HAND in HAND Custom Jewelry Design

When we first got engaged, my husband’s grandmother gave me a gift. She gave me five little diamonds from a family heirloom ring. She asked me to put them in his wedding band. What an awesome gift! But at the same time, what an overwhelming responsibility. I hadn’t a clue about custom design jewelry. Thank goodness we found Hand in Hand!
After some online research we found a few places that created custom pieces in the Bay Area, but we picked Hand in Hand Custom Jewelry Designs hands down (pardon my pun) without hesitation. Just looking at their website you could see that they had the finest, most unique, interesting and beautiful pieces out there. We had truly never seen anything like the pieces that Hand in Hand created, so we gave them a call.
I spoke with Marc on the phone for probably half an hour while he patiently explained their custom design jewelry process to me step by step (and there are a lot of steps!). I had no idea what a custom piece cost. It was then that Marc mentioned that they have a $ 5k minimum engagement requirement. Pricey, yes, but you will be happy you spent every penny.
The next step was to meet with Marc in person to discuss our ideas. We met at his office in the Mission on a Saturday afternoon. We made the mistake of going without eating lunch around 1pm. We ended up being there for 3 hours talking about a million different things that would influence the style of the ring. My fiancé had many ideas for elements of the ring, but not a clear design. Marc asked questions about what inspired us, the kind of couple we were, and just spent time getting to know our personalities. At the end of it Marc had the tough task of distilling our ideas into a fantastic design. At this point, if you decide you’re in, you drop a $ 1,500 retainer for the original designs.
A few weeks later we were thrilled to receive some amazing designs. He provided us with two main concepts with several variations. We were amazed that he was able to translate all of our inspirations into a piece that we both fell in love with immediately. We had some minor suggestions for tweaks and he sent us an updated design tout de suite! Marc will tweak and modify or completely scrap the design and start new until you are completely happy.
Once we decided on the final design we entered into the final contract that included the payment installments. You pay X% at different stages of the project. This is intended to ensure you are happy at each of the different phases of the project. Final payment is of course due upon receipt of the finished piece.
The next phase of the project is trying out the wax model. The final design that you decided on is turned into a life size wax model for you to try on and feel out, just to make sure it will be comfortable. If you are happy with it, you move on to the final production of your ring. Our wax model looked so amazing we couldn’t wait to see the real thing! When we finally got it my fiancé was so impressed, he didn’t want to take it off. It is absolutely stunning and one of a kind. The craftsmanship is superior. His grandmother’s diamonds were incorporated into the design exactly. The platinum is perfect. We could not be happier with it!
The process can be lengthy, but good craftsmanship takes time. We had our initial consultation in late January and we received our one of a kind custom creation in late May.
My husband wears it proudly.

We could not be happier with the ring that Hand and Hand created for us. We brought them five heirloom diamonds (dating back three generations), and the ring they created for us was EXACTLY what we’d were hoping for — they kept the integrity of the original vintage setting but gave it a more modern look… and the result was absolutely stunning.
They were also totally respectful of our price range, which after talking with several other jewelers, was so refreshing. You can tell that Marc really loves what he does, and it makes all the difference — it shows in the thoughtful way he works with his clients and in the beautiful craftsmanship of the jewelry.
I can’t recommend Hand and Hand highly enough! Thanks again, Marc!

Working with Marc was amazing. If you’re thinking about custom-​designing a piece of jewelry for your loved one, whether you have an idea of what you want or not, HAND in HAND is an excellent choice to make.
I knew that I wanted to get my wife a wedding ring that was custom designed, but as someone with little artistic talent I was overwhelmed with the prospect of trying to draw something up and bring it to someone to design. My (now) wife had read about Marc and HAND in HAND on the web, and we scheduled an appointment with him. It was absolutely perfect and exactly what I was looking for: someone with artistic talent, a friendly attitude, and extremely meticulous attention to every detail. But most importantly, Marc made it clear that while he would be happy working on something concrete that I would bring him, he was also interested in learning about us, our interests, and our love for each other, and working that into a design.
Like I said, I didn’t have anything visual in my head before we met. We met with Marc for 3 hours at his home, sharing drinks and talking about each other. He took notes, asked questions, listened, and laughed with us. By the end of our first session, we were 100% certain that Marc was the designer we wanted to work with. We cancelled all other appointments we had with other jewelers.
Marc was spot on with his design. We exchanged emails over several months, with me updating him with ideas, both fully-​formed and half-​baked. Anticipation before the wedding built and built. (I had bought an engagement ring for my beloved — Marc’s ring was what I was going to present her on our wedding day, without her having ever seen it. She also designed one from me, also in secret.) As our wedding date approached, we met Marc, and were separately blindfolded (as we requested) as we tried on our rings. Though I had seen and approved designs on paper, my heart overflowed as I saw the piece that he had designed. It was perfect.
When we actually got married, we saw our rings for the first time. Let me tell you, that part of our wedding video is going to be a highlight — when my wife sees her ring for the first time.
I can’t say more about how enjoyable it was to work with Marc. I told him what I was hoping to pay and he worked with that budget with no questions asked and no offers and no hard sells. As someone who’s never worked with jewelry or precious gems, I was surprised at how fun it was to look at center stones. He and I looked at four diamonds for about 2 hours straight under multiple light sources and looking at the official literature on each one. He was patient and friendly as I examined them with that cool jeweler’s lens.
If you want to design custom jewelry for your loved one, I strongly, strongly urge you to make an appointment with Marc and HAND in HAND.

