Michael Meksian aka MICHAEL M (Est. 2008) is of Armenian descent and is a Los Angeles, California based jewelry designer who brings classic, European design to engagement rings and wedding bands in a uniquely modern and sophisticated style. In 1980, Michael began his career in jewelry, working with an artisan in the Downtown Los Angeles Jewelry District. By 1985. Meksian had opened a jewelry factory that would later serve as the atelier of the MICHAEL M brand. In 2008, Michael partnered with son Peter to launch MICHAEL M.
Today, MICHAEL M is known as one of the world’s premier bridal and fashion jewelry houses. With an elite league of skilled artisans handcrafting each piece and hand setting every diamond, MICHAEL M is widely recognized for unique, beautifully detailed pieces that exude European-style, sophistication, and elegance. Creators of the original “hidden halo,” their modern take on classic styles continues to make them a favorite.
In 2016, MICHAEL M introduced the Crown Collection, featuring the original “hidden halo.” Instead of the classic halo, the diamonds wrap just below the center gem, maximizing the appearance, while allowing the coruscating diamond to shine for maximum brilliance.
Another MICHAEL M bridal hallmark is the U-set. Requiring master craftsmanship and expert diamond-setting skills, this technique requires each diamond to be set in a U-shaped carriage that embraces the edges of the diamond. The U-set diamonds are viewable from every possible angle.
Every MICHAEL M design is granted a personalized serial number and Certificate of Authenticity to ensure it is a genuine MICHAEL M design. The brand offers a lifetime guarantee for all its products. They promise to clean, refurbish, and even replace a diamond that has fallen out from normal wear. This would be an extremely rare circumstance due to the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every MICHAEL M piece.
The brand incorporates details in their rings that set them apart from any other designer. Each setting is polished before the diamond is set to allow extra light to pass through and provide for maximum brightness. In addition, every diamond in a MICHAEL M setting is hand-set by a professional jeweler who aligns every facet for a uniform look and sparkle. This detailed technique provides extra security for the diamonds on the band and allows the customer to wear their ring worry free.
Select MICHAEL M pieces incorporate a Euro-style shank to display its European style and also increase the comfortability for the woman wearing the ring. Rings are available in platinum or 18k rose, yellow, and white gold. MICHAEL M has crafted over 2,000 designs that are equally unique and breathtaking.
MICHAEL M diamonds are G in color and VS in clarity, featuring exceptional makes and are responsibly-sourced from the world’s preeminent certified diamantaires. Each diamond is individually hand-selected and sorted to one-hundredth of a millimeter to insure uniformity of brilliance in every piece.
On the website, Designer Jewelry Brands, Michael states, “We are catering to a consumer who desires nothing less than the very best.”
Each design goes through a series of steps from design inception to the consumer’s in-store experience. The collection is first imagined by Michael himself and is made in the company’s Los Angeles design studio. Very labor intensive, every diamond is mounted using a microscope directly on metal, and each hole is individually drilled. The average engagement ring mounting contains nearly 100 diamonds, taking upwards of three days to set.
“Other companies are trying to use fewer diamonds to save time and money,” says Peter Meksian, on the same website who is now the head of sales and marketing. “We are going in the opposite direction. Our designs use less metal and more sparkle, further enhancing the brilliance of the center stone.
“In addition to the more than 100 engagement ring options, MICHAEL M also offers a wide variety of extraordinary fashion jewelry in platinum and 18-karat white and yellow gold. From necklaces to earrings to pendants, bangles and cocktail rings, each jewel is set with high-quality diamonds and achieves a fashion-forward sensibility that … never succumb[s] to passing trends.”
For the Meksian family, the conception of beauty and quality go hand in hand. According to Peter, “The mix of my father’s manufacturing experience with my knowledge of today’s marketplace makes us a fantastic team.”
Finish is the final statement of the craftsman’s art made on each piece of MICHAEL M jewelry. Every surface, visible or not, is polished to perfection. White gold is finished in 30 microns of rhodium—3x the industry standard.
While the M and Bold collections feature more classic rings is focused on a center diamond with limited decoration to distract from it, brides-can add striking rings to their finger from the Monaco and Defined collections. These creations are coated in diamonds and feature unique detailing on the band to catch attention. When it comes to wedding bands, customers can opt for the traditional style with the women’s Europa collections as well as the men’s simple bands, or add punch to the ring finger with the Vercelli bands.
Beyond bridal jewelry, MICHAEL M designs pieces meant to add panache and sparkle to every day wear. MICHAEL M fashion jewelry makes a beautiful statement whenever worn. Fashion jewelry, just like all the brand’s designs, combine timeless traditions with trendy additions.
Buyers can add glitter to a neckline with a MICHAEL M necklace. The varied pendants, some of which feature colorful precious metals and pavé diamonds, are an easy way to add glamour to an everyday outfit. Pair the necklace with a set of MICHAEL M earrings in delicate studs or dangling hoops and every step twinkles as the diamonds capture light.
Customers can also add a MICHAEL M bracelet to their collection allowing wearers to mix and match bangles in different shapes to create a magnificent stack, or keep things easy and effortless with a single thin bracelet that glimmers with every move.
Retailers across the country have been enchanted from the outset. Michael expertly balanced metal with stone as he used more diamonds than metal in each ring’s setting.
Michael’s collections of earrings, necklaces and bracelets have also garnered attention from the fashion industry, with stylists choosing his designs to adorn their celebrity clients. MICHAEL M Jewelry has been featured in Four Seasons Weddings, Brides Magazine, The Knot, InDesign, and Glamour.
In August 2017, the brand announced the launch of their new “Live More,” advertising campaign. The campaign was created to bring attention to MICHAEL M’s innovations in design and diamond sparkle characterized by firm’s engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, bracelets, fashion rings, and pendant necklaces.
In the press release announcing the launch, Peter said, “With the introduction of our ‘Live More,’ campaign, we’re hoping to introduce a whole new group of fans and brides to the amazing selection of handmade pieces that Michael M has to offer.”
MICHAEL M’s motto, “diamonds over metal,” has inspired his artisans to craft luxurious jewelry by merging time-honored traditions and innovative modern techniques.
Sell Michael Meksian aka MICHAEL M All Artists
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