COMPANY PROFILE/ HISTORY:

The EGF Collection of wedding bands by COGE Design Group - as it stands today -, represents the very latest in known technologies and most avant-garde designs in comfort-fit wedding rings.

It started over 70 years ago in the small city of Marktredwitz, Germany, when master jeweler Eduard G. Fidel, founded a small jewelry workshop. The hallmark "EGF", from that point on, stood for the very latest in jewelry design and the highest quality in jewelry manufacturing. In 1970, the company specialized in producing wedding rings, wedding sets, eternity bands and bridal jewelry. EGF quickly became a household name throughout Europe as well as within the highly competitive jewelry industry, designing and fabricating only the most progressive, avant-garde and challenging styles, using strictly the best manufacturing techniques available.

Commonly produced wedding rings, like other pieces of jewelry, are being cast in a mold, therefore often show signs of porosity. This century old technique, after creating the initial master-design in wax, mostly sells under the general term "handmade". However, this could be done anywhere in the world and subsequently is often being sub-contracted to manufacturers in low-wage third world countries.
EGF, in that sense, is different. In order to set new quality standards, in particular to increase the density of the metals used, Mr. Fidel was amongst the first in the industry, who started to use a 'lathe', thus carving his designs from a single piece of highly compressed precious metal, such as 18kt yellow, white or rose Gold, 950/- Platinum or pure Titanium. The original idea of creating a wedding ring, symbolized since ancient times by the "eternal circle", was suddenly reborn by manufacturing all designs totally seem-less from the start. If the ring ever needed sizing, it was his intention, that the ring would only be compressed or stretched for sizing, never cut open, not to brake the circle of eternity.

Throughout the years, more and more designs were created, involving sometimes up to 8 thin, individually carved ‘discs’, fused together (not soldered) into one 6 mm wide, comfort-fit, wedding ring- a highly challenging and costly technique, now requiring state-of-the-art technology and equipment, thus enabling the company to produce wedding-rings far superior from any handmade piece.

After Mr. Fidel retired, the well-established company was taken over by Germany's largest jewelry manufacturer, Friedrich Zettl. Again, millions of dollars were invested, creating an even more advanced technological environment, challenging both designers and engineers to incorporate unheard-of technological advantages and alloy combinations into their products, thus revolutionizing wedding band manufacturing and surface finishing.

In 1995, Dallas based COGE Design Group, a team of young and highly motivated designers, specializing in high-tech wedding-band manufacturing and design, joined the Zettl team, partnering with the EGF brand to design a wide faceted range of wedding rings - with a strong European touch - for the sophisticated US market. Within a few short years, the collection has found its firm place in today's US bridal jewelry market, consisting of over 1000 unique, innovative and contemporary styles.

In particular, the non-diamond designs for men are considered a hallmark, unrivaled and often being copied within the industry, pairing Platinum with yellow, white or rose Gold, Platinum with Gold and Sterling Silver, Platinum with Titanium, Gold with Titanium and Stainless Steel with Platinum.

Nearly in contrary to the entire jewelry industry, white Gold is still strictly being alloyed with the Platinum sister metal 'Palladium', making the alloy more expensive, yet more unique, harder and more wearable. In addition, this choice of alloy automatically solved the old 'Nickel problem', being the main reason for most allergic skin reactions to white Gold.

Today's collection consists of a modern, multi-faceted range of wedding rings in all imaginable alloy combinations. The newly enlarged line of diamond eternity bands, now includes the smallest 'channel-set' eternity band anywhere, using a 0.005 ct diamond weight per stone.

Titanium, due to its extreme hardness, feared by many manufacturers, stimulated our German ingenuity and craftsmanship, resulting in a worldwide leading role of Titanium wedding band manufacturing. We are able to offer the largest range of “pure” Titanium, comfort-fit, wedding bands, including Titanium tension-set diamond rings.

Our latest range of Stainless Steel “sports-rings”, including our Stainless Steel tension-set diamond rings, attract even the youngest buyer and rounds up an unsurpassed collection of rings, no-where else to be found.

The COGE Design Group difference - Setting new standards for the new Millennium!