We talked to Shane about the experience he and Sapphire had designing their engagement and wedding rings with Jens Hansen.
What was it like working with the Jens Hansen team?
We never conceived that their expertise was going to add so much of an impact to the overall look and presence of the rings, They worked closely with what we wanted, providing professional advise not just on design but also form and function, tweaks along the way and prototypes; They were fantastic to deal with, even custom making certain elements in the rings to achieve our desired look and feel, and in the end produced a better product than we had envisioned. On both occasions we ended up with rings that far surpassed our expectations.
How did you come up with ideas for the ring?
I proposed to Sapphire whilst on an overseas trip to Vietnam and initially used a shell we had found on a local beach walk when we first met. Sapphire is very particular in her tastes so I thought it was best if we designed the ring together. We completed quite a bit of research online and were quite set on the style of diamond and design we wanted; the quality of the diamond itself was really important to us also; once we decided on the style we particularly focused on what elements were important when it came to diamond quality specific to that design. We approached Jens Hansen to help make the ring we had 'designed'.
Their expertise was quickly evident, they worked with what we had wanted but suggested various improvements in design and 'structure', due the the difficult nature of what we wanted and style of diamond. They also provided a prototype that Sapphire could try on and see first hand their recommendations (in the flesh so-to-speak). We never conceived that their expertise was going to add so much of an impact to the overall look and presence of the ring.
We went through the same process with the wedding rings. We had specific ideas in what we wanted and worked with them closely around aesthetics and 'structural integrity' to ensure they all matched perfectly. On both occasions we ended up with rings that far surpassed our expectations.
They were also able to advise on and work a 'Sapphire' gem into Sapphire's engagement and my wedding rings.
Why did you choose Jens Hansen to design your rings?
Because of their reputation for high quality workmanship. They’re a local business and so it’s connection to 'home' - Nelson. They are 'World Famous in Nelson'.
Did you have preferences for a shape, style, metal or gem before you came to Jens Hansen?
We had strong preferences regarding the shape, style and metal and had decided on a basic concept for each ring to give to Jens Hansen. They worked closely with what we wanted, providing professional advise not just on design but also form and function, tweaks along the way and prototypes; they politely told us we were crazy at times and in the end produced a better product than we had envisioned.
How was it working with the team to get the ring designed and created?
Fantastic, we worked with Miriam with close input from Halfden and Simon (the actual ring maker). Everyone had different ideas and contributed in a way that enhanced the rings. We managed to blend our initial ideas (& naivety) with their expertise to come up with something we loved. They were admirably patient with small changes, made several prototypes for us and worked on a tight time frame across both the engagement and wedding rings. Slightly cheesy but really did feel like a team effort that all came together.