San Diego Jeweler Makes Custom Engagement Rings Affordable

    SAN DIEGO, CA, April 22, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In the past, a custom-made engagement ring was beyond the budget of many young couples. However, San Diego jewelry designer Carl Blackburn is making one-of-a-kind engagement rings more affordable to shoppers.

Blackburn's budget-friendly rings have all the hall-marks of the finest custom jewelry, such as 14k gold settings, hand engraving, milgraining, or filigree, and fine diamonds or colored gemstones. The only difference is the price tag.

"We are able to deliver a 100% custom-made engagement ring set with a 1.5 carat D, VVS Lab Grown diamond at a price range of only $3000 to $5000," says Carl Blackburn. "Alternatively, for that same budget, we could set your custom ring with a 1.5 carat natural colored gemstone, such as a Lavender Sapphire, or a 2.5 carat Aquamarine or Morganite."

Working from his boutique jewelry store (C. Blackburn Jewelers) in the seaside village of La Jolla, the California jewelry designer has helped increasing numbers of couples who opt for this affordable way of creating a dream engagement ring.

"This is the same customer who in the past may have had to settle for an off-the-shelf 1/2 carat (and often poor quality) natural diamond engagement ring from one of the big box retailers or mall stores, if they wanted to stay within budget," says Blackburn. "If they opted for a 1 carat natural diamond of decent quality, they would end up paying well over $10,000."

These young couples (aged 25-35) who wanted to avoid financing a five-figure engagement ring but still wanted a one-of-a-kind ring, were forced to settle for a low-quality natural diamond ring to stay within the $3000 to $5000 range.

But thanks to the increasing popularity of less expensive lab-grown diamonds (which are physically identical to natural diamonds), black diamonds (which, like lab-grown diamonds, cost a fraction of the cost of a natural white diamond), and a growing appreciation of budget-friendly colored gemstones like Lavender Sapphire, C. Blackburn Jewelers is able to deliver customers an heirloom-quality custom engagement ring where nothing is sacrificed except the high price.

According to Blackburn, Lavender Sapphires have become especially popular for custom engagement rings, as Sapphire gemstones rank just below diamonds on the hardness scale, making them especially suitable for engagement rings, because they are less likely to chip under the rigors of daily wear.

Carl Blackburn has been designing diamond engagement rings for over 25 years — his creations appearing in nearly all major jewelry industry magazines (such as JCK, Modern Jeweler, and InStore). He brings a wealth of hands-on knowledge to custom engagement ring design: an experience that he strives to make as memorable for the couple as the ring itself.

"My goal is to make every step perfect," says Blackburn. "From the initial drawings of the ring, to the wearable resin model, to the final moment when the completed ring is placed on her finger".

To learn more about C. Blackburn Jewelers of La Jolla, please visit CarlBlackburn.com.

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