At acredo, we manufacture our customized wedding bands in Pforzheim, Germany, the original home of the jewelry and watch industry. As far back as the 1760s, Pforzheim was home to some of the very first watchmaking workshops, and its reputation for producing talented jewelers and watchmakers has continued ever since.
Every step of the acredo completion process – mixing the alloy, casting the ingots, shaping the surfaces of the band, setting the gems, engraving, and polishing – is carefully monitored by our team of experts.
The casting of the alloy is the first step in creating a wedding ring. We mix and melt over 30 precious metals ourselves. In the casting workshop the individual components of each alloy are melted under intense heat.
Bars of the desired alloy formulas are cast from the molten metal. The thickness of the bars is then reduced by repeated passes through a rolling mill. This condenses the metal and strengthens it for the later wear and tear of a wedding ring.
Once the final thickness has been reached, the ring blank is punched out with great force. By punching out the ring shape, there is no need for a soldering joint later. The intense pressures result in completely porosity-free rings as well as greater density, durability, and strength. This also translates into a heightened ability to resist corrosion. Jewelry made in this manner polishes more quickly and retains its polish longer.
Then, the interaction of manual and machine processing of the ring continues. It requires extensive technical expertise and robust manufacturing capabilities to complete the exact profile and finishes.
Our ring shanks have an unusual degree of hardness thanks to our special hardening processes. The hardness is measured and expressed in Vickers (HV).
By keeping the entire production in-house, we can guarantee the highest standards for quality and precision.
It’s no secret that German manufacturing and engineering is some of the finest in the world. But how did it come to be this way?
A History of Apprenticeship
In the 1760s, Jean Francois Autran was given permission to build a watchmaking facility in an orphanage in Pforzheim in order to teach the orphans skills that would serve them well later in life. As the orphans grew up and left the orphanage, they took their skills with them, turning Pforzheim into a hub for talented watchmakers that was unrivaled anywhere else in the world.
The German approach to learning a trade has continued to this day with its emphasis on apprenticeships. Nearly 60 percent of German youth enroll in some kind of apprenticeship program, often in a system called “dual training.”
Dual training combines classroom time with hands-on experience in manufacturing, IT, banking, hospitality, and dozens of other fields. Students learn theory in classes, then apply that theory in practice during their work hours.
They’re paid for both their class time and work time, and by the time their two- to four-year program is complete, they’ve learned work habits, responsibility, and company culture. Often, they’re then hired on to the company at which they trained.
This system leads to a strong emphasis from a young age on precision, hard work, and the importance of learning useful trade skills that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else.
German Engineering
This attitude of careful work and emphasis on skilled labor has served German industry well. Four of the top 100 firms in the Fortune Global 500 — Volkswagen, Daimler AG, BMW, and Siemens — are German manufacturing companies. They ship cars, trucks, building-related products, electronic equipment, and medical equipment all over the world.
For decades, German cars have been considered some of the best-built cars in the world. To this day, Volkswagen refers to “German engineering” in their marketing materials. When asked what the phrase signifies, Stefan Gies, the head of chassis development, said the following:
“From my perspective, German engineering stands for precision in all that we do — precision in the design and what you feel in the car. Everything the driver touches and controls must instill this feeling of confidence and precision. We want that person to feel that they have the car under control and that it will do exactly what they desire it to do.”
German cars have been leading the way since cars were first invented. When Karl Benz invented and patented the first practical internal-combustion-powered vehicle in 1886, he didn’t simply build off of others’ inventions. He had to invent several crucial components — the throttle, ignition, spark plugs, carburetor, clutch, radiator, and gear shaft — from scratch. By 1900, Benz & Company was the largest car manufacturer in the world.
German-made Rings Pedigree
Pforzheim isn’t just one of the earliest hotbeds of watchmaking. To this day, German jewelry graces the pages of magazines and the red carpets of high-society events. Known for its impeccable precision and attention to detail, German-made rings continue to be a popular choice for anyone seeking the best jewelry money can buy.
Carrying On Tradition
At acredo, we’re proud to continue the illustrious German history of detail-oriented, finely machined, beautifully designed jewelry that has persisted for centuries. Our configurator for wedding rings and engagement rings allows you to combine form, color, alloy, surface, and stone setting to make a unique piece that’s the perfect statement of your passion, creativity, and individuality.
Once you’ve designed the perfect ring, your vision will be painstakingly and ethically executed by our master goldsmiths and jewelers in Pforzheim, the birthplace of the modern German jewelry industry, ensuring uncompromising quality and the finest materials. We know that you and your partner are unique and one-of-a-kind. Your ring should be as special as you are.