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ALEX GULKO
Custom Jewelry
Custom Jewelry
RECENT DESIGNS PORTFOLIO
Designing with a gem as captivating as this fine ruby is always a joy. I discovered this 2.5ct “pigeon blood” beauty at my last Tucson 2025 gem show. Guided by my client\'s taste and vision, it became a stunning platinum ring "Princess in Red", accented with diamonds and rubies—a piece that tells a story of passion and elegance.
Introducing a masterpiece from the heart!
Every piece of jewelry tells a story, but this one is truly special. Proud to unveil a stunning necklace and earrings set, with opals, designed and handcrafted for my daughter Vicky. She chose opals for this set, as it is one of her favorite gemstones. Their iridescent charm became the centerpiece of our design. From rough sketches to computer rendering, she was involved every step of the way. With her feedback I iterated on the initial design until the final piece was exactly to her tastes, so we could create a statement piece she would wear for many years to come. To enhance the hues and sparkle of the Opal, demantoid garnets and diamonds were added.
The earrings feature removable opal charms. This gives the option to be worn as a more simple style or add the vibrant pop of color of the opals. It\'s not just jewelry; it\'s a testament to the beautiful bond of family and the artistry of love.
A special project: a custom-designed necklace and earrings set for my eldest daughter, Katie. We chose high-quality Burmese peridots—rare, vivid green, and getting harder to find each year. Together, we designed the set to reflect Katie’s personal style: elegant with just the right amount of sparkle. Accented with diamonds and brilliant demantoid garnets I sourced at the Tucson 2025 gem show, every detail has meaning. I picked out those garnets with my daughters in mind, knowing they’d eventually become something beautiful.
This is what I love about custom jewelry—every piece tells a story. Whether you’re designing for yourself or someone you love, the result is always more than just an accessory. It’s something lasting.
A client asked me to recreate a lost swan pendant for his wife—this time, more refined and meaningful. The centerpiece is a breathtaking ametrine, custom-cut by master gem cutter Thomas Trozzo to resemble a serene lake, complete with subtle bubbles and ripples. The swan was meticulously designed from scratch, then hand-engraved to capture each feather’s detail, with diamond eyes adding a final spark of life.
Banjo pendant—a fun and surprisingly complex custom project.
At nearly 3 inches, the challenge was keeping it lightweight without sacrificing detail. It took both jewelry skill and some serious problem-solving—from setting the opal to tightening the white gold strings. Finding a high-quality white opal of this size (and within budget) was no small feat either, especially with prices climbing lately.
When I showed the finished piece to my 9-year-old grandson, he looked up and asked, “Can it play banjo music?” Not quite—but it sure plays a tune in gold and fire
Facebook video:
Click here
This bold statement necklace is set in 14k white gold and holds a fine 12.5ct Pakistani Peridot. The peridot is symmetrically balance between green Tsavorite garnets and shimmery white diamonds.
Inspired by a beautiful garden on the Caribbean island of Martinique, this "Flower Princess" ring is all about the gorgeous 4.3ct Tsavorite Garnet cut by world famous gem cutter Vlad Yavorskyy. This lucky green garnet beholds a garden below that is blooming in lily white diamonds and fine green Tsavorite garnets, all lovingly planted in an 18k white and yellow gold hand crafted masterpiece.
Sapphires are among the most valuable precious gems. We offer all colors of the rainbow with blue, pink and orange being most in demand. They are lower in price than colored diamonds. Naturally, sapphires make an excellent substitute for setting a more costly colored diamond in an engagement ring. (We have created many beautiful sapphire engagement rings in response to this trend and because sapphires are highly durable, rated 9 on the Mohs scale compared to 10 for diamond, they are ideal for wearing every day.) This 4ct hot pink sapphire was purchased at the Tucson 2015 Gem Show, set in an 18k gold contemporary setting and accentuated with ideal cut diamonds.
This 14k white gold, open-form pendant and earring set shines a spotlight on three perfectly matched lime-green cushion cut Pakistani Peridots. Sharing the playbill are over two dozen supporting role ideal cut, ice white, bead set diamonds. Talk about a Best Play! Play of color, that is...but if ever there was a jewelry category for a Tony, this set would surely be nominated!
