Oval Solitaire
A graceful oval center stone with clean metal, generous light, and a shape that feels romantic without becoming ornate.
Customize this directionBuild the ring you actually want.
Most jewelers show customers what is already in the case. Andrew Gonzalez helps San Diego couples create the ring they keep picturing: the right diamond, the right setting, and CAD when the setting does not exist yet.
30+ years in jewelry / thousands of pieces made / natural or lab compared clearly
Why couples start with Andrew
Experience matters when the ring has to feel personal, look right, and make sense before anything is made.
- 30+ years in jewelry
- Retail-store experience, now focused on private custom work.
- Thousands of pieces made
- Custom jewelry, engagement rings, and wedding bands made by request.
- Natural or lab, clearly compared
- Same design direction, two diamond paths, explained without pressure.
- Start with a photo
- Send the style, shape, or detail you keep coming back to.
Not inventory. Inspiration.
Choose a direction, then make it yours.
These are not products in stock and they do not carry fake pricing. They are starting points for shape, proportion, setting feel, and the kind of custom decisions Andrew can help refine.
Classic Solitaire
A focused, minimal ring that lets the diamond carry the emotion, proportions, and light.
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Round Bezel
A round brilliant diamond set in a slim bezel for a clean, modern ring with soft protection and quiet presence.
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Elongated Cushion
A soft rectangular center with a plush outline, generous sparkle, and a less expected profile than a round brilliant.
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Emerald Bezel
A sleek step-cut diamond secured in a clean bezel for an architectural, understated profile.
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Three-Stone
A center diamond framed by two supporting stones for presence, meaning, and beautiful side views.
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Toi et Moi
Two complementary center stones set together for a personal, sculptural ring with strong custom-design potential.
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Marquise
A dramatic elongated shape with pointed ends, strong finger coverage, and a rare editorial feel.
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Pear Pavé
A pear-shaped center with a fine pavé band for movement, shimmer, and a soft directional silhouette.
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Radiant Hidden Halo
A rectangular brilliant center with hidden detail under the crown for sparkle that feels discovered up close.
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East-West
A center stone set horizontally for a lower, modern line across the finger.
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Vintage Step-Cut
Asscher, emerald, baguette, and antique-inspired geometry with warm detail and measured restraint.
Customize this directionWhat custom actually means
Diamond, setting, and CAD only when it earns its place.
A custom ring does not have to be complicated. The work is deciding what needs to be selected, what can be modified, and what must be built.
Select the exact diamond
Compare natural and laboratory-grown diamonds by shape, face-up appearance, proportions, origin, and budget fit.
Match or modify the setting
Start from a strong foundation when it exists, then adjust prongs, profile, metal, side detail, or band fit.
Create through CAD
Use CAD when the right setting is not available or the ring needs a made-to-fit side view, basket, or stone arrangement.
About Andrew
Over 30 years in jewelry, with years focused on private custom work.
I have been in the jewelry business for over 30 years. After years of owning and operating in the retail side of the business, I now work privately with long-time clients, referrals, and couples who want a custom engagement ring or piece of jewelry made the right way.
My favorite part is helping you get the ring you actually want with the budget pointed toward the diamond, setting, and craftsmanship. I work close to the trade side, with a direct private-jeweler approach instead of a public showroom model.
Many of the rings people see in retail cases pass through hands like mine before they are sold at a much higher retail price. When you work with me directly, the conversation can stay focused on the diamond, the setting, the timeline, and the person wearing it.
Natural or laboratory-grown
Same sparkle. Different reasons to choose.
A natural diamond and a laboratory-grown diamond can both make a beautiful engagement ring. The difference is not whether one can look good. The difference is origin, rarity, budget, size, and what the stone means to the person wearing it.
Same ring direction
Two diamond paths
Natural
Origin + rarity
Laboratory-grown
Size + flexibility
Natural diamonds
Choose natural when geological origin is part of the emotion.
A natural diamond was formed by the earth over an extraordinary amount of time. For some couples, that origin is part of the meaning. They want the traditional diamond category: geological, finite, and naturally formed.
- The stone's natural origin can feel meaningful because it was formed by the earth over time.
- Rarity and tradition matter to some couples because they are part of the engagement story they grew up imagining.
- A natural diamond can feel like a keepsake with its own history, especially when origin is part of the proposal meaning.
- The tradeoff is usually size or budget, so Andrew compares the actual stone, cut, and presence before you decide.
Laboratory-grown diamonds
Choose laboratory-grown when the ring you picture matters most.
