Creating a custom wedding band: goldsmith Reg Schopp of deSignet International

                    Reg Schopp of deSignet International
      photo by Samuel Goldstein/Creative Commons license

Reg Schopp is hilarious, but don't mistake his droll sense of humor for a lack of seriousness about his craft.  Reg is a goldsmith and jeweler in Grand Island, NY (just a few miles from Honeymoon Capital Niagara Falls) and he and his cohorts at DeSignet International made my intricately engraved wedding band.  We never met--I bought my ring online--but I was impressed by his staggering number of designs, so while I was visiting Niagara Falls I stopped by to see if I could tease the secret of a custom wedding band from the man himself.

What I learned after almost two hours talking with Schopp was what I already knew from my own experience: there may be nothing unusual about how a piece of jewelry is manufactured, but the intent behind the creation makes it beautiful and unique. "We are a group--a family--that loves the craft," he says proudly.  "It isn't the dollars that come first, it's craft the comes first, that's what makes us special."

"I never wanted to be a jeweler, " Schopp says, "my grandfather was a jeweler and even back then, business was always a struggle.  Then my father ran the business, it was still always a struggle. I didn't want to struggle."  So Schopp majored in math and computer programming in college; little did he know then how prescient that choice would be.

Schopp learned the basics of the jewelry business in his childhood--changing watch batteries and sizing rings--and sold jewelry items from catalogs.   Unhappy with this uninspired aspect of the jewelry business--"HATED IT," he declares emphatically--he then focused on learning time-honored artistic techniques from elder craftsmen. "Some of the most beautiful designs we see come from old things, the past," he says, describing how one master teacher rolled and cut stock metal for a ring, then used a miniscule saw blade to cut out intricate scrollwork designs by hand.

Though goldsmithing techniques haven't changed much from those of previous generations (several of the tools at deSignet were used by Schopp's grandfather), what has changed is the ability to digitally enhance model designs.  This is where Schopp's math and computer skills allowed his jewelry to shine.

            A few of grandfather's tools on display at deSignet
        photo by Samuel Goldstein/Creative Commons license

"Our specialty is how we make designs continuous," Reg smiles as he shows off an intricately carved Celtic wedding band without seams or sizing bars--no small feat, since each size in the hundreds of designs Schopp offers must be mathematically recalculated in order to maintain seamlessness around the perimeter.Seamlessness is highly desirable: the ring doesn't have to be monitored by the wearer since there's never a mangled design or sizing bar that must be hidden.   Also, rings that show scars from sizing are no longer beautiful symbolic reminders of perfection and wholeness.  "They just look ugly," notes Schopp with frustration. "Most jewelers don't go through the trouble to make a band continuous, so it looks good.  We make it look perfect."

Technology also allows Schopp to communicate quickly with customers who submit their own designs for one-of-a-kind items, no matter where in the world they may be.  If not for the Internet and the enhanced sales reach of a website, Schopp confesses, deSignet might have ceased to exist in years where sales were low and the price of gold was high.  "The Web and my programming background made it all fall together; 80% of our customers are remote, and we work hard to maintain that personal touch online."

DeSignet's small storefront has its share of in-person customers too; they come from other states and countries to talk to Schopp about custom wedding bands.  "In one day we had people in here from Ohio, Houston, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Toronto."   There's a wry glint in Schopp's eye as he recounts how brides come into his store suffering from what he calls "mall-itis," insisting they want rings resembling the mass-produced ones they see at Robbins Brothers or Tiffany & Co.  That's when Schopp begins the work of divining what type of ring design will catch his customer's fancy.  "The key is finding out what the customer really wants.  Often they've been sold a bill of goods by wedding magazines and they don't even know themselves."

          A "reverse cradle" band and ring
              photos by Samuel Goldstein
              Creative Commons license

Schopp knows better than to argue with a bride, so he tactfully lays out other possibilities and knocks off a couple sketches as a visual aid (Schopp frequently grabs pencil and paper to freehand elegant scrollwork as we speak.) "When you have an idea the customer isn't used to, you can see the gears grinding and it takes a minute while it sinks in.  They may already be turning to leave, but then the light goes on and everything changes.  They turn around and say, 'That's what I want.'"

Clients who have already decided to purchase a custom ring will present a design idea to Schopp, who then produces sketches and scans them back to the client.  Intricate Celtic knots have become one of Schopp's signature design lines, as have one-of-a-kind "story rings."  Schopp also offers free sketches for those considering custom designs via an online sketch request form.

Story rings are wedding bands with symbols or words significant to the couple's love story worked into the design; one of Schopp's story ring sketches includes mountains, horses, and books; another stars; one (strangely) a platypus.  Schopp will sketch the layout for the entire ring incorporating the story elements the client suggests, often connecting the hieroglyphs with delicate vining incorporating the couple's initials. Once the customer approves the layout and materials, production will begin.  Custom rings can usually be produced within a few weeks; in-stock designs can often be sized or modified within a few days.

Another custom design integrates a jeweled wedding band into a "reverse cradle": the band can be worn alone when a low-profile ring is desired, or for a dressier look the band can be placed neatly inside a ring sporting a larger stone.

Schopp is cagey about his production process when asked how he engraves high-resolution motifs on small pieces.  "Our methods are proprietary, though I will say people think we use lasers, CAD software, all sorts of technology.  Really it's all very simple and time-tested methods like moldmaking, lost wax, etching, along with some tricks of the trade and a few additional techniques I've picked up over the years.  The point of a custom ring is for the customer to feel how special it is to own, not how it's made."  He wants to change the subject so we move on.  For now, deSignet's manufacturing secrets will stay with Schopp.

Schopp still changes watch batteries and sizes rings for the locals, sets heirloom stones, and creates custom pendants, bracelets, cufflinks, and more.  He whips out a prototype choker and says, "Look at this, no one else out there is doing these!" and proffers a fabricated bracelet he designed as a donation to a local charity.  His enthusiasm and extensive knowledge are so engaging I could have talked with him all day, but we had a train to catch and Schopp and his crew had orders to fill.  DeSignet's work, like their ring design, keeps on rolling.

Many thanks Reg and all the crew at deSignet International for their time and attention for this interview--it was great fun to visit.  You can visit too when you're in Niagara Falls, call 888-727-8266 to discuss your design ideas, or email Reg@raru.com.  You can also request a free sketch, check out some archived sketches, and I recommend taking a peek at just a few of deSignet's custom wedding band options here.

Until next time, a sweet and long life to you.

(And FYI blog cynics and the FTC: no consideration of any kind was received for this article.)

National Wedding and Marriage Examiner Elizabeth Oakes welcomes your feedback at weddingexaminer@gmail.com; please share this story or subscribe by clicking on the Tweet This! button at the top of this column or the "Share This!" button below, or read more of Elizabeth's stories by clicking here.

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