This 25ct Lew Wackler fancy cut, gorgeous honey colored Citrine is set in a bold 14k yellow and white gold setting that includes a sizeable trillion shaped Yellow Sapphire the color of a fine Chardonnay and neary two dozen graduated channel set ideal cut Diamonds.
(Left) Blue Star Sapphire 8.2ct in platinum with diamonds. This very rare quality star sapphire is exceptionally clean and transparent with a prominent single star seen from above.
(Right) A 2ct diamond in hand engraved platinum with filigree, with white and black diamonds.
(Left) Fine quality chrysoprase in hand engraved 14k yellow gold with diamonds. This apple-green chrysoprase is a gemstone variety of chalcedony. If you like the look of imperial jade, but have a modest budget, chrysoprase is an excellent substitute.
(Right) Finest quality natural corals set in hand engraved 14k yellow gold with diamonds...designed for my wife.
This rare quality 3ct fine Burmese ruby was purchased at the Tucson 2013 Gem Show. Burma is the source of the most valuable rubies, but all high quality rubies have been depleted there. The brightest and most coveted ruby color is called "pigeon\'s blood". The center ruby in this ring is a certified "pigeon\'s blood" color grade. The ruby is set in 18k white and yellow gold with smaller rubies and bead set diamonds. Ruby is the birthstone of July. The name originates from rubeus, Latin for red. Rubies have been celebrated in the bible as the most precious stone and in ancient Sanskrit writings rubies were called ratnaraj, meaning "King of the Precious Gems."
A customer brought in an Imperial Topaz bracelet that had been reset twice by other jewelers, but she was never satisfied, or happy, with the results. She had dreamed of a hand-crafted antique style ring. After a consultation, we designed a Victorian style hand-engraved ring to showcase her gems. The setting was specially designed to mask the window effect of the topaz. She was not only able to get the antique ring she had desired, but could finally enjoy her topaz in a setting she loved.
Our customer was inspired by Victorian and Art Nouveau jewelry and loved blue sapphires. We created an Edwardian style pendant and matching earrings using a special extra white alloy 14K gold to accentuate the pristine quality of the blue Ceylon sapphires. White diamonds paired with hand-engraved fine details make this set sparkle from afar.
A gentleman customer who inherited rings from his beloved and admired father wanted to reuse the metal and retain the design features in a revived wedding band. Hand-engraved, two tone metal set with diamonds are incorporated to retain all of the fond memories our customer has of his father.
Black Tahitian pearls in this 14.5mm size are scarcely found in such impeccable quality. With gems of this quality it was important to create a design that showcased them well. This pendant and ring was made with 18k white gold, coupled with black and white diamonds using a unique texture to resemble silk fabric. This set is available for sale.
Spinel was called the daughter of ruby. Beautiful gems like this one, were identified as rubies until the late 1700’s when they were recognized to be a separate gem - spinel. “Famous rubies” like the 170 ct. Black Prince Ruby that dominates the British Imperial Crown was discovered to be a magnificent spinel! Recently, spinel has found an enthusiastic following due to their unique electric vibrant color, clarity and durability. This beautiful 5.5 ct. red spinel was purchased at the Tuscon Gem Show for a client who only selects rare gems. This ring magically suspends this beautiful spinel above ruby and diamond accents and is set in 18k yellow gold and platinum.
A customer wanted a pair of earrings designed to represent a flower that had a special meaning for him – the Mai Vang. This spectacular yellow flower is very popular in southern Vietnam, where it is purchased during Têt, the Vietnamese New Year. Several different techniques, including hand-engraving and hand-texturing were used to bring the delicately petaled blossoms to life. Earrings in platinum set with diamonds.
To celebrate their anniversary, our customers wanted to replace an original engagement ring reusing its 0.50 ct marquise diamond in the new ring. Our goal was to create a dramatic and substantial looking contemporary ring, but they did not want the marquis to become overpowered by the new setting. The solution was to create a design using pave-set round diamonds under the marquise to achieve the illusion of a larger diamond while not detracting from its beauty.
