Vietnam "Huey" Helicopter Chain Bracelet

One day, Brian Reynolds, President of Northwest Helicopters, came into Hartley Jewelers of Olympia, Washington, with a rare and exciting custom jewelry challenge. He wanted an actual chain of the iconic 1960's Bell UH-1 "Huey" helicopter flown by American soldiers during the war in Vietnam made into a bracelet. After an extensive world wide search for an authentic tail rotor chain, he was ready to have his long desired custom jewelry piece made.

Watch how the project turned out. Learn how to buy a bracelet.

Custom Ring from Sketch to Shine

If you are looking for the ultimate expression of your unique personality, let our goldsmiths and designers create a masterpiece for you unlike any other. Our professional goldsmiths have decades of experience in creating inspiring designs and making your jewelry vision a reality. After an initial consultation, we provide you with a series of versatile hand-drawn sketches based on your ideas and wishes. Upon your approval of the design, we begin the production of your dream piece.

Please take a moment to become inspired by the pieces and stories in our gallery of custom made pieces or watch our video about how custom jewelry is made.

Seahorse Pendant

One of our customers found a very unique piece of pearl that she wished to make usable as a pendant. After several consultations, we learned her appreciation for the ocean, and decided to find a design that fit that theme, while respecting the shape and origin of the pearl. The wax here is hand-crafted and finely modified to her preferred design. It was then cast in 14k yellow gold and polished into a beautiful one-of-a kind seahorse pendant. To learn more about the way we make custom jewelry, watch our video.

Recreated After Theft (with upgrades)

Created for our customer, Jan, referring to “ring number three” was re-created – with upgraded diamonds in both the wedding ring and anniversary band – after the couple’s home was burglarized and her previous wedding set was stolen. Because we created the previous custom pieces, we had wax molds and detailed photographs to help recreate them exactly. See the first ring and read the full story here.

From Imagination to a Unique 25th Anniversary Ring

"We had always talked of doing a different ring for our 25th Wedding Anniversary and searched several jewelry stores in multiple locations but we were unable to find what something I liked. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted and found nothing that resembled that design. We did a search for custom jewelry design in our area and came up the website for Hartley Jewelers. The video on the custom design process helped us understand part of the process. We came into the store with a few images of rings showing features we liked, working with Rick, he came up with several drawings. With modifications of one of the drawings, we felt comfortable doing a wax model. Rick’s knowledge and skill helped take the image I had in my mind and create a beautiful ring. We greatly appreciate all the time he spent and are extremely happy with the end result. It is exactly what we were after."

Custom Engagement Ring with Montana Sapphire

Created from a series of drawings, sketches and photos provided to us by our customer, Amy. “DeAnn was able to take my clear vision of what we were hoping for, and then walk that line so well of giving her professional suggestions while still allowing it to be exactly what we wanted,” says Amy. “It was awesome.” The finished ring is made of white gold from jewelry that belonged to Amy’s mother, with the sapphire set in a low profile. The 3.3-carat stone is surrounded by 12 diamonds channel-set in two rows down each side. Details such as the claw-like prongs that hold the stone in place are exactly as Amy and Tyler described them in their original sketch. Read the full story here.

“The stone came from my parents, the diamonds from his parents."

The design process started with making two-dimensional sketches. When the ring design drawings satisfied Joe, the goldsmith, DeAnn Hamilton, created a wax mold. Joe approved each step of the process through photographs because he was in New York. When the design was finalized, a casting mold was made. After several more steps in the process, finally, the ring was completed. “It’s an extensive process,” explains DeAnn. “Once the custom ring is created, we destroy the mold, so it’s truly one-of-a-kind.” Read the full story here.

Custom Ring Into Memorial Crosses

Our client's husband designed their wedding rings and had us create them in 1991. When the couple married, they each already had three children. Each of the rings had their birthstone, and then three diamonds representing their three children. The husband passed away in 2012, and his wife turned to Hartley Jewelers to have his ring melted down and made into three crosses for his daughters. "I took the diamonds that represented the three girls off of his ring and put one in the center of each cross," she says of the delicate necklaces. "They turned out really beautiful," she says of the crosses, which she gave to the girls on a recent trip to Seaside, Oregon, where the family scattered the man's ashes. "Right before we headed to the beach, I handed them their crosses. I told them it was a gift from their dad and I."

