Sterling and Steel, Make your own rings... With us!

reality. The whole process is enjoyable and interesting. She was extremely patient and knowledgeable on all aspects of creating our jewelry. We couldn’t have been happier with the product which Nicole and her husband Harry take GREAT pride in. You will leave with a very professional piece. On top of making new friends, (including Rivet) Harry went out of his way to make a bracelet with our son so he could also have an experience! Blown away and extremely pleased. Don’t hesitate to book!

ng them instead of a machine or professional, but Nicole was a great instructor who taught us step by step how to make the rings. She noticed right away that my engagement ring was too big for me, and asked if I wanted it resized. She was then able to use the leftovers and use it in my fiancé’s wedding band because we melted all of the material from scratch instead of being handed a piece of metal to mold. While making the rings she noticed that there was an imperfection in his ring which resulted in us having to start over. We appreciated that she cared about making it right, and spent extra time with us to ensure that the rings lasts the lifetime our marriage. Harry and Nicole were also incredibly kind, offering us coffee in the early morning and letting us come again the next day when the session was running into our next plans. They genuinely cared about making sure we had a personal and intimate experience with the rings and that we got all the details we wanted from it. We loved the quality of the rings and the experience, and then to find out that the rings were reasonably priced was just a cherry on top of the cake. Would highly recommend this experience!! P.S. Salida was the perfect location for a romantic weekend too because we reserved a private hot spring overlooking the mountains for afterwards!

ur lives to be special and uniquely made with care. That's exactly what we got with Sterling & Steel. I made a size 4.5, 2mm, 18k yellow gold wedding band for my fiancee while she made my band at size 7, and 6mm. During the process, we learned a ton about the fundamentals of metalsmithing and jewelry making. From melting down the raw material, to working the gold into a wire, shaping it into a ring, and smoothing and polishing your creation until it's something you'd see in a high end jewelry store, you get a sense of pride having created the rings you'll wear together for the rest of your lives. Nicole guided us every step along the way and struck the perfect balance of letting us do the work while helping ensure we got the perfect final products. On top of it all, during the hours we spent in the workshop, we could tell that Nicole and Harry valued our story and getting to be a part of it. They also take pride in their work and let us come in the next morning to make sure everything was perfect. Pricing was incredibly reasonable for the amount of time they spent with us working in the shop, gaining access to their equipment, paying for the raw materials, and walking away with personalized rings. In the end, it cost about the same as it would have been to buy mass produced rings from a giant company. We cannot recommend this experience enough!

per fun being hands on and learning their process to make unique pieces. Harry and Nicole are both very patient teachers and created a pleasant low stress environment. I’m not much of a jewelry guy so I love having a ring that has a fun experience attached to it. I definitely recommend that everyone who has the opportunity should come and have this experience!

ave me a quote. She answered my questions along the way and made sure we were prepared. A bit last minute my husband and I had come up with the idea to add rivets derived from some leftover links from a silver bracelet he gave me and they accommodated us with the extra work and time to make that happen. I enjoyed watching the process as Harry walked my husband through the each step of turning a nut I bought at the local hardware store into something so meaningful and unique. I think I had just as much fun as he did even though I was only a spectator/photographer. They were both great about including me in the process too. This was an experience so incredibly special I cannot put a price on it! - Christin The Husband: I earn my way in the world using my mind but there is something undeniably satisfying from working with your hands. The experience of transforming a stainless steel jam nut into a ring was amazing. Harry was patient and thorough with the explanation and education at each step. The processes of grinding, heating, hammering and repeating; each step requiring more and more precision. Then moving from the blacksmith forge to Nicole’s side of the shop, the jewelers space. Her coaching, demonstrating and guiding; the attention to detail ramping up ever higher with each honing and polishing step. What a wonderful experience. Highly recommended. - Andrew

l and unique rings. The special experience we had making our wedding bands for each other is something we will never forget- we will think about the workshop every time we look at our wedding bands! I am so grateful for Nicole and Harry's patience, care, and kindness throughout the entire experience. We laughed the whole time and learned a some new skills! Along with the workshop, we got to take in the amazing views of Salida from their studio and get their advice on marriage (they graciously answered my many, many questions). It was a one of a kind experience we will never forget. I HIGHLY recommend booking this workshop, it was amazing and we absolutely loved it!

g workshop was uninhibited joy from start to heartfelt goodbye. If you have any curiosity about the craft of metalworking, do yourself a favor and spend a day working with a couple of masters!

e was a wonderful teacher. The ring looks beautiful!

r love together.

