Frequently Answered Questions
Leon Megé prioritizes craftsmanship over production speed and uncompromising quality over commercial convenience. With more than four decades of bench expertise, we treat bespoke jewelry as an art form, not a manufacturing exercise.
Three principles define our work:
- Precision Forging, Not Polished Casting: While much of the jewelry industry relies on casting CAD models and prefabricated components, Leon Megé builds each custom piece through meticulous hand fabrication and precision forging. The result is a refined, structurally perfect setting with crisp details, mathematically derived curvatures, and elegant proportions. We showcase the gem while minimizing the metal’s appearance.
- No Prefabricated Settings: Every custom ring is made to order around the exact dimensions and characteristics of its individual gemstone. We don’t jam your stone into a stock setting or an adjusted, mass-produced frame. The setting must serve the stone, not the other way around.
- A Distinctive Aesthetic: Our work unites traditional European craftsmanship with contemporary refinement. We favor precise geometry, balanced proportions, clean lines, and enduring durability over decorative excess. Every detail must earn its place. We recommend avoiding elements added merely for effect.
The difference is in the details others don’t bother to finish. At Leon Megé, craftsmanship goes beyond what you can see at first glance. Every surface, every contour, and every structural element must meet our standards before a piece leaves the workshop. We don’t make jewelry to meet production quotas or follow passing trends. We create future heirlooms for those who recognize the difference between jewelry that is merely expensive and jewelry that is exceptionally made.
Yes, you can provide it to the jeweler you bought it from. As a matter of policy, we accept new commissions for client-supplied stones only when they qualify as verified generational heirlooms.
To see if you qualify, please review our detailed criteria. It outlines the necessary steps for provenance verification.
If timing permits, we would be happy to source another stone on your behalf. In addition to our extensive inventory, we can often acquire competitors’ stone at a lower price. Clients who choose us as their stone supplier enjoy preferential labor pricing, expedited completion, and complimentary shipping.
Absolutely NOT: Leon Megé doesn’t manufacture prefabricated mountings or semi-mounts, and we don’t sell unfinished jewelry. As a high-end bespoke atelier, we precision-forge every custom piece from scratch to exact dimensions, down to fractions of a millimeter, to best complement a specific stone’s optical properties. While you can provide an heirloom or client-supplied stone to be worked on, the piece must be fully set and completed by Leon Megé before leaving our studio. We do not supply empty settings for outside bench jewelers to complete.
We supply all diamond cuts: Round, Asscher, Emerald, Cushion (modern and antique), Radiant, Oval, Pear, Marquise, Heart-shaped, French cut, and others. Our exclusive inventory includes True Antique cushions, matching pairs, and eternity layouts. We also supply lab-grown diamonds of all sizes and shapes.
Keep working with the jeweler who sold you the stone. They have already invested their time in helping you, and they probably need the business more than we do. After all, having Leon Mege craft your ring is a privilege, not an option. However, if you haven’t finalized your stone purchase yet, we would appreciate a fair chance to source one for you. We are confident that we can save you a substantial amount of money while finding you a superior stone. At the very least, we’d appreciate the chance to prove it. We offer the best price matching policy in the business.
We only sell GIA-certified stones. Every natural diamond we sell comes with its original grading report from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s leading authority in diamond grading.
Five Things To Know About Diamond Certificates
In the diamond trade, a grading report is only as credible as the laboratory that issues it. At Leon Mege, we only trust the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), whose grading standards have become the industry benchmark for natural diamonds. When it comes to natural diamond certificates, certificates from any lab other than GIA are not worth the paper they’re printed on.
We do! Our lab-grown diamonds come directly from the lab diamond producers without any middleman. As always, we will match the lowest deal by any competitor.
No worries. You will get more comfortable with every consecutive engagement.😃
A quick primer on how we work: The Rules of Engagement
Please take a few minutes to read our brief, no-nonsense primer on how to:
Start by booking a phone consultation, and we will guide you through the process.
