Isn't it romantic? And profitable, too. Couples who shop at New York Wedding Rings don't just buy their platinum bands—they design and make them themselves. Owner Sam Abbay started as a jewelry-making hobbyist who hoped somehow to build a business. "I realized I liked making gifts," he recalls. So he figured out he would sell the gift-making instead of the gift. Wedding and engagement rings were an obvious choice. That was in San Francisco at the end of 2005, and now there is a San Francisco branch, run by a friend, and the main New York shop, opened last year in the West Village, when Abbay moved there.
He currently works with roughly 10 customers a month in New York—at an average of about $3,200 per ring. Couples can design anything from simple bands to intricate ones: carved, engraved or stamped, and molded of gold, platinum or palladium. It typically takes two days for a custom ring; simple bands are priced from $1,200 to $2,250 and take a day. Engagement rings typically take longer and cost more, but bring in a highly motivated clientele. Men fly in from other cities with their family diamonds and work days on custom settings to surprise their sweethearts. Possible future expansions include anniversary rings and franchising to other cities and countries. Abbay has received inquiries from entrepreneurs as far away as New Zealand. After all, love knows no bounds.
Source : http://www.newsweek.com/id/68905
