Ring Box Pricing

If you have a general (or specific) idea of what you want your engagement ring box to look like, read the topics below and e-mail me your ideas to get a quote.

Topics covered on this page:

*  How long will it take?
*  When will you have to pay?
*  Payment Options
*  Getting a Quote
*  Factors influencing cost:
   -  Box Shape
   -  Wood Species
   -  Adding a Picture
   -  Lettering
   -  Engraving
   -  Adding Shell
   -  Adding Metal
   -  Hinges
*  Fabric Inserts
*  One of a Kind
*  Shipping Methods
*  A final thought

How long will it take?
Custom boxes can take from 2 days to 2 weeks to complete, depending on the complexity of the design.  The more time you can give me the better, however, I can normally squeeze in a rush job.  But, do not wait until the last minute to place your order as I might get very busy and not be able to accommodate you.

When will you have to pay?
I require a 50% deposit once all the design details have been sorted out.  The balance is due once the box is ready to ship.  Box prices do not include shipping.

Payment Options
Through PayPal you can pay with a credit card, a checking account or your PayPal money.  You do not need a PayPal account to use PayPal.  Simply go to www.paypal.com and click on Send Money.  My PayPal account name is my e-mail address.  This will then take you through the steps on how to pay.  They will ask you for your shipping address.  Please fill this out carefully as this is the address I will use to print the shipping label.
If you prefer to send a check, please let me know and I will e-mail you the address where to send your check.  Make checks payable to Jane Burke.

Getting a quote
You get 1 hour of FREE DESIGN TIME which includes the time it takes me to work on the design as well as time spent e-mailing and speaking to you over the phone.  If you can supply me with a graphic of the image you want on the box this should eliminate any additional costs for design work as I can normally get the design details worked out in one hour.
However, once I determine that I have spent a full hour on design and correspondence I will require a $120 retainer.  This retainer is non-refundable.  I will keep track of time spent on your box design, at a rate of $40 / hour, calculated in 15 minute increments.  If I spend 1 hour more working on your design I will take only $40 of your retainer and apply the remaining $80 towards the cost of your box.  If you however change your mind about taking the box the full retainer remains non-refundable.

Factors influencing cost:
Determining the price of the box depends on many factors, described below.

Box shape.  A plain (no picture) square ring box with brass barrel hinges is $155 plus shipping.  A plain rectangular, hexagonal, round (cylindrical) or octagonal box is $180 plus shipping.

Wood species.  The species of wood I normally use for the box construction are Mahogany, Maple, Cherry and Walnut.  There is an additional $20 charge for Ebony, Spalted Maple, Masur Birch, Koa and other exotic species for the box construction.

Adding a picture.  If I add a picture done in marquetry (using different wood species to create the image) the price will be determined by the complexity of the design.  What I take into account is the type of wood (some species are harder or more crumbly and therefore more difficult to work with), the number of pieces making up the design, and just how small or narrow the different pieces are.  Here are some examples.

Box A above has only two elements to the design, a diamond shape and a heart.  This square mahogany box with brass hinges would be around $220.
Box B has only 3 elements to the design, but the lines are quite fine so this box would be around $275.
Box C has many small pieces making up the design so this box would be $360.

Lettering.  The font style has a lot to do with the cost of the box.  Fonts without serifs are easier, however, if the letter is large enough I may be able to include the serifs.  Script fonts would add more to the cost.  Here are three examples.

The first A is a simple box style letter which would cost around $220.
The second A has quite fine lines and would cost around $250.
The third A I would not be able to do in marquetry as the lines are too fine.  If you want a font or an image that has fine lines it will have to be done with engraving (see below).

Engraving.  If you want your name or date engraved or highly ornate script lettering done on the box this will be $40.  It will be an additional $20 for each other surface engraved.  So, if you want engraving on the top and bottom of the box it will be $60.  Here are three examples.

I have the engraving done at a laser engraving company.  Depending on how busy they are, having the box engraved could add 2 to 7 days to the box-making process.  The engraving on all three of the boxes shown above is $40.  Engraving is typically done on the bottom of the box, however, you may choose to put the engraving on the top or on the inside lip of the box.

