The Custom ProcessInspired by You, Created by Nicole MeraThrough a one-on-one private consultation, Nikki, Graduate Gemologist and Founder of Nicole Mera, will help guide you through the experience of buying or creating a one-of-a-kind engagement ring, wedding bands, or piece of custom fine jewelry. While an important jewelry purchase can seem overwhelming at times, Nikki is here for you every step of the way. Let’s take a look at what to expect: Overall TimingNikki encourages you to reach out 8-10+ weeks prior to a proposal or gifting a custom piece of fine jewelry. Keep in mind, for more intricate designs, manufacturing alone can take up to 6-8 weeks. Please leave ample amount of time for custom fabrication. Custom engagement rings, including a center diamond, start at $10,000 and can be customized with your preferred diamond shape, carat weight, ring style and precious metal. Note: Nicole Mera only sources Natural, GIA Certified diamonds. We do not supply lab-grown diamonds. If you own a lab-grown diamond, we will happily create a custom jewel for you. Stone Selection TimingVaries per request and desired goals for each client but could be as quick as 3-5 days to 1-2 weeks+Production TimingThe average custom piece requires 4-6 weeks for hand-fabrication but the more complicated custom designs could require 6-8+ weeks to manufacture. To learn more about the timeframe for your custom piece of fine jewelry, please contact us. NOTE: DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, TURNAROUND TIMES HAVE INCREASED. Due to the nature of unforeseen challenges, production times may be extended. To ensure a timely delivery for a proposal or important date, please reach out to us with ample time. In-Person ClientsStep 1Initial Consultation At an initial consultation, Nikki and you discuss budget, design goals, diamond/stone preferences, and time frame. Nikki will detail what to expect from start to finish. If you are unable to meet in person, Nikki can work with you by zoom/email/text. At this consultation, we will:Review your inspiration & photosDiscuss the possibilities of working with your personal existing stones and jewelry Review Nicole Mera existing jewelry designs to help you select different elements to incorporate into your custom designDiscuss possible design details before stone selection (Overall Design, Finger Size, Metal, Stone Shape).Step 2Diamond / Gemstone Selection Unlike a traditional brick & mortar store, Nikki utilizes her network of diamond & colored stone wholesalers to curate a selection based on your desired design goals and requirements. Nikki’s goal is to ensure you get the best diamond or gemstone at the best value.Selecting A StoneBeauty and rarity are important qualities when selecting the perfect gemstone or diamond to represent your love and commitment. Nikki understands the qualities a stone must have in order for it to stand above the rest. Nikki only works with GIA certified Diamonds and with reputable diamond & colored gemstone manufacturers to ensure that you not only receive a beautiful and high-quality stone, but one that is also responsibly sourced.Final Design ElementsOnce the stone has been selected and the details have been finalized regarding the overall design, Nikki will provide a formal Quote Sheet to be signed that will outline all of the details and include visuals. This ensures that no detail is missed before heading into production. NOTE: Due to the nature of custom hand-fabricated jewelry, there is no way to see your finished project before it is brought to life. DepositA minimum 50% deposit is required to start production on any custom order. Stones cannot be held without a deposit and may continue to be shown to other clients if you are not ready to proceed. A remaining balance is due upon delivery/shipment. Note: Some stones may require a deposit prior to sourcing/selection. That deposit will be applied towards the total price of your custom piece.Nicole Mera gladly accepts payment via credit card, bank transfer, certified check. Layaway options are available upon request but granted on a case by case basis.Unlike a traditional brick & mortar store, Nikki utilizes her network of diamond & colored stone wholesalers to curate a selection based on your desired design goals and requirements. Nikki’s goal is to ensure you get the best diamond or gemstone at the best value.Selecting A StoneBeauty and rarity are important qualities when selecting the perfect gemstone or diamond to represent your love and commitment. Nikki understands the qualities a stone must have in order for it to stand above the rest. Nikki only works with GIA certified Diamonds and with reputable diamond & colored gemstone manufacturers to ensure that you not only receive a beautiful and high-quality stone, but one that is also responsibly sourced. Final Design ElementsOnce the stone has been selected and the details have been finalized regarding the overall design, Nikki will provide a formal Quote Sheet to be signed that will outline all of the details and include visuals. This ensures that no detail is missed before heading into production. NOTE: Due to the nature of custom hand-fabricated jewelry, there is no way to see your finished project before it is brought to life. DepositA minimum 50% deposit is required to start production on any custom order. Stones