What a consultation actually looks like (and what you'll walk away with)
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About half the people who book a consultation tell me later they hesitated for weeks before booking. The common reason: not knowing what to expect. The word "consultation" sounds formal. People worry they're going to be pitched, pressured, or made to feel out of their depth.
Here's the honest walkthrough of how it actually goes.
Before the appointment
When you book, you'll get an email asking a few short questions. Roughly: what stone are you considering, do you have a budget range in mind, is this for a surprise proposal or planning it together. None of these are required, but the more I know going in, the more useful the consultation is.
If you're proposing as a surprise and don't have your partner's ring size, that's totally fine. We'll talk through how to get the size discreetly.
If you have a Pinterest board or photos of rings you like, send them ahead. Visual references help me prepare the right samples to have ready.
At the studio
The studio is on Level 7 at 80 Dorcas Street in Southbank. There's a buzzer at the building entrance. The studio itself is private, one couple at a time, no shared spaces.
When you arrive, you'll usually meet me. The first ten minutes are mostly conversation, not selling. I want to understand what brought you in, what you've already considered, and what's important to you. Aesthetic, ethical, budget, practical, all of it.
Then we move to the actual showing of stones and rings.
What you'll see
Depending on what you've expressed interest in, I'll have samples ready in:
- Lab grown diamond stones in different cuts (round, oval, emerald, etc.) and carat weights
- Moissanite stones in the same range
- Sample rings in different metal colours (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, platinum)
- Sample rings in different settings (solitaire, halo, three-stone, vintage-style)
You'll be able to try them on. Different shapes and styles on your finger tell you much more than photos ever can. Most clients have a clear sense of what they like and don't like within 15 minutes of trying things on.
The honest conversations
If you're choosing between two stones, two budgets, or two designs, this is where the real work of the consultation happens. We'll talk through trade-offs:
- Cost vs carat size
- Lab grown diamond vs moissanite (with both in front of you for comparison)
- How a particular setting will wear over time
- Whether a specific design suits the wearer's lifestyle and existing jewellery
I'm direct about what's a good idea and what isn't. If you're stretching the budget for a stone that's not going to look noticeably different to a cheaper one, I'll tell you. If a design isn't going to hold up to the wearer's lifestyle, I'll tell you. The point isn't to maximise what you spend. It's to help you make a decision you'll feel good about for decades.
The custom design conversation
If you're going custom (most of our clients are), we'll talk through:
- What you want the ring to look like (we'll start sketching or pulling references)
- Stone choice and metal choice
- Setting details, prong style, band shape
- Approximate cost
- Timeline (usually 3-6 weeks, faster if needed)
You don't need to know what you want before you come in. Most clients arrive with a rough idea and leave with a clear direction. The design work happens over the following days via email, with renderings sent for approval before anything is made.
What you'll leave with
By the end of a 45-minute consultation, most clients have:
- A clear sense of which stone (lab diamond, moissanite, or otherwise) they want
- A confirmed shape and approximate carat weight
- A confirmed metal and setting style
- An approximate budget
- A timeline
For most clients, that's enough to confidently start the design. For others, you'll go home, think about it, and come back later. There's no pressure to commit in the room.
You won't be asked to put down a deposit or commit to anything at the consultation. The actual order is placed separately when you're ready, after we've finalised the design.
If you can't come in person
Most consultations we do are actually video calls, not in-person. The studio is in Melbourne, but our clients are all over Australia and overseas.
Video consultations work well because I can hold stones up to the camera, talk through specifications, and walk you through the design process the same way I would in person. The only difference is you don't get to physically try on samples. We address that with measurements, photos, and sometimes a sample ring shipped to you ahead of the call.
The thing no one warns you about
The decision-making in a consultation feels surprisingly emotional. You're choosing something that's going to be on someone's hand for the rest of their life. The conversation often opens up about your partner, how you met, what you appreciate about them.
That's part of the work. The ring should feel personal, not transactional. The conversation in the studio is where that begins.
How to book
Free 30-45 minute consultations are available most weekdays and some weekends. In-person at the Southbank studio or via video call.