Get To Know Davidson Jewels

Ian Davidson is the designer and master goldsmith behind every piece made at Davidson Jewels. For more than 35 years, he has designed and handcrafted custom engagement rings, wedding bands, and bespoke jewellery in Calgary — working one-on-one with each client from a private studio in the East Village.

A career that began with a single ring

Ian made his first ring in 1969 while studying at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, where he had enrolled to become a painter. That single piece changed his direction. He went on to complete his fine art degree at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary, then spent the next two decades developing his craft at two of the country's most respected jewellery houses.

He worked at Silverhorn Jewellers in Banff, Alberta — the renowned alpine design house now based in Montecito, California — and at European Jewellers in Toronto, a Bloor-Yorkville fixture known for its high-jewellery commissions. Between these positions, Ian also ran his own independent studio.

In 1988, Ian moved permanently to Calgary and founded Davidson Jewels. He has been designing and making bespoke jewellery in this city under his own name ever since — more than 35 years of Calgary commissions, and over 3,000 custom rings created.

A pioneer of CAD in Canadian jewellery

While Ian's training is rooted in classical, centuries-old goldsmithing techniques, his studio has been at the forefront of jewellery technology since the late 1980s. Ian adopted 3D Computer-Aided Design in 1989 — decades before it became the industry standard — and has continued to refine his hybrid practice of hand-forging and digital modelling ever since.

This combination of old-world bench skill and current technology is what allows Davidson Jewels to execute structurally complex designs that many studios cannot. Every commission moves through the same disciplined sequence: consultation, hand sketch, CAD model, 3D resin prototype, casting, hand-setting, and final finishing — all completed in-studio by Ian.

The 3D resin difference

Choosing a custom ring should not involve guesswork. Before any precious metal is cast, every Davidson Jewels client receives a high-resolution 3D resin prototype of their exact ring, produced on a Formlabs printer in-studio. You hold the prototype, see how it sits on the finger, and request adjustments before committing to gold or platinum.

This process has been documented in case studies by both Formlabs and Additive-X, and Ian's work has been featured in Avenue Calgary's coverage of the city's custom jewellery scene.

Materials and specialties

Davidson Jewels works exclusively in 18k gold and platinum — the materials that hold up to a lifetime of daily wear. Ian sources both natural and lab-grown diamonds, along with sapphires and other coloured gemstones, individually for each commission.

The studio's specialties include custom engagement rings, custom wedding bands, heirloom redesign, and bespoke gemstone commissions. Ian also curates Niessing, the legendary German house known for inventing the tension ring.

Visit the studio

Davidson Jewels is located at 533 Riverfront Ave SE in Calgary's East Village, by appointment only. Every consultation is one-on-one with Ian — there are no salespeople, no commissioned staff, and no off-the-rack inventory pressure. Just a conversation about what you want to make, and how to make it well.