cannot be held without a deposit and may continue to be shown to other clients if you are not ready to proceed. A remaining balance is due upon delivery/shipment. Note: Some stones may require a deposit prior to sourcing/selection. That deposit will be applied towards the total price of your custom piece.Nicole Mera gladly accepts payment via credit card, bank transfer, certified check. Layaway options are available upon request but granted on a case by case basis.Step 2Diamond/Gemstone Selection Step 3Manufacturing & Delivery Nikki will oversee the production from start to finish. The quality of your finished product is extremely important to Nikki. Each piece is handcrafted by the most skilled artisans, each of whom has vast experience with hand fabrication and a complete understanding of how to handle precious gemstones and diamonds. These artisans hand fabricate each piece of jewelry using cutting-edge technology, which is necessary to achieve perfection. Nikki only works with the best and follows each and every step in the process to ensure craftsmanship is at its finest. Upon completion, Nikki will set up a final consultation to deliver your custom piece of fine jewelry in a custom Nicole Mera box. This is also the time we will discuss the appraisal, insurance, care details, and any other final details. If you are a remote client, Nikki will overnight and insure your piece of jewelry for a safe and secure delivery. Start your Custom Design Today!Virtual Clients Not in Texas? That is Ok!Nikki would be thrilled to work with you remotely and will easily communicate via email/text/zoom to design a custom piece of fine jewelry. You can expect to receive extensive information, high quality videos and pictures that provide the most accurate depiction of what you will receive as the final product. Note: Remote client’s can request to see stones/jewelry in person, but payment in full is required to do so. Start your Custom Design Today!Explore our Past Client Custom Designs Custom Sapphire & Diamond Engagement RingI worked remotely with the client to design a unique engagement ring based off of Nicole Mera’s NM-1180 Design but added vintage elements such as the milgrain beads around the sapphire. Custom Oval Diamond Three Stone RingKristen & Will kicked off 2021 in the best way possible with their engagement! It was tough to keep this one a secret because come on… this Oval Three Stone Platinum ring! But in all honesty, it was because I knew this was Kristen’s dream ring and she would freak to marry her best friend! It was truly such a joy to work remotely with Will to bring this ring to life for these two. Custom Family Colored Stone RingThis sweet client’s custom 5 Stone Blue-Green Spinel & Diamond Ring is as custom as they come! From the stone selection to the design, every detail was thought out. This client loves to represent her family in each element and though you can’t see it here, the ring has 5 round diamonds set on each side to represent her sweet family. We LOVE these kinds of projects. His & Her’s Custom Wedding BandsHis and Hers! This sweet couple, based in Denver, tied the knot in their custom Platinum Wedding Bands! We designed these remotely during the height of the pandemic and they turned out even better than we could have imagined. The diamond baguette band is seriously to die for! Custom Double Halo Marquise Diamond Engagement RingThis Double Halo Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring looks as though its a classic & traditional engagement ring… but look again! This ring has a sweet little surprise that is completely custom and completely unique to this couple and their one-of-a-kind engagement ring. Check out the next photo to see the sweet surprise the bride wanted added to represent her Groom. Custom Double Halo Marquise Engagement RingA little pop of Red! Chloe, a jewelry designer herself, wanted to create a beautiful and classic engagement ring that had an element of surprise that was meaningful to her and her now husband. The sweetest part, she chose Rubies to be set on the double basket because they are the birthstone of her husband, Matt, and it was important that she carry him with her every day. Not only is Ruby the birthstone for July but it also represents love, health, wisdom and good fortune. I loved collaborating with Chloe to bring her design to life but it was also such a joy to work with Matt to select the perfect diamond which now is the centerpiece that represents their forever love and commitment to each other. Custom Sapphire & Diamond Two-Tone Engagement RingThis stunning ring was inspired by Princess Diana’s famous Sapphire & Diamond Ring, but the couple wanted to add modern touches to it so it felt like it was their very own style/design. You can see they created a two-tone look by adding a rose gold shank to warm up the ring and give it a contemporary feel to it. They also wanted a clean halo of diamonds around the sapphire with a shared prong style halo so it would highlight the beauty of the sapphire and not distract. The last detail of a personal engraving and the ring is truly one of a kind! Custom Hardwood BandThis client reached out to create something very special and one-of-a-kind for her husband for their 10 year wedding anniversary. In 2012, they bought a home in hopes of putting long term roots