Getting two rings to sit flush against each other is a different problem from buying either one on its own. An engagement ring with a low bezel, a halo, or a pointed stone such as a pear or marquise pushes a straight band away from it, leaving a gap along the finger. The answer is a contour band, also called a curved, shadow, or notched band, shaped to follow the profile of the ring it sits beside.
The shape varies with the ring. A gentle scallop suits a rounded profile, a deeper V or chevron wraps the tip of a pear or marquise, and a single notch accommodates an asymmetric or east-west setting. Because the band has to be matched to one specific ring, this is work for a jeweler who can measure or model your existing piece. The eight below all take that on, and are listed in no particular order.
1. Robinhood Diamonds
Working from its own Diamond District workshop, Robinhood Diamonds uses 3D scanning to capture the exact shape of a ring you already own, then models the new band around it in CAD before anything is cast. You approve the render first, so the fit is settled on screen rather than at the bench.
Because design and manufacturing happen in the same place, adjustments can be made mid-project. Diamond wedding bands are made to order in 14K gold, 18K gold, or platinum, with GIA or IGI certified stones and a lifetime warranty.
Suits anyone who wants the band built around their actual ring rather than selected from stock curves.
2. Frank Darling
Founded in 2017 and based in Brooklyn, Frank Darling designs custom bands with lab-grown and conflict-free stones, working through video or in its studio. Its at-home try-on program is useful here, since a curve that looks right in a photograph is easier to judge once it is against your own ring.
Suits shoppers who want to test how a shape sits before committing to a custom build.
3. Ken & Dana Design
A New York studio handcrafting custom bands in the city since 2003, using recycled metals with conflict-free or lab-grown stones. The company is unusually direct about constraints, publishing how much a finished ring can be adjusted and which designs cannot be resized at all, which matters when a band is being shaped to one particular ring.
Suits shoppers who want the practical limits spelled out before they order.
4. Greenwich St. Jewelers
This Tribeca boutique, opened in 1976 by Carl and Milly Gandia and now run by their daughters Jennifer Gandia and Christina Gandia Gambale, has kept a master jeweler service since the founders’ era. That in-house bench work is what allows a band to be fitted to a ring bought elsewhere.
Suits shoppers bringing in a ring from another jeweler and wanting hands-on guidance.
5. Marisa Perry Atelier
Established in 2002 in downtown Manhattan, Marisa Perry Atelier is known for micro pavé, including very fine diamond bands. A slim, closely set band is often the easiest way to close a gap without adding height next to a tall setting.
Suits shoppers pairing a delicate band with a prominent center stone.
6. Catbird
Rony Vardi opened Catbird in Williamsburg in 2004, and production now runs from a studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yard using recycled 14K gold. Its approach favors slim bands designed to be worn several at a time, which is a different way of solving the same problem: build the stack around the ring rather than matching a single curve to it.
Suits shoppers planning to add bands gradually over the years.
7. Mociun
Founded in 2006 by Caitlin Mociun and based in Brooklyn, this studio works with unusual stones and asymmetric arrangements, handling custom projects by appointment. Rings of that kind rarely pair with a stock band, which makes a studio accustomed to irregular profiles worth knowing about.
Suits shoppers whose engagement ring is asymmetric or set east-west.
8. Nekta New York
A New York jeweler making custom bands, Nekta works with notched designs for step cuts such as emerald and radiant, cutting a precise indentation so the engagement ring’s basket sits inside it. The studio also matches shank profiles between the two rings so the pair reads as a continuous line.
Suits shoppers with a step-cut center stone and a squared setting.
Getting the Fit Right
Whichever jeweler you choose, the process is similar. They will need your ring in hand, or detailed photographs and measurements, and they will look at the height of the setting as well as its outline, since a band that sits lower or taller than its neighbor changes how the pair looks.
It is worth mentioning early if you plan to add another band later. Designing for two diamond wedding bands from the start is more straightforward than fitting a third ring into a pair that already sits flush.