ch and in our case, a gold nugget (which was later split into two pieces). You are walked through each step of the process and Nicole was great at explaining each step- how to do it and why you were doing it. We just made plain gold bands (you can choose your metal and finish), but I believe you can get a little funky with it too. Not sure there are many things more special than making each other's wedding bands! Great experience and I would highly recommend!

redible, and we're so glad we did it. Nicole is truly amazing, a great teacher, and a great conversationalist. From the minute you enter the shop any anxiety you had will go away as you make a lasting memory.

nt with Nicole to make her band out of precious metal. The whole process was fun and we had a blast. Nicole and Harry were great mentors, helping us through each phase, even when we swapped and gave our own imprint on each others rings. Highly recommend.. and that goes for Harry's coffee too.

Harry as well. They were communicative from the first email contact through the entire workshop. The workshop was so fun and felt very collaborative. Nicole is an amazing teacher, she broke down the process in ways that were understandable and approachable for us. Throw in a homemade Vanilla Latte from home roasted beans (thanks Harry) and you’ve got a super lovely day! <3

d outdoor activities. We have never made jewelry and thought making a ring would be intimidating and out of reach. We were wrong! Nicole made the workshop approachable, even for the uncoordinated hand. As a bonus, Nicole and Harry are extremely friendly and easy to get along with, which made for a fun, educational, and entertaining day. Vanessa and I highly recommend the workshop for wedding bands and an unforgettable experience.

equipment... In the end, the workshop turned out to be one of the best experiences of our relationship to date (we’ve been together for 9 years), and I would highly recommend to anyone purchasing a wedding ring! To start, they were extremely accommodating to any ideas that we had, including the challenging material combinations that my engineering brain came up with. Nicole is a great teacher and jewelry maker who lets you work through as much as you are comfortable with, and she works her jewelry magic when you make a mistake to keep the final product looking spectacular. Not only do you walk away with a great looking piece of jewelry, but the whole day is made into a lasting memory with Nicole, Harry, and family’s personable, down-to-earth nature. We hope to get back to Salida eventually, just to hang out with them again! 10/10 would recommend this workshop, and although we haven’t tried their other offerings, we would bet if Harry, Nicole, and metalsmithing is involved it would be a great use of time/money.

way to create something for your partner that takes more thought, effort and creativity then simply going to a store and buying a ring. Nicole and her husband Harry are very welcoming. We'll definitely be back, and will also be checking out their shop in Salida called Riveting Experience.

Steel workshop. Nicole is a great teacher and we had an amazing day working together to make our wedding bands. As civil engineers, we really enjoyed seeing the fine metal side of metal working as we are familiar with heavy carbon steel working in our careers. Being able to hand make our wedding bands and Nicole setting the family diamond into my wedding band has added sentimentality to our wedding bands that we would never get from a traditional jewelry store. This experience also gave us a unique way to honor my fiancé's late mother and a remembrance to admire everyday.

us through every step of the ring-making process. We spent a little over 5 hours in total making the rings, but we were having so much fun it didn’t feel like that much time had passed. At the end of the process, we had 2 unique rings that perfectly matched our vision and a wonderful story to go along with them. I highly recommend this experience for anyone who wants more than your typical store-bought wedding ring!

ting that extra special experience with their extra special ring. I will look at his ring everyday and think of how proud I am of making it with the help of Nicole, she is an expert!

), and accommodating! They even made us feel (somehow) like we knew what we were doing. To top it all, Nicole and Harry are just such a fun and interesting couple. We loved their stories and getting to know them throughout the process. We couldn't recommend the entire experience more. Get ready for a fun day with an amazing (and unique and personal) end result!

e and hospitality. This was one stop on our "pre-wedding honeymoon" and it was definitely a highlight we will always treasure. We highly recommend it. How many couples can say that they made their rings? Thanks Nicole! -Karl & Dawn from New Jersey.

ence and education. I thought I knew exactly what I wanted but guided by Nicole and Harry I was able to refine my ideas and focus on a beautiful creation that I love! My fiancé, having no previous plans was skeptical he’d be able to decide on a design, was shown examples of materials and rings that allowed him to build one he’s extremely proud of. Nicole and Harry instructed us, start to finish, on how to build our two rings - each using a different process. When we made a mistake (and believe me, there were a few) they were there to teach us to correct our errors. My fiancé, wanting our rings to be perfect, was able to take the time needed to get his ring to his standard, while Nicole helped me create perfection as well. We spent a full, magical, day there – so make sure to bring food and water with you as you’ll want to fuel your patience and newfound craftsmanship! Sincerely, thank you Nicole and Harry we’ll forever remember our experience!

