Frequently Asked Questions

  • In addition to custom engagement rings, custom wedding bands, and other custom jewelry, we also offer personal fine jewelry styling, personal fine jewelry shopping & sourcing, and soon “ready to ship” jewelry options.

  • If you can dream it, we can make it! We provide custom wedding rings for men and women, custom engagement rings, custom earrings, pendants, necklaces, cufflinks, bracelets, broaches, money clips, and basically anything else that can be cast in precious metal.

  • Most of our jewelry is made-to-order meaning once your order is placed, we will begin production on the piece so it's brand new. Our typical lead time is 4-6 weeks.

    Our engagement and custom designs typically take about 2-3 months, depending on the complexity of the design. This timeline is an estimate and does not include delays on behalf of the client such as (but not limited to) changes to the design, delay in responding to emails, delay in approval of design deliverables, or delay in payment.

    For our “ready to ship” jewelry options, these will ship within 3 days via FedEx.

  • All pieces are shipped via FedEx and fully-insured. All deliveries require a signature, so keep in mind when entering your shipping information and be on the lookout!

    You can track your order through the FedEx link that you have received by e-mail. If you have a problem, reach out to us at hello@augustemeralds.com.

  • Gold:

    We use 14k gold because it scratches less and doesn’t bend or wear out as easily as 18K gold. Solid 14k gold comes at a much fairer price without diminishing its aesthetic.
    We only use solid gold (not vermeil or plated gold) in our jewelry to ensure it stays intact for everyday wear.

    Stones:

    We always use the highest quality of diamonds for our jewelry. D-G colors, VS clarity, excellent cut.
    Lab-grown & Natural Diamonds & Gemstones

  • An appraisal is a document that describes an item, assesses its relative quality and assigns a value to it. Descriptions usually cover the visible, measurable and analyzable facts about the item (weight, materials, markings). Appraisals are important for filing an insurance claim to protect your valuable piece. Tou can't file a claim for a lost or damaged piece without an up-to-date appraisal and insurance.

    Two other common reasons people get jewelry appraisals are to resell or for tax/estate purposes.

  • All bespoke pieces come with an appraisal via a local, trusted third-party appraiser. Should you purchase a piece and want this to be appraised, you can add this on at check out for $100.

  • No worries! Print out our ring sizer guide here. Keep in mind that your ring size will also need to depend on the thickness of the band so the most accurate way to confirm your ring size is to be sized by a jeweler.

    We provide one complimentary resizing per ring for our clients. Some of our jewelry (like eternity rings) cannot be resized after purchase, so be sure you know your size beforehand! Please note that resizing jewelry too many times could affect the integrity of the jewelry. Resizing your August Emeralds piece at a local jeweler voids the August Emeralds warranty.

  • Our jewelry is made for everyday wear but we would advise to store them in a safe place when not wearing them and to clean them gently using our Care Kit to keep their luster and shine impeccable.

    To keep your jewelry in tip-top shape, we recommend having your jewelry inspected annually, as normal wear and tear (such as worn down prongs or misshapen shanks) can affect the integrity of the design.

  • We offer free gift wrapping and the option to add a personalized handwritten note. Let us know about any specific comments or requests in the designated field in the cart.

  • First and foremost, it is important to add fine jewelry to a homeowners, renters, or individual policy; this will protect against loss, damage or theft of jewelry.

    Center stones are not under warranty, please insure your piece!

    August Emeralds guarantees the structural integrity of all jewelry. With that, for every August Emeralds piece, you get a 1 year warranty for any manufacturing defects. This does not cover damages caused by accidents, scratches arisen from normal wear, neglect or improper use.

    Should further repairs be needed after 1 year, it is the client’s responsibility to ship and insure the piece(s); August Emeralds Jewelry will return jewelry via insured shipment.

  • First and foremost, it is important to add fine jewelry to a homeowners, renters, or individual policy; this will protect against loss, damage or theft of jewelry.

    Center stones are not under warranty, please insure your piece!

    We will replace melee diamonds within the first 6 months (2mm and smaller) free of charge. Should there be damage to the piece (missing prong, etc), August Emeralds will replace the diamonds/stones at cost to the client.

    Other stones (emeralds, opals, sunstones, other colored gemstones, etc) can be replaced at cost + shipping to the client. Please be mindful that sunstones and opals have a similar hardness to a wine glass and can easily crack or chip if they are not cared for properly. Emeralds are considered a brittle stone and can chip as well.

Bespoke F.A.Q.

  • Our turnaround for custom projects is based on a number of factors - including one (1) round of CAD revisions, complex custom pieces, and client stone approvals - but it can take between 3-4 weeks to 2-3 months from initial deposit payment—all depending on final scope. This timeline is an estimate and does not include delays on behalf of the client such as (but not limited to) changes to the design, delay in responding to emails, delay in approval of design deliverables, or delay in payment.

  • CAD stands for computer-aided design. We print a wax model using the CAD file that is then used to cast your new jewelry. Our August Emeralds consultant will present the CAD for you to approve or make changes to, and this allows you to see our interpretation of your vision before moving into production.

  • Don’t worry! August Emeralds’s personal design consultants are trained to help you with this! These talented jewelry experts will work with you as your personal shopper and share designs that fit your lifestyle and your personal style.

  • August Emeralds will provide a complementary quote for your jewelry before any CAD design work is started. We do require a deposit before CAD is created, as our August Emeralds consultants and designers spend hours on each design.