My fiancée chose Marc to design my engagement ring after we looked at a number of other jewelry stores together. I had a hard time getting excited about what seemed to be the same designs in every store, and even the other custom jewelers we talked to in the city didn’t spark my interest that they would make a truly special custom piece. Then we found Marc. My fiancée worked with him 1:1 (without my knowledge) to create my engagement ring. After seeing so many rings that just we’re me, I was stunned and amazed when he presented me with my ring that it was perfect for me! Marc is so talented, creative and best of all passionate about getting to know his clients personally and creating pieces which really reflect his customer’s unique personalities and characteristics. He also cares so much about craftsmanship, and explains the entire process and all the materials in great detail.
It is so special to have a truly unique ring to symbolize our relationship. And even after the design process is over, Marc continues to take wonderful care of his clients — he made a special effort to have my ring sparkling like new for our wedding day. He loves his work and it shows in his incredible inspired designs. If you are thinking seriously about a custom ring, don’t pass up the opportunity to work with Marc!

I am super happy with my ring! My hubby contacted Marc to have the ring designed and it seems like it took forever, but that is what happens when you want a unique piece. I get compliments on the ring all the time and have noticed random people staring at it.
Attention to detail and a willingness to go beyond just surface value are critical attributes in a jewelry designer and Marc clearly has both. Every time we showed up at the office, there were water glasses out for us. No clutter on the table, just our file/​ring/​stones were out and ready for review. When we picked up the finished piece there was a bottle of champagne to go with the big event! On our first visit he had a sheet of questions about us, our lives, why we wanted this piece of jewelry. This was NOT a quick interview — we probably spent a good hour there talking about ourselves. He also spent time discussing diamonds vs. gemstones, the design process, the metal work process and how the finished product would be produced. In the end, I truly felt we were in control of the design and not just accepting what he thought was best for us — and we could make an informed choice instead of choosing at random.
You can also tell alot about a business by how they handle the bumps in the road. My ring needed re-​sizing and right after the center stone started to wobble — it was handled, no issue no fuss.
Marc is also easy to get reach, both by email and cell phone (rare trait there).

When my Grandmother’s wedding ring that I wear was damaged I was heartbroken. After an initial freak out over the damage of this heirloom piece, I started researching jewelers for the repair/restoration.Being that this ring is the only tangible thing I have that belonged to my Grandmother finding the right jeweler was a big freaking deal. I decided to work with Hand in Hand designs after reading reviews on Unilocal and City Search. Wow, talk about making the right call. These guys really know their stuff and are truly the nicest and easiest people to work with in the world! Marc (the owner) actually met up with my boyfriend and picked up the ring so he wouldn’t have to drive over to the mission district. That’s customer service at it’s best.
When you meet Marc you feel like going to work with a friend and you are treated as such. Not that «now you’ve got a friend in the diamond business» crap, a true, honest, relationship.
Long story short, I trusted Hand in Hand with an irreplaceable heirloom piece and they did not disappoint. My ring came back looking as if the damage never occurred. I have a jeweler for life!

We decided to go with Hand in Hand because we looked for a long time in jewelry stores across the country and could not find rings that we would want to wear for the rest of our lives. We wanted to love our rings. Adore them even. We have been together for almost 10 years and the decision to have a wedding was monumental for many reasons. We wanted to find rings that spoke to the strength and uniqueness of our relationship. Buying pre-​designed rings just did not fit for us. We began to look for ways to customize our rings and interviewed some San Francisco ring designers. Our meeting with Marc at H in H was exciting because we realized that the ring design would be a collaboration of his ideas (and expertise, great quality workmanship) and our own ideas. The final result is brilliant. The diamond placement and etching are superbly executed. We are very happy!

my fiancé proposed with the most gorgeous custom ring. i get compliments all the time, and feel special because i know it was made just for me. i had hinted to my fiancé what i was looking for, and he took that design and ran with it. i got to meet marc and was impressed with his knowledge and passion for quality and innnovation. if you are looking for something everyone has– go to the mall. if you want a special, quality piece, see marc.