
Custom Just for You
There was a time when no two engagement rings were alike. A time when all fine jewelry was made by hand, by master jewelers. A time when each jewel was designed to express the symbolism and style important to its wearer. At Whitehurst, that time is still now.
The Custom Design Experience
Each piece of jewelry we make is thoughtfully designed and carefully crafted by jewelry design experts and master jewelers. It all begins with a video consult. Just join with a link — as you would any Zoom call — and the magic starts immediately!

Step 1
Video Consult
As you share what you're looking for with your Whitehurst design consultant, you'll see your ideas come to life as they sketch. And because we use dual cameras, you'll be able to watch the sketching while maintaining a face-to-face conversation.

Step 2
Approved Sketches
Your designer may finish your sketches while you're on the call, or may send them to you after. Either way, you'll be able to look at your designs before they get moved into 3D/Digital CAD designs.

Step 3
CAD Design
Once you've approved your design, we'll create a 3D digital file, called a CAD (computer aided design). We'll send you several different views of your ring so you can review and approve it.

Step 4
Grow a Wax
When your CAD is complete, we will use it to grow a 3D wax model of your design. This model is what we will use to cast your ring in gold or platinum.

Step 5
Casting or Machining
Depending on the style of your design, it may be cast or machined. Engagement rings are typically more ornate, and require casting. Many bands are machined in a CNC machine.

Step 6
The Jeweler's Bench
Whether your ring was cast or machined, the next stop is the jeweler's bench!
Any rough edges will be carefully filed from the raw casting. Then the delicate work of assembly, polishing the metal, and setting your stones begins.

Step 7
Diamond & Gemstone Setting
If your design includes gemstones or diamonds, a specialist will carefully inspect each stone, ensuring that all the stones are the right sizes and colors for your piece of jewelry.
Your stones will be set by a master jeweler skilled in stone-setting. There are many different stone-setting styles, and over time, the most skilled jewlers master all of them.

Step 8
Final Polish or Texture
Once your stones are set, the jewelry piece goes back to the bench for final polish. This is a delicate process that brings your ring to a bright shine or perfect patina.

Step 9
And Finally ... It's Yours!
Once it's done, we'll pack it up carefully in a beautiful Whitehurst box, with instructions for care and maintenance.
And now it's your turn! Make sure you send us a picture of your piece of this journey, just as we've shared our pictures with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
We start with a polymer or wax model. The model is encased in a plaster-of-paris-like slurry called investment. Once the slurry hardens around the wax model, it's heated in an oven until the wax melts out. What remains is a cavity in the investment that is the perfect replica of your ring.
Next, we pour molten gold or platinum into the investment, and fill the empty cavity with precious metal.
HPHT (High Pressure High Temperature) is the older of the two processes, around since the 1950s. In HPHT, a small amount of graphite is subjected to extreme temperatures and pressures, which replicates the extreme heat and pressure conditions deep inside the earth that cause diamonds to form.
The second and more recent method is termed CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition). This is a vacuum deposition method that is often used in the semiconductor industry to produce thin films. The diamond CVD technique was first investigated over 30 years ago, but it is only within the last decade that the technology had improved to the point where very high quality diamond can be formed.
In CVD, a thin slice of diamond – called a seed – is placed in a sealed chamber and heated to a very high temperature. After the chamber is heated, a carbon-rich gas mixture is introduced into the chamber, and those gases are ionized into plasma. The chemistry created in the plasma along with the high sample temperature results in growth of high-quality diamond.
One of the primary benefits of a lab-grown diamond is that you can get more – and more beautiful! – diamond for the money. Of course, another benefit of a lab-grown diamond is that it can give the wearer boasting rights. Lab-grown diamonds are a fantastic example of advancing technology and scientific ingenuity. If you’re into innovation, a lab-grown diamond is certainly symbolic of that. Lab-grown diamonds also do not require blasting holes in the ground, do not chemically pollute water sources for nearby communities, and are not associated with the kind of conflict and human rights abuses often associated with mined diamonds So, if you’re looking for a lot more diamond for the money, love the idea of wearing a jewel that is the result of human ingenuity, and would like to avoid the moral quandaries that can affect mined diamonds, lab-grown diamonds will be a good solution for your diamond-jewelry ambitions.
Within 60 days of your initial purchase, you and your fiancé may return the solitaire mounting and choose from our Whitehurst custom designs or create a “one of kind” personalized ring.
A $75 refurbish fee will be deducted from the purchase price of the Whitehurst solitaire ring and the remaining credit will be applied towards the purchase of the new Whitehurst ring. Please feel free to call us at 727-934-2171 to learn more about this option.