Adding shell.  I have natural mother of pearl and dyed shell which can be added to the design.  Below are three examples.  I cannot make lines any finer than these examples.

Box A above is made up of several pieces of mother of pearl with very fine ebony lines in between.  This is about as intricate as I can cut shell.  This would add $120 to the standard box price, not including the lavender flower.
Box B is another example of mother of pearl forming the design.  Add $80 to standard box price.
Box C is dyed abalone shell.  Add $40 to standard box price.  I have dyed abalone in yellow, red, pink, green and cream.

Adding metal.  You can have silver added to the box, if the design is not too complicated.  I cannot do fonts with serifs or fine lines in script fonts.  I also have a selection of gold and silver crosses which can be inserted into the lid - see Image C below.

Box A shows a custom emblem I made from a sheet of silver which was then inlaid into the lid of the ring box.  The 07.07.07 date was done in grey dyed wood veneer as I could not cut such small numbers from silver.  The grey dyed veneer matched the silver well.  This silver emblem would add $100 to the base cost of the box.
Box B shows a gold cross that I inserted above the elephants.  The small gold cross adds $40 to the cost of the box.
Image C shows three sterling silver crosses which can be inserted into the lid as part of a design, such as Box B, or on their own.  The larger cross will add $100 to the cost of the box, and the medium sized silver crosses would add $40.

Hinges.  The standard hinges I use in all ring boxes are brass barrel hinges.  If you want silver barrel hinges add $40.  Silver hinges are better suited to platinum, titanium and white gold rings.

Box A above shows silver barrel hinges in a Mahogany, domed square ring box.
Box B shows brass barrel hinges in a Spalted Maple hexagonal ring box.
Box C shows a square Mahogany box with silver barrel hinges and black velvet insert.

Fabric Inserts
All fabric choices are included in the base box price.  You can choose from the following colors of velvet for the ring insert; black, brown, dark blue, mauve, red or green.  See black velvet in box C above.
The slit where the ring is inserted is made so that the ring lies at a slight angle, showing the stone off better.  The groove is made to take a ring of up to 1/8" wide.  If the band is broader please let me know and I will make the groove wider.  If the ring plus stone is more than 25mm (the size of a quarter) please let me know as I will have to make slight changes to the insert.  I can also make the slot to accommodate two rings.

One of a Kind
The boxes I make really are One of a Kind, as no box exists exactly as the one custom made for you.  However, on occasion I am asked to make a box with the same picture or image as one I used in a box made for someone else.  In a case like this what I do is try to change as many elements as possible, such as the species of wood used for the box as well as the species used to make the actual design.  The boxes may end up looking similar, but never identical.

The ladybug photograph on the left was used to create both of these boxes, but by using different wood species and changing the shape of the box they do not look exactly the same.

Shipping methods
Priory Mail within the continental USA: $7 (2 to 3 business days)
Priory Mail outside the USA: $12 (8 to 12 business days)
Express Mail within the continental USA:  $24 (1 to 2 business days)
Express Mail outside the USA:  $32 (5 to 6 business days)
UPS or FedEx Ground: $16 east coast, $25 west coast
UPS or FedEx Next Day Air:  Approximately $54
Delivery date cannot be guaranteed.  Always allow a day or two more than expected as the US postal service is not always reliable.  Even UPS has been known to deliver a day late.

A Final Thought
The boxes I provide are HAND MADE by me, which means they are not mass produced by the thousands in some factory in China.  This gives them "the human element", making each one individual.  Also, they are made of wood, not plastic.  Wood is a natural material which may have flaws or blemishes.  Even though I do try to eliminate any flaws this is sometimes not entirely possible due to the nature of the specific piece of wood.  Please see these minor imperfections as part of what makes your box special, one of a kind, and hand crafted.

Questions
If you have questions or want to place an order, please e-mail Jane at jburke@gtcreations.com or call 770-456-5660 (EST).

Copyright Reserved - Created April 2000 - Greentree Creations - e-mail Jane