The Bells of Cornell University

One of the things I love about my job is it is almost never the same twice; every time I sit down to design or craft a custom piece of jewelry it is something new and wonderful. Every one of a kind piece of jewelry I have ever made is unique and designed especially for its owner. That said, every once in a while I get a job that is so unusual, so unique and the story behind it so loving you just know it will only happen once in a lifetime. I just recently had such a job.

Not long ago, on a very busy day, my wife Jody took a phone call from a customer from out of town asking if we could make an engagement ring for him using some bronze shavings he had. We get some off the wall requests from time to time and being busy at the bench I almost did not take the call. But this call was too interesting to pass up – I just had to find out – why bronze?

Well it turns out that the bronze shavings where from the bells in the McGraw Tower at Cornell University! It was a student from the medical school who’s soon to be fiancée, also a medical student, was a chimesmaster (person who plays the bells) at the university. Since being a chimesmaster was something very special to his fiancée he dearly wanted to include some of the bronze from the bells in the engagement ring he wanted designed.
He explained that a few years back the bells, had been sent to a company, Meeks & Watson of Batavia Ohio to be tuned and when they heard of his plans for an engagement ring they generously donated shavings they had saved form the tuning.

After talking with jewelers all around the downstate area and in New York City with no luck (I can just hear it – you want what!!??) as well as plenty of internet searching with the same result, he came across our web site and gave a call.

Now I just cannot resist a good challenge – and I really cannot resist a challenge with a great story - and this story, in fact the story of the gift of the bells to Cornell, is one of love itself. So even though I   expected the bronze would be extremely difficult to work with and the results uncertain, I had to make this ring.

  So, Adam and I, with a flurry of e-mails, got to work designing the ring. What we settled on was a simple, elegant ring, with a platinum inner ring, a bronze center, and an otter ring also in platinum. For the diamond we selected a 3/4Ct. Ideal Cut Canadian Caprice, which would be set in a half bezel that was shaped, it just HAD to be, like a bell.

The bronze was, as I has suspected, miserable to work with and it took a couple of tries to even get it to cast, but in the end the results where fantastic – an elegant, understated and sophisticated diamond ring with bronze from the bells of Cornell University – a one of a kind, once in a lifetime engagement ring.

Till next time – that is how I see the world of jewelry from Rochester, NY

David West Nytch CGA  www.westandcompany.com

Comments

[Fannie]

David, what a joy to read the entire story!
I would expect no less of you.
You certainly have not wasted God's gift in you for bringing unique joys to others!

Fannie R. Linder
Apalachin, NY

[SueAnn Beer]

Absolute genius! Where there's a will, there's a way! The value of the ring cannot be measured! I applaud your willingness to pursue another's vision!! Kudos!!

[palladium ring]

Gorgeous! this one looks so elegant.

by: rhianne