A private workshop in Williamsburg, MA: you carve your ring designs in wax, and those forms are cast into finished rings in silver, gold, or platinum. One weekend afternoon. A pair of bands that are entirely yours.
Most wedding bands are chosen from a case — purchased, sized, and indistinguishable from the ones chosen by the couple before you. But there’s another way: spend an afternoon here together, carving your own from scratch, in a private workshop in the Pioneer Valley.
Sessions run 3–4 hours on Saturdays or Sundays. Here's what to expect.
When you arrive, we start with a brief conversation about your design direction. No homework required — we'll talk through proportions, texture, finish, and what feels right for each of you. Width, profile, surface detail: these choices become yours to make. Bring your engagement ring with you to ensure a perfect fit.
You work side by side, shaping wax into your bands with jeweler's carving tools. I'll guide you through each step — demonstrating techniques and answering your questions. Most couples are surprised by how meditative it becomes.
After the workshop, your carved waxes are cast in your chosen metal using the lost wax process — one of the oldest metalworking techniques in the world.
Your finished bands arrive 4–6 weeks after your workshop, packaged beautifully and ready to be worn. We schedule sessions with your wedding date in mind. If you have a specific deadline, just mention it when you inquire.
Lost wax casting is one of the oldest metalworking techniques in the world — and what makes wax-carved bands look the way they do. Here's what happens after you leave the workshop.
Each carved wax is surrounded in a plaster-like material called investment, which captures every contour of the form you made.
The invested wax goes into a kiln. As temperature rises, the wax melts and burns away completely — leaving a perfect hollow mold in exactly the shape you carved.
Molten metal is forced into the cavity under pressure, fills it entirely, and is cooled. The investment is broken away to reveal the casting.
The cast bands are cleaned and polished. The organic form — the overall shape and character of your carving — comes through.
The workshop takes place at our home in Williamsburg, MA — in a dedicated space we've designed for this. Sessions are just the two of you and me — no other couples. Williamsburg is about 15 minutes from Northampton, about two hours from Boston, and three from New York City. We highly recommend making a weekend out of your trip!
Western Massachusetts doesn't get the attention it deserves. The Pioneer Valley — the stretch of small cities, farms, and college towns along the Connecticut River — has excellent food, serious culture, and the kind of unhurried pace that makes a weekend feel long in the best way.
Northampton, MA — 15 min from the workshop
A classic, well-kept hotel right in the heart of downtown Northampton. Good restaurant on-site, walkable to everything. The right choice if you want to be in the middle of it.
Northampton, MA
A personal favorite. Seasonal, considered, the kind of meal you plan an evening around. Worth making a reservation before you come.
North Adams, MA — 45 min
One of the largest contemporary art museums in the country, housed in a sprawling 19th-century mill complex. Worth the drive on its own, or pair it with a night in the northern Berkshires.
30–60 min west
Lenox, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington have a range of inns and B&Bs worth looking into — especially if you're combining the workshop with a Tanglewood weekend or a day in the hills.
Northampton, MA
Vietnamese food done with real care. Excellent for a more relaxed dinner — bright flavors, good cocktails, consistently wonderful.
15 min from Williamsburg
A small city with a genuinely good independent food and retail scene. Walk King Street, browse the bookstores, get coffee. The Pioneer Valley's most lively town.
The $595 fee covers instruction, the full casting and finishing process, and shipping. Material cost is billed separately for all metals, priced by the final weight of your carved bands. You'll receive a firm quote before anything is cast.
All estimates are per ring and based on typical band weights — your actual cost depends on the final weight of your carved band. You'll receive a firm quote before casting begins.
Jewelry has always felt personal to me — more so than almost anything else you can make or wear. Rings especially. They’re on your hands every day, they mark something that matters, and they carry a history.
The workshop grew from a simple idea — what better way to begin a life together than to make the rings you’ll wear for the rest of your lives, with your own hands, on an afternoon you’ll both remember.
Yes. The casting and finishing process is the same one used by professional jewelers — your carved wax becomes a solid metal ring, cleaned and polished to a smooth, comfortable finish. What makes wax-carved rings distinctive isn’t roughness; it’s the organic quality that comes from being shaped by hand. They look different from machined rings — softer, more individual — and that’s entirely the point.
Wax carving doesn't require artistic experience — it requires patience and curiosity, both of which most people have. I'll guide you through every step. The goal isn't a perfectly symmetrical ring; it's a ring that looks like it was made by human hands. That's the point. Most couples who come in nervous leave holding something they're genuinely proud of.
Wax is forgiving in a way that metal is not. Most mistakes can be filled with fresh wax and recarved. This is a genuine advantage over other making methods — there's no torch, no irreversible step. I'll check in throughout the session to catch and address issues before they become problems.
Lost wax casting is the process that turns your carved wax into a metal ring — and it's been used by jewelers and sculptors for thousands of years. After you carve your bands, each wax is surrounded in a material called investment (similar to plaster), then placed in a kiln. As the temperature rises, the wax melts and burns away completely — that's the "lost" wax. What's left behind is a perfect hollow mold in exactly the shape you carved. Molten metal is forced into that cavity under pressure, cooled, and the investment is broken away. The bands are then finished and polished to a high standard — so they're beautifully smooth and comfortable to wear. What comes through in the finished piece is the organic form: the shape you chose, the overall character of something hand-carved rather than machined. Wax-carved rings look different from fabricated rings not because they're rough, but because they have a softness and individuality that a machine can't produce.
You'll be sized at the start of the session. The wax blanks are prepared to your size before carving begins. I'll account for the small amount of metal shrinkage that happens during casting, so your finished bands will fit as expected. If you're unsure of your size, mention it when you inquire — there are ways to measure at home in advance.
Yes — and if you have an engagement ring, please bring it with you. We'll use it to inform the proportions and profile of your band during the design conversation. You'll also be able to try on your carved wax alongside the engagement ring as you work, so you can see how they sit together before anything is cast. It makes a real difference in getting the fit right.
Not through this workshop. Stone setting requires a separate process and skill set that happens after casting, and it's not something we offer here. The bands are designed to be complete as carved — texture, form, and metal only. If stones are important to you, this may not be the right fit.
Unfortunately, no. Using reclaimed or heirloom metal introduces variables in alloy composition that can affect the casting process in unpredictable ways — and we want to be confident in the quality of the finished piece. We work with a carefully vetted supply of Argentium silver, 14k and 18k gold, and platinum to ensure consistent, high-quality results.
Absolutely — and many couples prefer it that way. Each person carves their own band, and the designs can be entirely different or intentionally related. You might share a texture or motif while making each ring distinctly your own. The design conversation at the start of the session is where you'll figure out what feels right for each of you.
Sessions fill up, especially in spring and fall. We recommend booking at least 8–10 weeks before your wedding to allow enough time for casting and delivery. If your date is coming up sooner, reach out anyway — we'll let you know what's possible.
Finished bands ship 4–6 weeks after your workshop. We confirm your wedding date when you book and work backward to make sure the timing works. Your rings arrive packaged and ready to wear — fully finished pieces, not raw castings.
Yes. Couples who want to think through design direction before the session can schedule a short conversation in advance — useful if you have a specific aesthetic in mind, want to look at reference images together, or just want to arrive feeling prepared. It's optional; the design conversation on the day of the workshop is enough for most couples.
The workshop is designed for engaged couples making wedding bands together, but reach out if you have something else in mind — we’re happy to discuss what’s possible.
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