In our Behind the Craft series, we’re taking you inside our workshop in Brisbane, Australia, where our dedicated team works.
At Michael Hill, several of our exclusive Bridal Collections feature pieces which are crafted or hand-finished in our Australian workshop – including our exquisite LAB. Certified Sustainable Laboratory-Grown Diamonds by Michael Hill Collection.
The beautiful, premium-grade laboratory-grown diamonds for this Collection are grown in cutting-edge laboratories by our suppliers. The process for creating them emulates the forces and conditions of Earth that cause natural diamonds to form; making laboratory-grown diamonds a wonder of modern innovation and incredible beauty. The laboratory-grown diamonds available at Michael Hill are also certified sustainable and climate neutral, in accordance with the SCS-007 Jewelry Sustainability Standard Series – Sustainability Rated Diamond from SCS Global Services.
Several pieces in this Collection are crafted entirely in-house in Australia, including the solitaire and three-stone engagement rings; some others including the halo and side accent rings have their centre stone hand-set within our workshop.
Here’s your insider’s look at the process for rings crafted in their entirety in our Australian workshop:
The ring begins with a 3D CAD design. We use the latest technology to create precision designs. Several of our key team members are involved in ensuring the Master design is perfect; including our CAD designer, diamond sorter, diamond setter, jeweller, caster, engraver, and polisher.
Once all team members are satisfied the design is perfect, we print a resin mould of the Master using a 3D printer.
The next step is producing the design in precious metal. Our caster will add the appropriate amount of pure gold and alloy metals to our state-of-the-art casting machine to create the gold for the rings to the exact caratage and desired colour (such as yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold). The molten metal fills the space left by the melted resin moulds, to render the Master design in precious gold.
Our quality control professionals conduct an audit to ensure the gold content is true and correct, before the rings move onto the next stage.
Our qualified jewellers take the rings to refine them by hand, using tools such as files, emery sticks, intricate mops and brushes. For two-piece designs, the jeweller also uses gold solder to attach the setting (also known as the collet, this is the piece that will hold the diamond) to the ring shank. This requires pin-point accuracy, and our jewellers hold years of training and experience to complete this task.
Our expert diamond sorters will then hand-select the stones for the ring, for the perfect match of size, colour, and clarity.
Once the stones have been selected, the ring moves to our highly skilled diamond setters. It takes years of training and experience to specialise as a diamond setter, and our in-house artisans forge their own hand tools allowing them to precisely and securely mount the stone or stones into their setting.
Once the stones are set, the ring undergoes an intensive quality control check.
9. The ring is then laser-engraved and receives final polishing and precious rhodium plating.
10. The final, and crucial step, is quality control. It is only once our quality control professionals give the piece a final, thorough check and sign-off that these beautiful rings make their way into the Michael Hill box.
Discover the exclusive Collection:
Explore the stunning LAB. Certified Sustainable Laboratory-Grown Diamonds by Michael Hill Collection today. Discover now ›