s

Workshop Testimonials

"Nicole and Harry were absolutley wonderful to work with! Booking the visit with Nicole was such an easy process with her quick email responses, and openness to information about the process, costs and safety. Before I go over the experience of the ring making I want to mention the drive. Their workshop is located in Salida, CO. We were coming from Colorado Springs, and the two hours of driving there were almost unreal. The miles and miles of open land with cows grazing, and the snow covered mountains as a backdrop was just breathtaking. Then, once you arrive at the town of Salida, it is just adorable; well worth the drive. Next, the experience. The whole ring making process takes quite a few hours to complete(took us 5-6 hours), but that's to make sure the finished product comes out perfect. First, each step is demonstrated and explained by either Nicole or Harry, but then they let us go ahead and do all of the work on our rings ourselves. If there are times you need a hand getting the ring just right, they are right there to help. Harry was really great at explaining the equipment we used, and showing us proper techniques to make sure we were expanding our rings to the correct size and getting the design we wanted. My husband Paul accidentally oversized his ring a couple of times, and they were more than happy to allow him to start over... twice. Nicole, is amazing at the polishing work. The polishing is done in quite a few different stages, and after each stage, Nicole would double checks our work and lets us know if she could see any blemishes to touch up. I always missed a lot of spots so I was glad she had mega vision to keep my ring on track to perfection. Although it does take a lot time and patience to make your ring from scratch, the experience is well worth it. Nicole and Harry are both so easy to work with and made the process so effortless and fun that I would recommend them to anyone wanting to make their own wedding rings. In the end, we couldn't have chosen a better place and a better team to make our wedding rings with. Thank you so much Nicole and Harry!"

— Penny S.

_______________________________

 

"This experience was amazing in every way. Harry and Nicole live in a beautiful part of the Rocky Mountains. Working in the shop with Harry was too fun. He’s an excellent and patient instructor and after the first attempt or two of every part of the forging process, I felt very confident continuing to refine my ring step by step. I was wondering how much of this process would be actually performed by me, given I have never done anything like this before. But after a few instructions and advice on technique from Harry, I ended up being responsible for the vast majority of the crafting process. It was truly rewarding to fire the ring and hammer away, creating my own design style with the hammer strikes. Moving to the part of the workshop with Nicole to finely adjust my ring was one of the more interesting parts of the process. It all really comes together and I was very impressed how responsible this part of the process is for a professional final product. The ring is truly unique and special, meant so much more to me then simply buying a ring and I get complimented on its look and style. Really appreciative of Sterling & Steel. Loved the experience and the two of them were a lot of fun to be around."

— Seamus M.

_______________________________

 

"I just wanted to tell y’all that Doug and I had a blast with you two!!! We truly enjoyed our experience and Doug kept looking at his ring like a girl. I had to take it away from him and tell him he doesn’t get it till Saturday. Haha!! We really had so much fun and would love to come back for other projects!! Thanks for such a fabulous experience and we look forward to hanging out with y’all again!"

— Melissa J.

_______________________________

 

"I made my wedding ring with Nicole and Harry of Sterling and Steel and it was an amazing experience. I cannot say enough good about how great of a time I had with my now wife in their studio in Salida. The ring came out absolutely incredible and I get comments all the time for how unique my ring is and when I tell people I made it and it started from a stainless steel nut, they are astonished. If you're seriously considering making your own unique ring for your big day, look no further than Sterling and Steel and make it a weekend in a beautiful part of Colorado."

— Ryan A.

_______________________________

 

"This was such a great experience with Nicole and Harry at Sterling and Steel. From the very beginning the communication was above and beyond, they are super friendly and responsive to emails and questions. Also very accommodating because I got to use a ring that was passed down from my grandma and repurpose it as my wedding band. When Nicole said “I’m sure we can make something beautiful happen with your grandmas old ring” I trusted her. We said during the workshop that “time flies when you’re having fun” and that is exactly how we felt. They are so knowledgeable and took us through the whole process from beginning (raw materials) to end (a polished, beautiful ring) with mini chemistry lessons built in and LOTS of stories and laughs. We truly feel like this was an irreplaceable experience and the best way to create lasting memories around such an important step in our lives. Thank you both so much and we will remember this day forever!"

— Alexandra S. 

_______________________________

 

"Nicole and Harry were absolutely amazing! They love what they do and it shows. They broke it down into easy to manage steps and were in no hurry to get to the finished products, allowing us to pay attention to detail and have fun! We will never forget our wonderful experience with them and will cherish our rings forever."

— Holly F.

_______________________________

 

"I just want to thank you both again for an amazing experience! It was truly unique and I couldn't be happier with the results. Here's my review: Meeting and working with Harry and Nicole was one of the best experiences I've had! I was very nervous initially since I was making a ring for my husband and I wanted it to turn out just right but they made me feel so welcome and comfortable. They are both great teachers, you can see how passionate and skilled they are in their craft. They also commended me throughout the process which made me feel very proud of what I was creating. The ring turned out just as I hoped it would. They went above and beyond my expectations. Hopefully I can return and make something else just as beautiful!" 

— Cortney Schroyer

_______________________________

 

“My fiancé and I are so grateful to Harry and Nicole for letting us crash their studio. Physically making my wedding band was a one-of-a-kind and fantastic experience that we are so thankful to have shared. Together we got to design the ring from texture to finish and alternate swings of the hammer. 

We enjoyed spending the afternoon in Salida –– was a great weekend getaway. Thank you!"

— Andrew Merrill, Telluride Colorado

 

_______________________________

 

“I’m from Pittsburgh PA so I really wanted a ring representing the “steel city”—- something that would have some personal significance for me. A friend of mine told me that he had met Harry and Nicole at an art show and that they did some really cool hand-forged rings out of steel. Since I’m in Denver, I thought there might be a chance I could have Harry forge a ring for me so I called him up and he said, “Sure, you can come to Salida and we can make your ring.

Once I arrived in Salida, I learned that the “WE” in “We can make your ring” really turned out to be ME making the ring. Harry offered me the hammer and allowed me to do practically the whole ring myself. He of course, supervises the process along the way and made sure it was a perfect fit. Afterward, I thought this was so much cooler than picking out some random ring at a chain jewelry store. Forging my own wedding ring with Harry at Sterling and Steel is an unforgettable experience I’d recommend to anyone.” 

— Ryan Weisdack, Denver Colorado