Testimonials
I've never been in this situation before (and hope to never have to do this again), I wanted to get it right the first time. Not knowing anything about the process, I needed to speak with someone whom I could trust with discretion, and whom I could trust with designing a ring that would express my feelings for the woman that I love.
"Thomas came to my office, which in itself is a miracle, as I worked on a trading desk, and would be far too busy to make the trip uptown for the necessary consultations. The designs he showed me of rings made in the past gave me the confidence to trust his judgment and taste, and the fact that he had made many - I would say hundreds - of pictures of tulips and other flowers gave me the inspiration to trust him on a design that he had in mind that incorporated their form. It turned out that tulips are my fiancé’s favorite flower! When he finally came by with the finished product, I was immediately struck by how modern it looked, and how utterly classic it looked at the same time. A simple, clean design, it elegantly expressed my feelings for my bride-to-be, and I knew that she would love the design as much as I did. I was taking a chance on this, because she really wanted a Tiffany design, but I trusted Thomas' take on this ring, and it turned out that I had nothing to worry about.
I am incredibly pleased with how everything turned out and I was even more pleased with how pleasantly the whole ring experience turned out to be. We are both looking forward to having Thomas design and execute our wedding bands, as well.
DARRELL
We needed an engagement ring with a unique,inspired design.We were not looking for a lot of bling,but instead for a setting that takes the bride's love of the art nouveau style and transforms it into something timeless that we will appreciate every time we look at it.When we met with Thomas for the first time,we had already spoken with four other designers who did not understand what we were looking for in this ring. We came prepared with some pictures of architectural and furniture designs and some drawings capturing her ideas of how the designs could work in a ring. Thomas Immediately picked up on her ideas very quickly and gave us the confidence that he was the right person to design and craft the ring. Thomas led the design and build process with creative yet tasteful additions,sensible recommendations {based on his extensive experience}, and robust communication, including emails with his drawings,photos, and wax models. He clearly set out options including size,metal,detailing and polishing. Throughout the process, Thomas remained available to new thoughts/ideas and responsive via email,phone, and text. In the end the ring is a symbol of our love for each other, and we would have accepted each other without it. But to have a beautiful ring that was designed specifically for her, based n her art-inspired yet vague ideas, made it a special part of our journey together. Very special thanks to Thomas for understanding and transforming our own inspiration into a stunning work of art that we will cherish for the rest of our lives and that she will continue to wear with delight.
ED & ULRIKE
We can't thank you enough for the very special part you played in our special day. Your creativity, generosity, and friendship are so greatly appreciated, and we truly treasure your friendship. People said we were crazy and that it couldn't be done but they were and done well at that. Thank you again, every time we look at our rings we think of you.
PHIL & JEN
'If you desire to give something special or create a piece of jewelry that stands out as not only unique, but as original in design and beauty-I can't say enough about the jewelry of Thomas Kurilla at Kurilla Design. From the engagement ring he designed for my wife, to the countless other pieces he's created for us over the years, Thomas' concern for detail and his imagination have made each piece for us precious.''
CLINT
"We wanted something original, especially in the engagement ring. Different but simple. Elegant and something that almost fit her personality as well as her hand. Something that would speak strongly without being showy. The ring looks absolutely beautiful and even better on her hand. It accentuates the stone making it look larger and more beautiful. We've answered the question, "where did you get that beautiful ring?" many, many times....
ERIC & KERRI
My mom had to have both her wedding band and engagement ring cut off. Since this happened close to her 50th anniversary, she decided she would like an entirely new ring. She provided a picture of the type of ring she'd like, along with the other bands, in the hopes that someone could turn the old into the new.
I and some jewelers spent months looking through rings trying to find a commercial design that would match her desires, but none came close, so we approached Thomas to design a ring, based on the two pictures that best showed what my mom would like. Once Thomas understood the design, he made a wax design that perfectly encapsulated everything, including fitting in her 1 carat diamond.
My mom received the ring from my dad at their 50th anniversary celebration and loved it immediately. She said it was exactly as she hoped.
MATT
The thought of selecting a design for an engagement ring, quite frankly, terrified me. All I knew is that I wanted to ensure the ring I gave Amanda would be the one she cherished and wore for the rest of her life. After speaking with several of her close friends, we decided to consult Thomas Kurilla about what Amanda preferred in a ring. Thomas deftly walked us through each step of the process, asking all the right questions we couldn't think of on our own to figure out exactly what it was Amanda desired for an engagement ring.
I wasn't exactly starting from scratch - I had inherited my grandmother's engagement ring, which is approximately 60 years old. I knew next to nothing about it. All I knew was I wanted to use the 1.25 carat diamond as a way of connecting Amanda to my family, but reset the diamond in a ring that was truly Amanda's. Thomas worked closely with me, educating me about my grandmother's ring and how we could use portions of it to create the ring of Amanda's dreams. Some designers would want to just create the ring and use their own materials, but he was sensitive to my desire to somehow incorporate my heirloom into the ring. Thomas was quick to respond, patiently answered all my questions, and was able to create a ring beyond my wildest expectations. I couldn't be any more satisfied with the ring, and will definitely turn to him for my future jewelry needs.
CHRISTOPHER
Thomas was great to deal with through the entire design process of our engagement ring design. We came to him with a few ideas and he helped steer us in the right direction and made a few variations of the design based on our feedback without any problems. We love the result and will be working with him again.