“The bridal space can feel a bit stuffy at times. I like to think that we bring fresh designs and concepts into the bridal realm.”
When I look down at my wedding bands waiting patiently to be worn, I still can’t believe they were created especially for me – and all without an in-person consultation. All I can really do (until my upcoming wedding next year), is admire them, try them on, and reminisce about the process of dreaming them up with bespoke jeweler Jillian Sassone of Marrow Fine. Sassone came up with the idea of customization for her clients when she received compliments at the nail salon on her grandmother’s opal. She had reworked it with a headdress of black diamonds and a pop of turquoise. Repurposing family heirloom stones is nothing new, but Sassone has a really good eye and incredible imagination for incorporating surprising elements into her pieces to infuse them with personality. Those around her take note. “I left the salon with two customers that day, and the rest is history,” she told me of getting her start in the industry.
Personally, I wanted in as soon as I discovered the brand because I was a bride-to-be with a teeny, tiny problem: my engagement ring is silver, and frankly, I frickin’ love gold. Should I have thought about that before DMing my future husband all the platinum inspiration I could find on Instagram ahead of our engagement? Probably. But for some reason I was hung up on the theory that diamonds and sapphires look better set in silver – a theory I now find to be completely untrue. I do love my engagement ring and I never want to change it, but I was hoping to incorporate gold somehow with the addition of a wedding band (who says you can’t mix metals in your ring stack?).
After scoping out Sassone’s past creations, I knew I wanted to work with her for a couple reasons. 1) She has options for brides on a budget! “If a giant diamond isn’t feasible right now, who cares? There are so many other ways to elevate your bridal stack without breaking the bank. There are a lot of alternative gemstones that are not as expensive as white diamonds,” she said. 2) Sassone can work virtually with anyone via video chat and has been for years, for those who aren’t close to the shop’s Southern California locations. Her team is dedicated and thorough about firming up inspiration, design details, timeline, and budget, and there’s even a strategic approach to sizing Marrow takes by shipping wax models, which I’ve outlined ahead.
Ultimately, I ended up with a bridal stack so meaningful to me because of Sassone’s attention to my taste for eccentricity. And even if your style doesn’t match up to mine, she can still catch the vibes you’re sending out. “The bridal space can feel a bit stuffy at times. I like to think that we bring fresh designs and concepts into the bridal realm, without feeling too exclusive or ‘hipster’ to the brides out there who love classic and simple looks. We have a little something sparkly for everyone, regardless of what type of bride you are,” she said. When it came to helping me fine-tune my own aesthetic, she was certainly spot on. Scroll to learn more about her method.
Related: 17 Stylish Engagement Rings Exchanged by LGBTQ+ Couples Around the World