  • The custom design process includes the following services so that you feel confident in your custom piece:

    One (1) initial consultation (approximately 30-minute virtual meeting)

    One (1) budget and production estimate provided via email inclusive of a rough sketch or various design concepts

    Upon approval and receipt of deposit (see below), August Emeralds will provide one design mock-up (CAD/CAM images)

    One (1) 30-minute virtual consultation to approve or modify the design before production begins

    Confirmation of the final design will be emailed to you with images and will request your written confirmation via reply email. Any changes beyond your acceptance will be at your expense.

    Changes cannot be submitted beyond this point without incurring any additional costs via a change order. Any requested modifications outside of the approval process will be at the Client's expense.

  • We want you to be as happy as possible! The custom design process includes the following services so that you feel confident in your custom piece:

    -One (1) initial consultation (approximately 30-minute virtual meeting)
    -One (1) budget and production estimate provided via email inclusive of a rough sketch or various design concepts
    -Upon approval and receipt of deposit (see below), August Emeralds will provide one design mock-up (CAD/CAM images)
    -One (1) 30-minute virtual consultation to approve or modify the design before production begins
    -Confirmation of the final design will be emailed to you with images and will request your written confirmation via reply email. Any changes beyond your acceptance will be at your expense.
    -Changes cannot be submitted beyond this point without incurring any additional costs via a change order.


    Any requested modifications outside of the approval process will be at the Client's expense. Additional changes in the process begin at $100+ per change depending on complexity. Examples of these changes include, but are not limited to:

    -baskets—open to closed basket and vice versa
    -multi stone adjustments where changes to one stone position/size require changes to all adjacent stones
    -styles of settings, switching from bezel to prongs, prongs to half bezel, etc
    -changes to mounting style (ie flush basket to cathedral)

    If a design is changed completely from its original state, a $500 redesign fee will be applied to begin the 3D renderings again.

    Once a design is in production, we cannot modify it. Should you request a redesign while we are in production, the price to redesign would be dependent upon how far in the production stage we were and whether or not we have cast metal, set stones, etc.

  • Yes, we can use your gold when creating your new piece. We combine old gold with new gold to ensure strength and limit porosity.

  • Yes! We work with fully vetted and trusted partners for your diamonds and precious gemstones.

  • Yes–This is our specialty! This is called jewelry repurposing and sometimes referred to as repurposed diamonds, upcycled diamonds, recycled diamonds, reusing diamonds, and using reclaimed diamonds.

    We believe that heirloom jewelry pieces should not be sitting in your jewelry box but it should be cherished and further passed along for generations to come. We will work closely with you to reimagine these precious heirlooms by using the diamonds and gemstones from necklaces, rings, pendants, etc. and reimagine them to a new piece that you will want to wear every day.

  • At this time, we only work with heirloom stones and stones that we source ourselves.

  • Yes! We have fully vetted and trusted partners who offer lab-grown options.

  • We are happy to take a look at your stones and see if we can trade them in for you for a credit towards your purchase. Alternatively, our August Emeralds stylists can make suggestions to create a new piece of jewelry with your remaining stones. Small pieces make great gifts for yourself or another loved one!

  • All pieces are shipped via FedEx and fully-insured. All deliveries require a signature, so keep in mind when entering your shipping information and be on the lookout!!

    You can track your order through the FedEx link that you have received by e-mail. If you have a problem, reach out to us at hello@augustemeralds.com and we will make sure to help you out.

  • All bespoke pieces over $5,000 come with an appraisal via a local, trusted third-party appraiser. Should you purchase a piece and want this to be appraised, you can add this on at check out for $100.

  • It is not possible to determine the exact cost of a custom piece without knowing all of the details of the design. There are many factors involved in pricing out a custom project from stone type/weight, metal weight, setting techniques, design consultation etc. Once a design has been finalized during a consultation, we provide you a quote and illustration within a week of your consultation. It is important that your budget or price range is provided prior to committing to the consultation. The options and prices can vary for gemstones and diamonds, so a client provided budget will help us to provide you the best stone options for your design.

  • We typically have two approaches to designing. We can design around what the client loves or around a budget. If you have a particular budget above our base starting point for custom fine jewelry of $4,000 and custom engagement rings of $8,000, let us know your budget range and we will see how we can help design a piece that best suits the custom project at hand.

  • We require a 50% deposit for all custom pieces, to be paid before commissioned custom pieces move into CAD design. The remaining 50% must be completed prior to moving into production of the piece. All custom jewelry projects are non-refundable.

  • First and foremost, it is important to add fine jewelry to a homeowners, renters, or individual policy; this will protect against loss, damage or theft of jewelry.

    Center stones are not under warranty, please insure your piece!

    August Emeralds guarantees the structural integrity of all jewelry. With that, for every August Emeralds piece, you get a 1 year warranty for any manufacturing defects. This does not cover damages caused by accidents, scratches arisen from normal wear, neglect or improper use.

    Should further repairs be needed after 1 year, it is the client’s responsibility to ship and insure the piece(s); August Emeralds Jewelry will return jewelry via insured shipment.

  • First and foremost, it is important to add fine jewelry to a homeowners, renters, or individual policy; this will protect against loss, damage or theft of jewelry.

    Center stones are not under warranty, please insure your piece!

    We will replace melee diamonds within the first 6 months (2mm and smaller) free of charge. Should there be damage to the piece (missing prong, etc), August Emeralds will replace the diamonds/stones at cost to the client.

    Other stones (emeralds, opals, sunstones, other colored gemstones, etc) can be replaced at cost + shipping to the client. Please be mindful that sunstones and opals have a similar hardness to a wine glass and can easily crack or chip if they are not cared for properly. Emeralds are considered a brittle stone and can chip as well.