down to grow older together. Since then, they have done just that, all while having 3 children and a life full of love, laughter and lasting memories. Now, they are expanding that home for the future. In the backyard is a very special tree that was not able to be salvaged, mostly due to its health, so my client thought to use that wood inside of the house but also in a very unique way – as an inlay for her husband’s new wedding band. She provided us with a piece of their favorite heritage Oak Tree from the backyard and complimented it with brushed yellow gold. He now can carry the memories of their home, family, and all the love that remains. Yellow Diamond Engagement Re-makeThis client’s STUNNING Yellow Diamond Three Stone Ring really came to life after some TLC. She had lost her original side stone and the mounting was no longer showing off her yellow diamond. It was dull, warped, bulky and uncomfortable. After a consultation we talked about re-setting her diamond into a similar design, since she loved her original setting, but we wanted to add some modern elements that would be practical for her style now. We also selected new Trapezoid side stones to brighten up the whole look. After being re-set into a custom mounting by Nicole Mera her diamond just came to life! We love every single detail of this ring! Emerald & Diamond EarringsDelicate but colorful, these custom diamond earrings were a joy to design. Sourcing cute but bright emeralds and creating border pave halos to give the vintage feel that the client wanted. We just LOVE these! Custom Kite Shaped Salt & Pepper Diamond Engagement RingJ & C got engaged at the end of October but they chose to design their Engagement Ring together from start to finish 💫 She really wanted to make sure the ring was made to perfection down to the last detail. From the unique Kite Shaped Rose Cut Salt & Pepper Diamond, to the accent diamonds, to the finish of the rose gold; they created the most magical and perfect ring to represent their commitment to one another. We loved working with these two as they always had me laughing and on our toes! Custom Wedding SetThis custom wedding set is giving us all the feels! We love the two tone look from the simple gold bands paired with the pave from her Cushion Diamond Halo Engagement Ring. Everything was exactly how Anne had dreamed it to be! Custom Emerald Heart NecklaceSweet Sweet Hearts! This client wanted to gift her Mother something special & sentimental as a Thank you for helping create such a special and unique Wedding Day. From selecting the Emerald Heart to the delicate setting, this client thought of every single detail that her mother would love. She even engraved her nickname on the back to her mom could carry her with her, everyday. She gifted this necklace to her mother on her wedding day. Love! Custom EngravingThe perfect way to customize and personalize any piece of fine jewelry is with a personal engraving. At Nicole Mera we love the personal touches just as much as we love anything else we do! Custom Montana Teal Sapphire Engagement RingThis couple worked closely together with Nikki to select their Sapphire all the way down to the last detail of the ring. He propsed on 4.30.21 and this day is beyond special to this couple as their entire family has either been engaged or married on each day leading up to this date. His parents wedding anniversary is 4/27, one of his sister’s is 4/28, his other sister’s is 4/29, and now their wedding will be 4/30 next year! How cute! Dainty Solitaire Re-MountThis Client had a gorgeous Round Brilliant diamond but in a setting she wasn’t in love with. She worked remotely (from Los Angeles) with Nikki to create a dainty 18K Yellow Gold Solitaire for her sentimental diamond. This ring is based off of Nicole Mera’s design, NM-11263. Radiant Diamond Engagement RingMy Client selected an Elongated Radiant Diamond and created a solitaire based on Nicole Mera’s delicate diamond pave solitaire (NM-11263) to highlight the beauty of the Radiant Diamond. We love the simplicity and sophisticated feel of this ring… and she said YES! Custom Emerald & Diamond RingMy client’s first found us on Instagram looking for a local jeweler to help them create the perfect setting for their special Emerald that they had just acquired on their recent travels in Colombia. They saw that Nicole Mera had experience with working with fine Emeralds and they loved our unique designs. After meeting with the couple on a few occasions we created this timeless design. The ring is now a true Love Talisman for this couple. Custom Hand Engraving Wedding BandThere is something so stunning about the simplicity of this white gold band. The hand engraving detail throughout had us falling in love! This band pair with my client’s Emerald Engagement Ring but perfect to stand alone. Cluster Halo Oval Diamond Engagement RingThis Austin client selected a gorgeous elongated Oval and opted for a Cluster Halo design, based off of Nicole Mera’s Cluster Design NM-1180 but added small elements to make it their very own. Home About Contact Book A Private ConsultationFollowFollowFollow Photography Credits: Main Image: May Carlson. Headshot: Beloved Photography. Product Photography: Dawn Elizabeth Photography, Courtney Davidson Photography, Cupcake Photography. Testimonial Photo: Maddie Pier Antoni Photography.