Our annual trip to the International Gem Show in Tucson offered our customer a great opportunity on this rare 5.1ct Paraiba tourmaline. It is a gem of unique color and exceptional quality purchased for a price that would be hard to match anywhere else. Designed with the goal of appealing to our customer\'s taste, and highlighting the beauty of the stone, the ring was created in platinum with round diamonds and large fancy-cut shield diamonds on each side of the tourmaline.
Our customer had two unworn bracelets sitting untouched in her jewelry box. She wanted to combine them into a single statement piece that could be worn comfortably every day using her gold and diamonds. The computer rendered design was so realistic she couldn’t wait to put the bangle on. Notice how the diamonds appear to be graduated sizes - they are actually all the same size - even the solitaire! A special technique was used in setting the single diamond to make it appear larger. This technique was developed through years of experience and applying my background in physics and engineering.
Our customer wanted a special gift for his girlfriend to celebrate his commitment to her. He brought in one of her favorite pendants to give some direction to the design. It seemed she liked antique jewelry and sapphires. The pendant we designed was in a heart shape, completely hand engraved and set with a beautiful Ceylon sapphire accented with diamonds in white gold.
Our customer wished to present his fiancée with a ring that incorporated sapphires from a family heirloom yet represented something uniquely theirs. They had spent the past several years in France and enjoyed the French Impressionists. “Starry Night” by Van Gogh was their favorite. The ring was designed inspired by this painting and using elements of the Art Nouveau style which was a parallel movement to Impressionism.
My customer had a goal in mind to create a pendant with the feeling of an heirloom piece using a delicate porcelain miniature she purchased in France. It was important to design a frame that would match the 19th century style of the painting. We created an heirloom look and feel using old world, elaborate hand-engraving and setting tiny diamonds in the rich hue of 18k gold.
We hope the Recent Design portfolio inspires your own custom design ideas, but if you would like our help, please contact us. And, see more one-of-a-kind creations in our other Jewelry Portfolios and our online store.
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Designing with a gem as captivating as this fine ruby is always a joy. I discovered this 2.5ct “pigeon blood” beauty at my last Tucson 2025 gem show. Guided by my client's taste and vision, it became a stunning platinum ring "Princess in Red", accented with diamonds and rubies—a piece that tells a story of passion and elegance.
We hope the Recent Design portfolio inspires your own custom design ideas, but if you would like our help, please contact us. And, see more one-of-a-kind creations in our other Jewelry Portfolios and our online store. |
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Designing with a gem as captivating as this fine ruby is always a joy. I discovered this 2.5ct “pigeon blood” beauty at my last Tucson 2025 gem show. Guided by my client\'s taste and vision, it became a stunning platinum ring "Princess in Red", accented with diamonds and rubies—a piece that tells a story of passion and elegance.
Introducing a masterpiece from the heart!
Every piece of jewelry tells a story, but this one is truly special. Proud to unveil a stunning necklace and earrings set, with opals, designed and handcrafted for my daughter Vicky. She chose opals for this set, as it is one of her favorite gemstones. Their iridescent charm became the centerpiece of our design. From rough sketches to computer rendering, she was involved every step of the way. With her feedback I iterated on the initial design until the final piece was exactly to her tastes, so we could create a statement piece she would wear for many years to come. To enhance the hues and sparkle of the Opal, demantoid garnets and diamonds were added.
The earrings feature removable opal charms. This gives the option to be worn as a more simple style or add the vibrant pop of color of the opals. It\'s not just jewelry; it\'s a testament to the beautiful bond of family and the artistry of love.
A special project: a custom-designed necklace and earrings set for my eldest daughter, Katie. We chose high-quality Burmese peridots—rare, vivid green, and getting harder to find each year. Together, we designed the set to reflect Katie’s personal style: elegant with just the right amount of sparkle. Accented with diamonds and brilliant demantoid garnets I sourced at the Tucson 2025 gem show, every detail has meaning. I picked out those garnets with my daughters in mind, knowing they’d eventually become something beautiful.
This is what I love about custom jewelry—every piece tells a story. Whether you’re designing for yourself or someone you love, the result is always more than just an accessory. It’s something lasting.
