Life has been busy at our Wimbledon, southwest London studio these past few months, and I don’t always have time to catch up on blogging about my recent creations.

As a jewellery designer with over 20 years of experience, it is hard to make time for all the marketing aspects of the business, like blogging. However, I do spend a great deal of time with my clients, asking them questions about how they will wear their new jewellery, how it fits within their lifestyle, and their preferences and dreams.

I also do a lot of designing, sketching, outsource CAD design if needed, and even make 3D models for my clients to visualise their custom-made jewellery.

And then comes the fun part, actually making the jewellery.

There really is nothing like seeing these custom-made pieces of jewellery come to life, so here are a few I have been working on lately.

Sketches, paints and brushes by jewellery designer Militza Ortiz

5 Custom-Made Rings plus a Pair of Earrings Handmade by Militza Ortiz

I thought it would be lovely to show you a few of the rings and a pair of earrings that I have made recently. It has been a pleasure to work on these new pieces.

A Signet Ring with a Greyhound Dog Made for a 21st Birthday

You do not need to have a family crest to wear a signet ring! Today, signet rings are used to express and communicate things that are meaningful. They are symbols of love, friendship, family, hope, dreams, and so much more.

This one was designed to bring together many different elements in this budding veterinary’s life: her love of animals, dogs in particular, her chosen profession, and her family’s love for Victorian antiques.

After much research, we decided to use a drawing done by a young Queen Victoria as a starting point for this noble and loyal dog. The dog’s head is down in a more humble stance, unlike the traditional Italian greyhounds usually depicted with heads held high to show admiration in traditional signet rings.

The results are gorgeous, as the engraving was done by one of the best engravers in London. I would not even attempt to do this myself. Wayne has over 40 years of experience, and his work is impeccable.

I always keep production in the UK. For me, local production is a core value to my business.

Emerald cut blue topaz gold statement ring with small blue topaz set on band.

A Blue Topaz Gold Ring Push Present for a Grandmother

My client said to me, “I have had this blue topaz for a while now, waiting for an excuse to make it into something beautiful. Now, I have the perfect excuse: a grandchild is on its way, and it’s a boy.”

There is no better blessing in this world than a baby in the family, and I am honoured to have played a tiny part in this story.

A push present is usually for the one doing the pushing, i.e., the mother. But why can’t a grandmother gift herself a ring to celebrate the birth of her grandson?

A stunning blue topaz set in 18-carat yellow gold, adorned with tiny blue topaz stones on the shoulders of the shank.

How exciting it is to make wonderful heirlooms, destined to become treasured pieces that hopefully will be passed down through the generations.

And Blue Topaz Gold Earrings to Match the Ring

A few months later, she called me again. This time she said, “I wear my ring so much, I would love a pair of earrings to match.”

We could have done something very literal with lots of tiny blue topaz and a bigger stone, but that would have been a bit obvious, and obvious is not my thing.

I found two emerald-cut matching blue topaz that mirrored the ring and added two round ones, both set with bezels to keep in line with the simplicity and modernity of the ring.

She loves wearing her set of earrings and ring together.

A Pink Crystal Set in an 18-Carat Gold Ring

A pretty straightforward commission. My client had a lovely pink crystal that she was emotionally attached to. Originally, she thought it was a real gemstone, but after looking closer at it, I knew it was not. Though I am not a certified gemologist, years of experience do give a good eye for gemstones.

Nevertheless, I took it to a gemologist who declared it a crystal. But that does not minimise its emotional value. So, she decided to go ahead with the commission.

A custom-made 18-carat gold ring was created to hold it, beautifully contrasting the pink and the yellow gold, with a setting that defines the shape of the crystal.

I was very pleased to hear that she has passed it down to her daughter. A true heirloom piece.

A Criss-Cross Diamond Ring Using a Client’s Own Diamonds

What do you do when you inherit 27 small diamonds in a ring you don’t particularly like? You remodel it.

My client had a ring that her mother had passed down to her, but the style was not to her liking. She preferred something chunkier, yet light and modern.

Chunky but light is not that easy to achieve. In fact, usually it is an oxymoron. But by making a criss-cross band design, I breathed some air into the design, achieving that desired look.

“Militza worked her magic to redesign my mother’s old ring into a beautiful crossover white gold ring which is contemporary yet classic. I absolutely love it! I call it my late mother’s kiss to her youngest daughter! ”

— Alex Collet