Give Walt Baker some gold, a diamond and a couple ideas, and he’ll craft wedding bands you won’t find on someone else’s finger.
“Generally speaking, I can basically make almost any design somebody wants,” said Baker, owner of Baker Metal Works in downtown Petoskey.
He’s been in the custom jewelry business for 30 years and over that time, he recalls several unique examples of creations brides and grooms have requested.
One pair of rings were each set with a dragon head, a unicorn, a Christian cross, a Celtic knot and an old-English “D,” spaced out around the ring which had slightly raised edges so the symbols and edging were flush.
“You don’t ask why,” Baker said, with a laugh, “you just do it.”
But that is also what draws so many customers to Baker’s shop — his ability to take customers’ ideas and put them in gold, white gold, silver, brass or whatever type of metal they’d prefer or that fits their budget.
“Many people want a specific ring, maybe one they’ve seen in a book or they have their own stones they want to put in it,” he said. “When they come to me, I can make an approximation and we go from there.”
For another couple, Baker crafted a pair of gold wedding rings with large oval Petoskey stones. Another time a couple  wanted matching dragon heads, with the ring serving as the body of the dragon. Recently, he created a pair of wedding rings that depict the Indian cliff dwellings in Arizona, a special connection for the couple who ordered them.
He also recalled another couple who could only afford silver and brass rings, though they each wore both an engagement ring and then the wedding ring in the opposite metal of the other.
Many couples are choosing white gold in recent years, he said, but yellow gold “is still huge.” He completes all work on site and he usually advises clients that he’ll need four weeks, depending on the complexity of the  design, to complete a job. A simple band can be done in a matter of days, he added.
After the couple presents Baker with a design, he creates a hand-carved wax version for them to approve. Sometimes couples want inscriptions inside the ring, which Baker also does by hand with an inscription tool.
Aside from wedding rings, Baker also takes pride in the earrings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants at his shop. He has crafted special gifts for wedding attendants and he often is asked to make money clips for groomsmen.
Whatever Baker creates, customers can be guaranteed it will be one-of-a-kind. He recalled one man who even wanted the ring mold back so it could never be  duplicated.
“I gave him the mold and that was the end of the mold,” said Baker. “You can have a ring made and be assured no one else is going to have it.”

 

(One-carat diamond, not including band)
OK quality: about $3,500
Good quality: about $5,000
Better quality: about $9,000
Source: Reusch Jewelers, Petoskey

 

When choosing a diamond, look for carat weight, color, clarity and cut.
Carat weight: Depending on your budget, you choose the carat size.
Color: Absence of it is what you want. The more color in the diamond, the lower the quality. With yellow gold, it’s easier to get away with a diamond with more color in it because of the reflection of the band.
Clarity: The fewer the inclusions, the higher the value.
Cut: Refers to the quality of cutting and polishing, a skill for which South African diamond-cutters are known. The cut makes up 60 percent of the value of the diamond.
Source: Reusch Jewelers, Petoskey

Sure there’s the standard gold for wedding rings. But there’s also …
White and yellow gold, of different karats.
Green gold and red gold, which is a rose color and is reminiscent of an antique.
Lemon gold, a popular lighter shade of gold.
Silver and brass combos.
Copper
Source: Walt Baker, Baker Metal Works, Petoskey

 

See related article: "Rings: What to look for"