A client asked me to recreate a lost swan pendant for his wife—this time, more refined and meaningful. The centerpiece is a breathtaking ametrine, custom-cut by master gem cutter Thomas Trozzo to resemble a serene lake, complete with subtle bubbles and ripples. The swan was meticulously designed from scratch, then hand-engraved to capture each feather’s detail, with diamond eyes adding a final spark of life.
Banjo pendant—a fun and surprisingly complex custom project.
At nearly 3 inches, the challenge was keeping it lightweight without sacrificing detail. It took both jewelry skill and some serious problem-solving—from setting the opal to tightening the white gold strings. Finding a high-quality white opal of this size (and within budget) was no small feat either, especially with prices climbing lately.
When I showed the finished piece to my 9-year-old grandson, he looked up and asked, “Can it play banjo music?” Not quite—but it sure plays a tune in gold and fire
Facebook video:
Click here
This bold statement necklace is set in 14k white gold and holds a fine 12.5ct Pakistani Peridot. The peridot is symmetrically balance between green Tsavorite garnets and shimmery white diamonds.
Inspired by a beautiful garden on the Caribbean island of Martinique, this "Flower Princess" ring is all about the gorgeous 4.3ct Tsavorite Garnet cut by world famous gem cutter Vlad Yavorskyy. This lucky green garnet beholds a garden below that is blooming in lily white diamonds and fine green Tsavorite garnets, all lovingly planted in an 18k white and yellow gold hand crafted masterpiece.
Sapphires are among the most valuable precious gems. We offer all colors of the rainbow with blue, pink and orange being most in demand. They are lower in price than colored diamonds. Naturally, sapphires make an excellent substitute for setting a more costly colored diamond in an engagement ring. (We have created many beautiful sapphire engagement rings in response to this trend and because sapphires are highly durable, rated 9 on the Mohs scale compared to 10 for diamond, they are ideal for wearing every day.) This 4ct hot pink sapphire was purchased at the Tucson 2015 Gem Show, set in an 18k gold contemporary setting and accentuated with ideal cut diamonds.
This 14k white gold, open-form pendant and earring set shines a spotlight on three perfectly matched lime-green cushion cut Pakistani Peridots. Sharing the playbill are over two dozen supporting role ideal cut, ice white, bead set diamonds. Talk about a Best Play! Play of color, that is...but if ever there was a jewelry category for a Tony, this set would surely be nominated!
This 25ct Lew Wackler fancy cut, gorgeous honey colored Citrine is set in a bold 14k yellow and white gold setting that includes a sizeable trillion shaped Yellow Sapphire the color of a fine Chardonnay and neary two dozen graduated channel set ideal cut Diamonds.
(Left) Blue Star Sapphire 8.2ct in platinum with diamonds. This very rare quality star sapphire is exceptionally clean and transparent with a prominent single star seen from above.
(Right) A 2ct diamond in hand engraved platinum with filigree, with white and black diamonds.
(Left) Fine quality chrysoprase in hand engraved 14k yellow gold with diamonds. This apple-green chrysoprase is a gemstone variety of chalcedony. If you like the look of imperial jade, but have a modest budget, chrysoprase is an excellent substitute.
(Right) Finest quality natural corals set in hand engraved 14k yellow gold with diamonds...designed for my wife.
This rare quality 3ct fine Burmese ruby was purchased at the Tucson 2013 Gem Show. Burma is the source of the most valuable rubies, but all high quality rubies have been depleted there. The brightest and most coveted ruby color is called "pigeon\'s blood". The center ruby in this ring is a certified "pigeon\'s blood" color grade. The ruby is set in 18k white and yellow gold with smaller rubies and bead set diamonds. Ruby is the birthstone of July. The name originates from rubeus, Latin for red. Rubies have been celebrated in the bible as the most precious stone and in ancient Sanskrit writings rubies were called ratnaraj, meaning "King of the Precious Gems."
A customer brought in an Imperial Topaz bracelet that had been reset twice by other jewelers, but she was never satisfied, or happy, with the results. She had dreamed of a hand-crafted antique style ring. After a consultation, we designed a Victorian style hand-engraved ring to showcase her gems. The setting was specially designed to mask the window effect of the topaz. She was not only able to get the antique ring she had desired, but could finally enjoy her topaz in a setting she loved.