A laboratory-grown diamond has a different origin, but it can give you a larger or more specific center stone within the same budget. For many couples, that means the ring can look closer to the inspiration photo without forcing the budget higher.
- Laboratory-grown can feel freeing because more of the budget can go toward the shape, size, and setting she keeps saving.
- A larger oval, radiant, or cushion can be possible without making the ring feel less personal or less meaningful.
- The origin is different, so Andrew describes it clearly and compares it honestly beside natural options.
- For many couples, the meaning comes from choosing the design intentionally, not from spending more for geological origin.
The real question
You do not have to decide before talking to us.
The easiest way to choose is to compare both paths in the same ring direction. Oval vs oval. Radiant vs radiant. Solitaire vs solitaire. Same setting idea, same budget range, two different diamond origins.
Andrew can walk you through what changes, what stays the same, and what each choice means before the ring is made.
Not sure where to start?
Find the smartest path for the ring, not just the style.
Most people already know what they like. The valuable question is how to get there with the right diamond path, the right setting path, and the right level of custom work before production begins.
Text the photo first.
If you already have screenshots or a saved ring, Andrew can translate the look into the real decisions: diamond shape, setting profile, metal, budget range, and whether a stock foundation can be modified.
- Best when you know the look but not the jewelry terms.
- Fastest way to learn whether the ring is simple, semi-custom, or CAD.
- Texting keeps the first step easy.
Private process
A focused path from saved photo to finished ring.
The appointment model keeps the process personal while still giving every decision a practical next step.
01
Send the photo or idea
Share the ring style, diamond shape, proposal date, and what you already know.
02
Compare diamond paths
Review natural and laboratory-grown options in the shape and look that fits the design.
03
Choose or create the setting
Modify a strong setting foundation or move into CAD when the right setting is not available.
04
Approve and produce
Confirm the diamond, setting direction, timeline, and remaining details before production.
Why Andrew
Passion, trade experience, and direct guidance.
Luxury Custom Jeweler is built for couples who want direct guidance, private attention, and a custom engagement ring path that keeps the budget focused on the diamond, setting, craftsmanship, and the person wearing it.
Private appointment focus
Natural and lab-grown diamond guidance
Setting modification and CAD paths
San Diego service area
Serving couples across San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Coronado, Rancho Santa Fe, North County, central neighborhoods, East County, and South Bay by private appointment.
View location pagesPrivate by design
Inspiration is public. Your finished ring is not.
The images on this site are inspiration. When your piece is made for you, it is yours. Andrew does not build a public gallery from custom client pieces or invite other people to copy a ring that was made for someone else.
No public client gallery
Custom work is handled privately. Finished pieces are not publicized unless a client specifically requests or approves it.
Start from your inspiration
Bring a photo, a shape, a setting you almost love, or an idea that may not exist yet.
Referral-driven work
Andrew works mainly through long-time customers and referrals, which keeps the process personal and direct.
Meet when it matters
If you need to review diamonds in person, Andrew can arrange a focused appointment at a trusted trade location such as the Jeweler's Exchange downtown.
Explore the custom ring paths
Custom Engagement Rings San Diego
Start with a diamond, a setting direction, a photo, or a CAD concept.
Explore
Custom Wedding Bands San Diego
Create a band that works with the engagement ring and feels right every day.
Explore
Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement Rings
Explore laboratory-grown diamonds with the same setting and design care as natural diamonds.
Explore
Natural Diamond Engagement Rings
Compare natural diamond options with guidance on shape, size, quality, and setting fit.
Explore
Engagement Ring Settings
Choose, modify, or create a setting around the stone and the person wearing it.
ExploreDesign Your Own Ring / CAD Design
When the right setting is not already available, build the ring path through CAD.
ExploreQuestions couples ask before the first appointment
What does custom mean here?
Custom can mean choosing the exact diamond, choosing natural or laboratory-grown, modifying the right setting, or using CAD when the right setting does not exist.
Can we start with a photo?
Yes. A photo is often the best starting point because it shows proportion, mood, shape, and details that can be translated into a ring plan.
Do you work with natural and laboratory-grown diamonds?
Yes. The process distinguishes natural diamonds from laboratory-grown diamonds clearly so couples can compare origin, look, size, and budget priorities.
How fast can a custom ring be made?
Some projects may be possible in as little as 14 days when diamond, setting, approvals, and production path allow it. CAD or specialty projects can take longer.
Text Andrew the ring style you keep coming back to.
A photo, sketch, or even a rough idea is enough to start. Andrew can usually tell you whether the smartest path is a sourced diamond, a modified setting, a CAD build, or a short call to compare options.