Secret Decoder Wedding Ring- In Rose and White Gold!
October 30th, 2013 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GGWe just completed the most unusual wedding ring we’ve ever done- a Secret Decoder Ring, crafted of 14K white and rose gold and set with diamonds. Greg, one of Jenny’s best friends, an entertainment industry buff, had taken his fiancé Rebecca to a performance of “The Thrilling Adventure Hour”. Greg and Rebecca had such a great time, the idea for the wedding ring came naturally from this plastic souvenir of the show.
We used the plastic ring as our guide for the 3 basic parts– spinner top, ring body, and bearing base.
Greg, who has had lots of graphic design experience, had us engrave bride’s initials on one side, his initials opposite.
The biggest challenge in making this ring was to make sure the top would spin accurately without wobble. Ordinary jewelry making methods cannot achieve the precision required, but our Mardon team uses state-of-the-art CAD/CAM technology. Our precision CNC machine milled the parts perfectly, so that the rose gold top turns on a true center.
The secret– we were able to find a small ball bearing assembly that was the perfect size and then mill the rose gold spinner top with a perfectly centered spindle we could insert into the bearing.
It took us three tries to get the parts designed so they would function perfectly, but we’re always working hard to please our clients. A project like this is enjoyable because it makes us stretch to do something new.
And now Greg and Rebecca can send each other secret love notes forever. I hear the ring was a big hit at their wedding.
Tags: Ball Bearings, CAD/CAM, cnc, Custom Jewelry, Decoder Ring, rose gold