Frequently Asked Questions
Start by reaching out through the contact form or scheduling a private jewelry consultation — either in person or virtually. We’ll begin with a heartfelt conversation to understand your vision, your story, and any heirloom gemstones or inspiration you’d like to bring into your bespoke jewelry design.
Our signature process includes a private 2-hour design session, a 3D model, a resin mock-up to try on at home, a hand-painted keepsake of your design, and a keepsake ring box — all crafted with intention and care.
Yes — we offer both in-person and virtual custom design sessions. Whether you’re visiting our Portland studio or connecting from afar, your Design Ceremony will feel just as intimate and collaborative. Together, we’ll explore sketches, gemstones, and ideas to create a one-of-a-kind piece full of meaning.
Most of our custom engagement rings begin around $6,000. Each piece is lovingly crafted to reflect your unique story, so we’re happy to work within a budget range that aligns with your vision.
We recommend reaching out at least 2–3 months ahead of when you’d like your piece to be complete, especially for engagement rings or ceremonial jewelry. For the Make Your Wedding Rings Experience, we recommend at minimum 2-3 weeks ahead of your elopement or ceremony.
Yes — we offer private, by-appointment visits in our downtown Portland studio. The space is cozy, creative, and full of inspiration. We are open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am-6pm.
We deeply understand the emotional pull of heirloom materials — a gold ring passed down through generations, or a gemstone that holds memory and meaning. While we can’t cast directly with heirloom gold due to its unknown alloy composition and casting reliability, we can refine it through our trusted partner, Hoover & Strong. This allows you to receive a precious metal credit toward your project, transforming the legacy into something new with symbolic continuity.
When it comes to stones, we are honored to work with heirloom diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. In rare cases, we may be able to incorporate loose emeralds, garnets, or tourmalines — as long as they are in good condition and accompanied by a gem appraisal.
For our custom designs, we also offer sourcing from our hand-selected collection of trusted gem partners, curating both natural and lab-grown stones that reflect the beauty, ethics, and uniqueness we hold dear at Nested Yellow.
At the moment, we do not offer gemstone cutting, reshaping, or faceting services for heirloom gems. Our studio focuses on honoring the existing shape and condition of your stone when creating a custom design around it.
If you’re considering a recut to restore brilliance or reshape a stone for a new setting, we recommend reaching out to a professional gemstone cutter. We’re happy to refer you to trusted cutters who specialize in heirloom care and precision.
Please note we also do not purchase heirloom stones — but we’re always honored to design something meaningful with the ones you already treasure.
The Wedding Ring Experience is a full-day private session in our Portland studio, where you and your love craft your wedding bands from raw gold — hand-shaping, soldering, and polishing them into timeless symbols of your bond. It’s an intimate and joy-filled day of foundational metalsmithing, no prior experience needed.
At the end of the day, your rings will be complete and ready to carry your story into forever. We currently do not offer wax carving or casting for this experience — our process is all about the tactile beauty of traditional metalsmithing.
We recommend booking at least 3–4 weeks in advance of your wedding to allow time for scheduling.
Yes — we offer a special two-part version of the Wedding Ring Experience that invites you to imprint your rings with the soul of a meaningful place: a mountaintop, a trail you love, or even the site of your proposal.
On day one, you’ll create your rings in the studio- a blank canvas for your adventure. You’ll then take them into the wild — imprint them into a rock or concrete for urban adventures with a provided steel mandrel and a mallet. When you return, we’ll guide you through a second studio session to carefully clean and finish your rings while preserving the texture and memory they now hold.
This poetic process requires two full studio days with your adventure in between, so we recommend planning at least three weeks ahead to allow time for the full experience.
Your jewelry is a tiny world of meaning, memory, and craft — and like all beautiful things, it deserves gentle care. To keep your pieces glowing for years to come, we’ve created a dedicated guide full of tips on cleaning, storing, and wearing your jewelry with love.
Read the Fine Jewelry Care Guide →