gracious to allow our wedding photographer to join in to take some engagement photos. 10/10 would highly recommend for anyone looking to get creative and a little dirty in creating something truly special.

our wedding bands since we are not super artistic, but they did an amazing job teaching us, checking our work, and helping us make wedding bands that are absolutely beautiful and high quality. We highly, highly, highly recommend this experience!

xtremely talented and skilled in their trades. We both had zero prior experience designing/crafting jewelry or forging but that did’n’t matter. We were both beyond stunned and radiating pure joy at our end results. That feeling was truly priceless. The entire process from start to finish was so fun and stress free, my husband and I were laughing and having the greatest time with Nicole, Harry and the lovely Rivet - who got along perfectly with our Duke Lukien (canine counterparts). Everything from the positive energy to the awesome outcome of our rings, top to bottom, was a 20/10. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much! Oswaldo & Marsha

he creation of the new rings. Nicole and Harry are very receptive and accommodating to unique situations and made us feel very special and welcome the entire time. They walked us through the smithing process step-by-step and made their own rings beside us as an example – this was very helpful because we had no previous experience with forging of any sort. It was amazing to take a common stainless-steel nut and witness it slowly transform over a few hours into a beautiful ring. The wedding rings were 100% made by us, but Harry and Nicole were next to us every step of the way, for quality control in case we made any glaring errors. Even after we hit some setbacks early on (my fingers shrunk and I forged my ring too large), we never felt rushed and we were supported with grace the entire time. They also offer a satisfaction guarantee, so if you end up needing to change something about the ring down the road, they will take care of it! Besides the beautiful rings which we are extremely happy with, the best part of the day was getting to spend time with Harry and Nicole. 4-8 hours is a long time to spend with total strangers (especially for an introvert like me), but they are extremely kind and interesting people, and after several hours, they felt like good friends. We met their family (including Rivet the shop dog!) and learned about their unique pasts and ambitions to expand, which was a huge honor. They provided awesome recommendations for entertainment in Salida – Amica’s Pizza was delicious! We designed a weekend trip to Salida from Boulder, and it worked out great! We spent a day doing some mountain biking and another day doing some 14er climbing nearby. It was our first time in the Arkansas Valley, and we were blown away with its beauty. Overall, I highly recommend you visit Sterling & Steel to forge your wedding rings. When people ask about my unique ring, I can say, “I made that!” and I’ll be reminded of that special weekend in Salida with my future wife.

myself the opposite of artistic and can barely even draw a straight line. My fiance, however, works with metals in his work and is very handy. Yet, we both were able to walk out of the workshop with beautiful wedding bands that far exceeded our expectations! You do not need any previous experience to be able to do this as Nicole & Harry walk you through the process all while letting you make the ring yourself. Nicole & Harry were awesome to work with and lot's of fun to talk with! At the beginning of the workshop they helped us to get an idea of what type of design we wanted to do. I had an idea of a design that I wanted to do and that I wanted it to fit nicely with my engagement ring. I was very pleased with how my band turned out and how well it fit with my engagement ring. We absolutely recommend this to any couple as it is not only a fun experience but a great memory as well! We are so excited to know that our wedding bands were hand made by us!

cee and I saw a gold pinched men's wedding band at a store in NYC that we really liked. Given that it had handmade looking qualities, we started researching the idea of us making the ring together. We came across Sterling & Steel and luckily they were only a few hours away from our home. Nicole was very responsive and I sent her a photo of the ring we liked. She was confident that she could help. It was so cool to experience the process from start to finish; measuring out the quantity of raw material, smelting, working the torch, stretching with the press, hammering, shaping the ring perfectly to my finger, and polishing. The ring is a perfect fit, looks even better than the one we saw in the store, and the best part is that we were able to make it together. Nicole is super talented and knowledgeable. She's also very patient and helpful. We had tons of questions and she gave us quite the education. We would highly recommend using Sterling & Steel and incorporating them as a part of your marriage!

tire time with Nicole and Harry, and they have a tremendous sense of style and humor :) My fiancé and I got to work on each other's rings, meaning we'll always be able to glance at our fingers and feel truly connected. I loved the entire day!

lowing us to pay attention to detail and have fun! We will never forget our wonderful experience with them and will cherish our rings forever.

to emails and questions. Also very accommodating because I got to use a ring that was passed down from my grandma and repurpose it as my wedding band. When Nicole said “I’m sure we can make something beautiful happen with your grandmas old ring” I trusted her. We said during the workshop that “time flies when you’re having fun” and that is exactly how we felt. They are so knowledgeable and took us through the whole process from beginning (raw materials) to end (a polished, beautiful ring) with mini chemistry lessons built in and LOTS of stories and laughs. We truly feel like this was an irreplaceable experience and the best way to create lasting memories around such an important step in our lives. Thank you both so much and we will remember this day forever!

