Leon Mege, The Most Beautiful Rings In The World?
I have been ushered into an inner sanctum in the heart of the Diamond District of 47th St, NYC. And my life may never be the same.
I first stumbled upon Leon Mege and his custom platinum ring designs online. And even from images online, I could tell that his craft was at an entirely different level than most of the rest of the jewelry business.
Cushion Cut in Platinum Solitaire Setting by Leon Mege, love those double claw prongs!
The Jewelry
To say that Leon Mege makes rings would be akin to saying that Rembrandt made paintings. He can make a ring for a ridiculous-size center diamond, or make an exceptional setting for a .75 carat if you want. If he does make something for you, no one in your circle is going to have a ring remotely in the same league. Particularly if you are looking for an Asscher cut, Cushion cut, or a Halo setting, I can truly say “nobody does it better”.
The designs themselves are exceptional: a certain savant in their proportions, just the right curve here and bend there. His colored gem pieces show an amazing dexterity of form and color combination.
AGTA Award Winning Paraiba Tourmaline and Diamond Ring by Leon Mege
Beyond the designs, the execution is what truly sets Leon’s rings apart. Each ring is fabricated by hand–no molds. The proportions are worked out, then the stones all laid out, drilled, set, beaded, and finished. It takes a cadre of the most skilled craftsmen in his studio/workshop in New York some 6 weeks to make one (one!) bespoke ring.
While I was in the studio, I got to see some exceptional one-of-a-kind pieces, including the ring below. This ruby ring belongs on someone’s finger (for some reason I think it should be in LA, but maybe I’m wrong). Each “petal” started out as a sheet of silver metal. Then it has to be molded into its undulating leaf shape, and the pattern of the stones is laid out. Each tiny hole for each stone is drilled, then the rubies are set with tiny pave beads on top, and the bottom of the leaf is azured. When he started the project, Leon did not know for sure how many stones would be used, but somehow, the number of rubies came out to exactly 500. And the number of diamonds came to exactly 50. Serendipity of symmetry and balance…
Ruby and Orange Diamond Ring by Leon Mege, $35,000 Retail
The History
Leon arrived in New York City in 1988. Trained in jewelry fabrication in his native Russia, he was employed in the jewelry trade literally on his second day in the US (that should tell you something about his ambition and work ethic). He got his Gemology degrees from GIA, and eventually started his own shop here on 47th St. Up until about 2 years ago, he was the secret weapon for the most prestigious retailers in NYC, making rings for celebrities and some of the most influential glitterati in the city. But his designs deserve a name, so a couple of years ago he shifted the business from a trade-only custom shop to a private-appointment atelier selling directly to the end customer.
The shift to almost-retailer has been a very good one, giving Leon the name recognition he needs and customers direct communication with the man himself. A remarkable number of details can get lost in translation from customer to retail salesperson to the craftsman. This way, the customer gets EXACTLY what they want.
Magnificent Cold Fusion Halo Setting for a 3 Carat Cushion, Leon Mege
The Process
If you are interested in having Leon and company make a ring for you, keep in mind that this is not a traditional store. You need to follow some rules of engagement. You make an appointment. You may not see a ring at all during your visit, just images of designs. He will set your own stone, if it is appropriate for the mounting you want and can be set safely. If you need a diamond, especially a significant or unusual Cushion cut or Asscher cut, you can speak to Perry Chen, the Diamond Concierge of the business. Perry can find you the right diamond–at an extremely competitive price–and you get the synergies of working with them from sourcing the stone to the finished ring.
This is a craftsman whose name should be in the company of Faberge, and the original Cartier. Years from now, his pieces may be listed by name in auction catalogs and command those values. If you have Leon Mege make a ring for you, you can count yourself among celebrities, collectors, and connoisseurs.
Leon hard at work at the jewelry bench.
(sottovocerocks)
Hello and welcome! If you are looking for in-depth information about jewelry, you’ve come to the right place! It is my mission to give consumers unbiased jewelry information from an insider perspective.
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May 17th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Those are all stunning. My fav is the tourmaline – wow!
May 17th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I know, I am now ruined! The blackened silver on the Tourmaline ring puts it over the top.
January 10th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Beautiful settings but POORLY made and do not hold up with general wear and tear. I would not recommend this “artisan” as he refers to himself if you want your settings to last as well as be beautiful. I had two micropave bands made by Leon and my engagement stone set with him. Within two weeks, I lost a stone in my micropave band. Within the year three more stones fell out. Each time, I asked or tried to get Leon to repair or replace the stones he gave me terrible attitude blaming the shape of my finger rather than his workmanship. It has been a year and 5 months and now the worst of it..The top portion of my engagement ring that was sautered to the base portion of the ring FELL OFF!! He has been extremely uncooperative and difficult to work with and does not stand behind his work. He is arrogant and his work is below sub par.
January 11th, 2011 at 11:56 am
I’m sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with Leon. I hope that your concerns get taken care of. Your post brings up a couple of good points.
One, I would recommend talking to any jeweler you buy your ring from about maintenance issues up front, before you sign anything. It seems a little crappy to have to talk about defects before you even commit to a ring, but for intricate settings with lots of diamonds, it would be good to spell out on the receipt that diamonds falling out in the first year should be the jeweler/retailers problem. These are settings created by hand, and mistakes can happen with the prongs or seating the diamonds properly. After the first year to 2 years, ongoing problems could be a problem with the suitability of the ring for the wearer, or perhaps there is a big issue with the fabrication or casting of the ring.
Two, speaking of suitability, it would be good to discuss your lifestyle with the designer/jeweler/manufacturer to make sure you are getting a ring that will work with your life. An intricate pave setting that sits up high is not going to be compatible with some lifestyles. If you want to wear your ring and forget it, or like to stack multiple rings up on your finger, those may not be a good fit with a pave setting. I personally wear vintage, delicate, pave rings, but I take my rings off as soon as I get home and wear them carefully.
November 16th, 2011 at 10:35 am
Hi Monica,
I am just now seeing your response. I really appreciate your feedback. Unfortunately this is not turning out to be a nice ending. I’m going to have to have the ring completely redone due to the poor level of work. Metal too small to hold ring, improper sautering, etc. Also, it’s not even the micropave issue that I am so upset with. It’s the fact that the entire top of my ring with a $22,000 stone just fell off and then having to deal with Leon’s temper and unprofessional standards.
November 16th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Ruby Ring = Love
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