Our customer was inspired by Victorian and Art Nouveau jewelry and loved blue sapphires. We created an Edwardian style pendant and matching earrings using a special extra white alloy 14K gold to accentuate the pristine quality of the blue Ceylon sapphires. White diamonds paired with hand-engraved fine details make this set sparkle from afar.
A gentleman customer who inherited rings from his beloved and admired father wanted to reuse the metal and retain the design features in a revived wedding band. Hand-engraved, two tone metal set with diamonds are incorporated to retain all of the fond memories our customer has of his father.
Black Tahitian pearls in this 14.5mm size are scarcely found in such impeccable quality. With gems of this quality it was important to create a design that showcased them well. This pendant and ring was made with 18k white gold, coupled with black and white diamonds using a unique texture to resemble silk fabric. This set is available for sale.
Spinel was called the daughter of ruby. Beautiful gems like this one, were identified as rubies until the late 1700’s when they were recognized to be a separate gem - spinel. “Famous rubies” like the 170 ct. Black Prince Ruby that dominates the British Imperial Crown was discovered to be a magnificent spinel! Recently, spinel has found an enthusiastic following due to their unique electric vibrant color, clarity and durability. This beautiful 5.5 ct. red spinel was purchased at the Tuscon Gem Show for a client who only selects rare gems. This ring magically suspends this beautiful spinel above ruby and diamond accents and is set in 18k yellow gold and platinum.
A customer wanted a pair of earrings designed to represent a flower that had a special meaning for him – the Mai Vang. This spectacular yellow flower is very popular in southern Vietnam, where it is purchased during Têt, the Vietnamese New Year. Several different techniques, including hand-engraving and hand-texturing were used to bring the delicately petaled blossoms to life. Earrings in platinum set with diamonds.
To celebrate their anniversary, our customers wanted to replace an original engagement ring reusing its 0.50 ct marquise diamond in the new ring. Our goal was to create a dramatic and substantial looking contemporary ring, but they did not want the marquis to become overpowered by the new setting. The solution was to create a design using pave-set round diamonds under the marquise to achieve the illusion of a larger diamond while not detracting from its beauty.
Our annual trip to the International Gem Show in Tucson offered our customer a great opportunity on this rare 5.1ct Paraiba tourmaline. It is a gem of unique color and exceptional quality purchased for a price that would be hard to match anywhere else. Designed with the goal of appealing to our customer\'s taste, and highlighting the beauty of the stone, the ring was created in platinum with round diamonds and large fancy-cut shield diamonds on each side of the tourmaline.
Our customer had two unworn bracelets sitting untouched in her jewelry box. She wanted to combine them into a single statement piece that could be worn comfortably every day using her gold and diamonds. The computer rendered design was so realistic she couldn’t wait to put the bangle on. Notice how the diamonds appear to be graduated sizes - they are actually all the same size - even the solitaire! A special technique was used in setting the single diamond to make it appear larger. This technique was developed through years of experience and applying my background in physics and engineering.
Our customer wanted a special gift for his girlfriend to celebrate his commitment to her. He brought in one of her favorite pendants to give some direction to the design. It seemed she liked antique jewelry and sapphires. The pendant we designed was in a heart shape, completely hand engraved and set with a beautiful Ceylon sapphire accented with diamonds in white gold.
Our customer wished to present his fiancée with a ring that incorporated sapphires from a family heirloom yet represented something uniquely theirs. They had spent the past several years in France and enjoyed the French Impressionists. “Starry Night” by Van Gogh was their favorite. The ring was designed inspired by this painting and using elements of the Art Nouveau style which was a parallel movement to Impressionism.
My customer had a goal in mind to create a pendant with the feeling of an heirloom piece using a delicate porcelain miniature she purchased in France. It was important to design a frame that would match the 19th century style of the painting. We created an heirloom look and feel using old world, elaborate hand-engraving and setting tiny diamonds in the rich hue of 18k gold.
We hope the Recent Design portfolio inspires your own custom design ideas, but if you would like our help, please contact us. And, see more one-of-a-kind creations in our other Jewelry Portfolios and our online store.