Jade Ring

This customer has a cherished jade ring made in 14k yellow gold. He really wanted to give his son something special, and asked if we could duplicate this ring as a gift to him. We removed the jade from the father's ring, then cast a duplicate of the ring body. Then, we found a piece of jade that closely matched the original. From it, we cut and polished a piece to exactly match the size, shape and depth of the original. Then, we assembled everything back together and were able to make the man's wish come true with a very special family ring for his son. To learn more about the way we make custom jewelry, watch our video.

Baptismal Cross Spans Generations

Our first grandchild will be baptized tomorrow wearing an almost 100 year old gown from one side of the family and this gold nugget cross Rick Hartley made from old family jewelry on my side of the family. The cross is identical to the one I was given in 1951 for my baptism and made from gold nuggets on a brooch engraved with my great grandfather's name. Someone in the store looked up the jeweler who made the gold nugget broach in Fairbanks, giving me a little bit of history I might have overlooked - even a picture of the storefront. Just three weeks old today, our grandson is the 5th generation from his parents who owned the broach from which the cross was made. I know this little cross will be treasured and is a tangible link to previous generations who gave us life.

Gold Elk Tooth Rings to Honor Father

These rings were made and designed in cooperation with our goldsmith, Margit. After two one-on-one consultations with the customer, they settled on the perfect design. They were made from elk teeth that were obtained by an avid hunter and loving father of two boys. After his death, the elk teeth were made into these rings and given to his sons. One son received his as a graduation gift, and the other for his 21st birthday.

Sapphires from Afghanistan Meet an Unused Cocktail Ring

The sapphires in this ring were purchased by our customer while deployed in Afghanistan. The diamonds were pulled from a family cocktail ring that was never worn. The customer had the basic layout of the ring in mind, then worked with our goldsmith, DeAnn, to fine tune it. "The diamonds down the side and set in a channel was DeAnn's idea," begins our client. "It was a working relationship with both our ideas coming together. The mold she created was exactly what we discussed and agreed upon. We even traded in some gold to cut down on price. I chose Hartley Jewelers because of their unique qualifications and experience. I have other loose gems that I brought back with me from Afghanistan and Hartley Jewelers will create pieces for them in the future."

A Custom Ring to Honor the Whole Family

As I was sorting through my mother’s belongings, I discovered a number of small jewelry items – recognition pins, rings with small stones, necklaces with tangled chains, mismatched earrings, etc. Since I am the sole survivor of my family, I knew I wanted to do something special with the pieces – something that would always remind me of my parents, my older brother and my grandmother. I decided a ring would be most appropriate and would use the small rubies, very small diamonds and gold most effectively. Since my husband and I had worked with Rick Hartley on several custom jewelry pieces over the past 20+ years, I knew he would be the one to put my ideas together. It was clear from the beginning that Rick understood the emotions tied to the piece. After lengthy discussion, Rick presented several possible designs, carefully explaining how the various elements would be highlighted. The ring is absolutely gorgeous – as I knew it would be – and I will wear this “new” family treasure for many years, always remembering the loved ones who contributed to it.

Miss Washington USA 2012 Gets a Custom Pendant

Cassandra Searles, crowned Miss Washington USA, had seen a picture of a custom-made necklace worn by the reigning Miss Texas USA, in the shape of her state. “I had her send me a picture, and then showed it to Hartley Jewelers,” says Searles. “I asked if they could make something similar, of Washington State. I told them I wanted to have something to remember my year by, maybe a necklace,” says Searles. “I wanted something easily recognizable that would pay homage to my state.” With just a phone call or two and several emails back-and-forth with sketches, the custom-design process began and the pendant necklace — created by Rick Hartley — came together quickly. “My evening gown for Miss USA is going to be emerald, to represent the Emerald City,” Searles says. “I asked if we could throw some emeralds into the design, and Rick suggested incorporating a row of alternating diamonds and emeralds into the pendant.” The Space Needle was also added to the pendant, allowing the neclace to pass behind it. Read the full story here