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

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!

e 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.

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.

ce 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!