Inside The Rare Gemstone Company’s “Design Your Own Jewelry” That’s Reshaping Consumer Gemstone Experiences

September 4, 2025
3 mins read
Tanzanite Cut At The Rare Gemstone Company

Somewhere between ancient tradition and the swipe-right ease of modern tech, The Rare Gemstone Company has found a vibrant new sweet spot. Its “Design Your Own” isn’t just another online jewelry feature. It’s a virtual atelier where rare gemstones experts’ imaginings and artisan expertise converge with a surprisingly playful, interactive twist. 

Welcome to a jewelry studio for the digital era, where the only limit is your creativity, and every gem arrives with its whole backstory intact.

Founded in 1974 as a humble mining operation, The Rare Gemstone Company has always believed that a good stone deserves an even better story. Over the past five decades, its skilled team has amassed over a century of combined experience, transforming tanzanite from Tanzania’s Merelani Hills and lush tsavorite from Kenya into luminous, personality-filled gems. 

In recent years, the company’s technical leap, a blockchain-based Provenance Gemstone Tracking system, has ensured that every stone’s journey is faithfully preserved, from the hands of miners to the final recipient. The result? Old-world sparkle meets tech-age transparency, and now, personal design takes center stage.

From Dream to Design: The Joy of a Virtual Jewelers’ Bench

The “Design Your Own” experience is fun and interactive, far from daunting jewelry counters and mysterious markups. Customers can browse a stunning array of ethically sourced aquamarine, malaia garnet, tourmaline, tanzanite, and more, then experiment by placing their chosen gem into an assortment of rings, necklaces, or bracelets, all with a few clicks. Each stone comes with vivid, high-resolution images, letting customers inspect every facet and hue from every angle. 

“No stock photos here; it’s the actual stone you’ll receive, meaning surprises are strictly reserved for special occasions,” founder Antony Zagoritis mentions. 

Photo: Tsavorite & Diamond Rings By The Rare Gemstone Company

Crucially, the platform lets creativity run wild while keeping things crystal clear. Every tweak triggers instant price recalculations, making it easy to align creative impulse with budget and avoid sticker shock. 

But according to Antony Zagoritis, the transparency doesn’t stop there. With each stone digitally tracked from mine to masterpiece, customers can scan a QR code and see their gem’s full provenance: photos, mining date, origin, and ethical credentials, delivering real assurance on both artistry and integrity. 

For those unsure of their choices, The Rare Gemstone Company’s seasoned designers are never more than a click away, ready to offer advice on design tweaks, gemstone pairings, and how to turn inspiration into an heirloom.

“It’s like having a jeweler in your pocket,” Zagoritis explains. “We want customers to play, explore, and indulge their ideas, but with total clarity about what they’re buying and where it comes from. The magic comes from making customization accessible, transparent, and joyful.”

Craftsmanship, Confidence, and Creative Freedom

Jewelry has always been about more than sparkle; it’s a statement, a memory, and, for many, a future heirloom. The joy of the “Design Your Own” feature is that it puts customers at the helm, inviting them not just to choose, but to co-create. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a dull idea, perhaps a favorite color or a twist on grandma’s ring, evolve into a unique piece that lands in the palm of your hand, ready for a story all its own.

This shift toward personalized experience reflects a significant market trend. Modern consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are driven by a need for authenticity and individuality. They expect to see, touch, and verify, whether examining a stone’s clarity on-screen or knowing with certainty that their charm necklace never supported conflict or environmental harm. 

The Rare Gemstone Company’s real-time transparency and complete digital lineage for each rare gemstone strike right at the heart of these desires. Customers can shop from anywhere, confident they’re investing in jewelry as genuine as their imagination.

A Digital Studio That Honors Tradition

What truly makes the “Design Your Own” experience stand out is how it marries centuries-old artistry with the digital ease modern life demands. Each bespoke design is handled with reverence by The Rare Gemstone Company’s master artisans, who carry the tradition, precision, and care you’d expect from jewelers, stewards of African gemstone heritage. 

“Technology here doesn’t overshadow the human touch; it elevates it, making expertise accessible and the creative process more personal,” Zagoritis adds. 

Photo: Aquamarine & Diamond Ring By The Rare Gemstone Company

Rare Gemstones’ “Design Your Own” brings customers into the fold, honoring the narrative behind every stone while celebrating each client’s individuality. Friendships often blossom during the design process, as customers and the company’s designers swap ideas, sketches, and stories, sometimes late into the night across time zones. 

The finished pieces arrive equipped not only with blockchain-backed provenance certificates but also with a sense of accomplishment and connection, proof that co-creation remains the jewelry world’s most enduring luxury.

The journey from African mines to global markets and, ultimately, to the hands of individuals who helped design each piece is a fitting metaphor for the company’s evolution. The Rare Gemstone Company’s “Design Your Own” proves digital transformation can celebrate heritage, empower creativity, and foster a new line of meaningful, memorable jewelry.

Please visit The Rare Gemstone Company’s website to learn more about “Design Your Own.”

Don't Miss