eir studio in Salida. The ring came out absolutely incredible and I get comments all the time for how unique my ring is and when I tell people I made it and it started from a stainless steel nut, they are astonished. If you're seriously considering making your own unique ring for your big day, look no further than Sterling and Steel and make it a weekend in a beautiful part of Colorado.

m and tell him he doesn’t get it till Saturday. Haha!! We really had so much fun and would love to come back for other projects!! Thanks for such a fabulous experience and we look forward to hanging out with y’all again!

ce and I both made our bands today and the experience will be one that we cherish for the rest of our lives. First of all, Nicole and Harry are amazingly friendly and they also happen to be wonderful teachers (my fiance and I are teachers, so we know). They're patient and understanding, but also make great conversation while making the whole process seem very low pressure, despite my nervousness that THIS IS MY WEDDING RING! Nicole was so helpful to make sure that my band fit well with my engagement ring, even though the stone shapes are such that it wasn't necessarily easy. Harry and Nicole help you throughout the whole process, but you really are forging your own wedding band - it's made by YOU. They made it very clear that if we were not 100% happy with what we've made, it simply won't do. They're committed to excellence and make sure that you're happy with the end result as well. Harry and Nicole were invested in helping us make the pieces that WE loved. Both my fiance and I had to revise our rings at one point for various reasons, and they never once seemed inconvenienced or frustrated. I loved that although obviously quite good at what they do, they never once threw in the towel on us and said, "just let me do that." They were there for guidance and support and demonstrated when appropriate, but otherwise, it was all us doing the making. At the end of the day, my fiance and I were so happy to walk away with these beautiful pieces of jewelry that we created and are so proud of. Plus, being in the presence of a couple like Harry and Nicole, who are experts in their field with a very clearly shared passion, is pretty powerful, especially as one thinks about their future marriage. I cannot say enough good things about these two and their business. JUST GO! Make your own wedding bands! Ladies, if you're worried about it looking special or fancy or shiny - IT WILL DO ALL OF THIS!! If you want something specific, just ask! To be honest, this experience might even top the proposal, it was so special.

t instructor and after the first attempt or two of every part of the forging process, I felt very confident continuing to refine my ring step by step. I was wondering how much of this process would be actually performed by me, given I have never done anything like this before. But after a few instructions and advice on technique from Harry, I ended up being responsible for the vast majority of the crafting process. It was truly rewarding to fire the ring and hammer away, creating my own design style with the hammer strikes. Moving to the part of the workshop with Nicole to finely adjust my ring was one of the more interesting parts of the process. It all really comes together and I was very impressed how responsible this part of the process is for a professional final product. The ring is truly unique and special, meant so much more to me then simply buying a ring and I get complimented on its look and style. Really appreciative of Sterling & Steel. Loved the experience and the two of them were a lot of fun to be around.

the process, costs and safety. Before I go over the experience of the ring making I want to mention the drive. Their workshop is located in Salida, CO. We were coming from Colorado Springs, and the two hours of driving there were almost unreal. The miles and miles of open land with cows grazing, and the snow covered mountains as a backdrop was just breathtaking. Then, once you arrive at the town of Salida, it is just adorable; well worth the drive. Next, the experience. The whole ring making process takes quite a few hours to complete(took us 5-6 hours), but that's to make sure the finished product comes out perfect. First, each step is demonstrated and explained by either Nicole or Harry, but then they let us go ahead and do all of the work on our rings ourselves. If there are times you need a hand getting the ring just right, they are right there to help. Harry was really great at explaining the equipment we used, and showing us proper techniques to make sure we were expanding our rings to the correct size and getting the design we wanted. My husband Paul accidentally oversized his ring a couple of times, and they were more than happy to allow him to start over... twice. Nicole, is amazing at the polishing work. The polishing is done in quite a few different stages, and after each stage, Nicole would double checks our work and lets us know if she could see any blemishes to touch up. I always missed a lot of spots so I was glad she had mega vision to keep my ring on track to perfection. Although it does take a lot time and patience to make your ring from scratch, the experience is well worth it. Nicole and Harry are both so easy to work with and made the process so effortless and fun that I would recommend them to anyone wanting to make their own wedding rings. In the end, we couldn't have chosen a better place and a better team to make our wedding rings with. Thank you so much Nicole and Harry!