view

        
My very first experience of participate on the proposal process. I mean, in term of emotional. Lets talk about this charming young pastor who was excited to find us. He got this very unique ring design to be materialized. A heart shape knot on top and the a tiny heart plate to be touch at the opposite site. He wanted it urgently so he can immediately propose after that. Ring delivered on time but the plan was postponed. A week later, I received a text from him, mentioning his executing date of "THE BIG MISSION".   That special date was the last day of CNY i.e. Chinese Valentine Day or Chap Goh Mei. On that particular day, although I was not there to witness but still can imagine the trill moment. Worry cause not knowing the results until the series pictures of proposal were post in FB. He was on his knee while she close her eyes for 3 minutes (somebody say she was praying) before the answer : "YES, I DO".  

Two Tone Fire Concept Collar Pin

the concept

Material: Palladium Silver (plated with yellow gold)

This photo was taken from the factory by Chin. With the help of "dummy" camera and it looked fabulous. This corporate gift was done as hair pin and collar pin. Total order of less then 50 pieces and as usual need immediate attention. The 7 cubic zirconia were some flash set and some pave set. When metal presents in two tone with smooth couture, that miniature sculpture will definitely capture lots of attention.