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Sharon TeamanDesigns
Engagement Rings · State College, Pennsylvania

The ring should be the only one

An engagement ring is the one piece of jewelry chosen to last a lifetime, and most of them are chosen from a tray. Sharon builds them one at a time, around a stone selected for the person who will wear it, with every cost itemized so you know exactly what you are buying.

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Itemized, always

Stone cost, metal weight and cost, and side stones listed separately on every piece. No mystery pricing, and no pressure to spend a number someone else invented.

Built for daily wear

Sharon will tell you honestly which stones survive a working life and which do not. A ring that has to come off constantly is a ring that gets lost.

Heirloom stones welcome

A grandmother's diamond in a setting your partner will actually wear is often the best possible outcome — and Sharon will assess the stone honestly first.

You approve it first

Wax and CAD renderings mean you see the ring from every angle before metal is cut. Revisions at that stage are free.

Matching bands

A contoured band that sits flush against an irregular setting is difficult work, and much easier when the same bench made both.

Appraised on delivery

Every ring is appraised, photographed and archived so it can be insured from the day it leaves the studio.

The Center Stone

What it should be made of

The center stone decides the budget, the look and how the ring will hold up. These are the ones Sharon recommends most often for a ring worn every day — each links to a full guide covering hardness, treatment and what to watch for.

Sapphire9 MohsAt 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is the most practical colored stone for a ring worn every day — and it comes in far more colors than the blue everyone pictures.Diamond10 MohsThe hardest natural substance on earth, and still the default for a ring meant to be worn for a lifetime.Lab-Grown Diamond10 MohsChemically, physically and optically identical to a mined diamond — the same carbon, the same hardness, the same fire — grown in weeks rather than eons.Moissanite9.25 MohsHarder than sapphire, brighter than diamond, and a fraction of the price — moissanite earns its place on its own merits rather than as an imitation.Ruby9 MohsThe same mineral as sapphire, turned red by chromium — and hard enough at 9 on the Mohs scale to make a genuinely practical alternative to a diamond engagement ring.Alexandrite8.5 MohsGreen by day, raspberry by candlelight. Alexandrite changes color with the light source, and fine material is genuinely rarer than diamond.Tourmaline7 – 7.5 MohsTourmaline occurs in a wider range of colors than any other gemstone, which is exactly why it has been the backbone of Sharon Teaman’s work for decades.Tanzanite6 – 7 MohsFound in a single few square kilometers of northern Tanzania and nowhere else, tanzanite is a thousand times rarer than diamond by any measure of supply.
For Reference

Rings Sharon has made

Not a catalog to choose from — a demonstration of range. Every engagement ring she builds is designed from scratch for the person who will wear it.

14k 10.21 Carat Watermelon Tourmaline "Collector Stone" with Perfect Colors, Clarity and Division of colors (set with 4 channel set side Diamond accents (earth mined) by Sharon Teaman

14k 10.21 Carat Watermelon Tourmaline "Collector Stone" with Perfect Colors, Clarity and Division of colors (set with 4 channel set side Diamond accents (earth mined)

Watermelon Tourmaline$18,590

Ruby 295 14K RARE BURMESE RUBY accented with 6 channel set Diamonds. A true "Crown Jewel" by Sharon Teaman

Ruby 295 14K RARE BURMESE RUBY accented with 6 channel set Diamonds. A true "Crown Jewel"

Ruby$14,735

14K 2.54 carats "AAA" Tanzanite Ring with 5 (graduated) channel set Diamond accents (earth mined) by Sharon Teaman

14K 2.54 carats "AAA" Tanzanite Ring with 5 (graduated) channel set Diamond accents (earth mined)

Tanzanite$11,730

14K Aquamarine Bar Set Ring by Sharon Teaman

14K Aquamarine Bar Set Ring

Aquamarine$10,920

14k W 3.27 carat "AAA" Tanzanite "V" Ring with 4 channel set Diamond accents (earth mined) by Sharon Teaman

14k W 3.27 carat "AAA" Tanzanite "V" Ring with 4 channel set Diamond accents (earth mined)

Tanzanite$9,475

14K Alexandrite Oval Ring Oval by Sharon Teaman

14K Alexandrite Oval Ring Oval

Alexandrite$8,745

14K Alexandrite Offset Ring by Sharon Teaman

14K Alexandrite Offset Ring

Alexandrite$8,135

Pink Tourmaline "Rubellite Red" Elongated Pear Faceted Ring with 7 channel set Diamond accents (earth mined) by Sharon Teaman

Pink Tourmaline "Rubellite Red" Elongated Pear Faceted Ring with 7 channel set Diamond accents (earth mined)

Pink/Peach Tourmaline$7,965

All available rings

Questions people actually ask

How much should a custom engagement ring cost?

There is no correct number, and the old “two months’ salary” rule was invented by an advertising agency. What matters is that you understand where the money goes. Sharon itemizes the stone, the metal and any side stones separately on every piece, so a $2,000 ring and a $15,000 ring are both fully legible. Tell her your budget at the start and she will tell you honestly what it buys.

Is a custom ring more expensive than buying from a store?

Usually not, and often less. A retail store carries inventory, staff and a storefront, and that overhead is in the price of every ring. Sharon has none of it. What you are paying for is the stone, the metal and her labor.

How long before I can propose?

Plan on four to eight weeks from approved design. Sourcing an unusual stone can add time. If you have a fixed date, say so in the first email — Sharon will tell you plainly whether it is achievable rather than discovering a problem in week five.

Can I use a diamond from a family ring?

Yes, and it is one of the most satisfying commissions she does. Sharon will assess the stone first and tell you honestly what condition it is in — old stones sometimes have chips or abrasions that need addressing — and then build something around it that the next generation will actually wear.

Should I choose a lab-grown or a natural diamond?

Both are real diamonds; the difference is origin and price. A lab-grown stone typically costs a fraction of a mined one of the same specification, which buys considerably more size or lets you put the budget into the setting. Natural stones hold more traditional resale value. Sharon works in both and has no stake in which you pick.

What if my partner wants a colored stone?

Then you are in exactly the right place. Sapphire at 9 on the Mohs scale is genuinely practical for daily wear and comes in teal, peach, pink and every blue. Ruby is equally hard. Sharon will steer you away from the softer stones that will not survive a working life, and toward the ones that will.

Do you make matching wedding bands?

Yes — and it is far easier to make a band that fits an engagement ring properly if the same person made both. A contoured band that sits flush against an irregular setting is a genuinely difficult piece of work, and it is much simpler when the ring came off the same bench.

Can you help if I don’t know my partner’s ring size?

Yes. There are several reliable ways to find out without spoiling the surprise, and Sharon will walk you through them. Most of her designs can also be sized after the fact within a reasonable range.

Commissions

Let's talk about the ring

Tell Sharon what you know — a budget, a stone, a shape, a person. The first conversation costs nothing and there is no obligation at the end of it. Everything you share is kept strictly confidential.

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