You can get a hand-forged custom-made ring for less than you think. To save on the costs, consider:
– a smaller stone
– lower color/clarity
– fancy shape instead of a round diamond
– a lab-grown diamond
– a “flat” stone weighing less than a “conventional” stone of the exact dimensions.
– skip the pave and accent stones
It depends on your project. Your options are (choose only one):
- To start selecting stones, please pay the retainer
- Call us to discuss the job
- Pay a deposit
- Request a Purchase Order
- Have your heirloom stone shipped to us
- Buy a stock piece, use our website to make a purchase.
We meet with clients by appointment only, you can’t just walk in. Also a retainer is required before booking an appointment. The pandemic just gave everyone a good reason to keep a distance. Most interactions can be done by phone or email. However, if necessary, we will set up a meeting to provide complete, face-to-face attention.
Leon Megé is a respected brand of bespoke, one-of-a-kind jewelry. Leon Mege signed jewelry is retailed at our website. It can be purchased in-person in our Times Square showroom.
Leon Mege limited edition jewelry is sold at the finest retailers worldwide. Please contact us for the nearest location.
We do sell finished jewelry to the trade. We also manufacture private label pieces for high-end retailers all over the world.
If you are a retailer and interested in carrying our line, please send us an email.
Custom-made wedding bands are available only for those who already purchased an engagement ring from us. We carry a limited stock of ready-made wedding bands available for purchase.
Upgrading or purchasing back your diamond is always an option. The relationship with our clients means a lot to us, so accommodating your changing taste and lifestyle is our mission.
Platinum is a perfect metal for hand-forging, which is the way we make our jewelry. Hand fabrication using white gold instead of platinum is more labor-intensive, so it will cost more in the end.
Jewelers who use casting prefer working with white gold because white gold is easier and cheaper to cast.
We strongly recommend minimizing wearing both rings together to avoid damage from friction. If necessary, we can customize the engagement ring or shadow the wedding band to fit both rings flush. What hand should you wear the band on?
It is crucial to have the correct ring size before commissioning a custom work. Visit us to have your finger correctly measured, or read our Sizing Manual.
We offer a Lifetime warranty. For terms and conditions, please consult our Repair policy. We will service every piece we made and perform repairs if needed.
We will reach out shortly before the completion to give you enough time to settle the balance and prepare for the delivery. We will confirm the delivery date with you before shipping.
It is impossible to photograph each piece we made from every angle. When the additional images are available, we will share them with our clients.
Yes, we guarantee complete confidentiality and we are willing to lie if asked.
An engagement ring should hold the stone with minimum distraction. Adding decorative elements just to make it “different” makes the ring more noticeable at the expense of the stone.
You are risking turning the ring into a Christmas tree decoration and regretting it for the rest of your first marriage.
Keep the design clean and steer away from messing with the classic look. Adding a “secret stone” or a hand-engraved inscription is perfectly fine.
Maintenance is easy if the cleaning is done regularly, perhaps once every two weeks. We recommend brushing the ring in a lukewarm solution of dishwashing liquid and a drop of household ammonia with a soft toothbrush.
You are welcome to stop by for a complimentary cleaning and checkup. We recommend bringing your jewelry for a checkup at least twice a year. An appointment is required.
After the work is complete, we can send you a copy of a complimentary in-house appraisal so you can get the piece insured.
Appraisals are available only for pieces with all stones supplied by us.
It is pronounced “Mey-zhée”.
No one has ever turned down Leon Mege ring, no matter how repulsive the suitor was. We are confident that your proposal will not be rejected. But if it does happen, regroup and try again in a few months. And there is always an option of a Russian mail-order bride.
Custom-made jewelry cannot be returned. We will work with you on trading it for another once you find your true soulmate.
We do not carry prefabricated settings; each piece is designed for a specific stone. A custom-made ring will fit your stone like a glove.