In this article, we cover: 

• Why Buy a Custom Designed Engagement Ring?
• How to Customize a Unique Engagement Ring
• Finding The Right Custom Engagement Ring Designer
• The Custom Engagement Ring Process
• How Much Does A Designer Engagement Ring Cost?
• Custom Engagement Ring Tips

Why Buy a Custom Designed Engagement Ring?

While searching for the perfect ring, you might find yourself loving a setting from one piece and a band from another. You may want to source your own center stone or use your own heirloom stone in the design. Or you might be envisioning something very particular to help tell your love story. This is where custom engagement rings come in. Creating a custom piece is a very special, personal experience that gives you the chance to design something totally unique for yourself or your partner!

How to Customize a Unique Engagement Ring

The first steps in creating a custom engagement ring begin with you! Start by choosing the basic elements of your ring style, like the stone, stone cut, metal, and band type. Then, pick the unique elements, like the setting, head type, and any special flourishes that you want to add to the ring.

Ring Elements

• Stone - Diamond experts often refer to the “Four Cs” (aka color, cut, clarity, and carat), but certificate grading should be just one factor to consider. Center stones don’t even need to be a diamond. Sapphire, moissanite, amethyst, jade, pearl, and peridot are other popular gemstones for engagement rings.
• Stone cut - There are several types of stone cuts such as cushion, round, emerald, marquise, oval, and others. Each cut produces a different optical effect making this an important factor to consider.
• Metal - 14k yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold are the most common metals used for engagement rings and wedding bands, but platinum, palladium, and sterling silver are also popular.
• Head and Setting - Head types are the prongs that hold the main stones over the band and the setting refers to how the head type and stone are attached to the ring.
• Band type - Pick the shank type and fit you like to determine the type of band. This can be fully round, half round, squared or something even more unique. 

Once you’ve gathered your design requirements and other must-haves, you can begin to create a custom piece remotely or in person with a professional jewelry designer.

Finding The Right Custom Engagement Ring Designer

Finding the right designer to work with takes time and research. It’s important to make sure that it’s the perfect fit and that your aesthetics and values align. A smart way to start would be to familiarize yourself with a designer’s collection and portfolio of custom designs. See what they have that fits the elements you favored and chose above. 

You should expect some back and forth as the designer helps your vision come to life so you’ll definitely want to make sure you pick someone that you feel comfortable having that dialogue with. Once you’ve narrowed it down to the designer you’d like to work with, you can contact them directly to see if they are taking on new projects.

The Custom Engagement Ring Process

The custom process usually starts with a consultation, which allows you to discuss all of the aspects of your design in detail with the designer. This is the ideal time to discuss your timeline and budget as well. You will usually have the choice to source your own stone (or use an heirloom stone if you have one) or the designer can source a stone for you. If you are sourcing your own, it would be considered a custom semi-mount, which would include everything but the center stone. At some point in the process–and this will vary depending on the designer–you will see a realistic representation of the design, whether that be a sketch, render, or wax. Once you give your approval, the jeweler can begin creating your custom ring!

Your jeweler will take inspiration and choices for the type of gemstone, cut, and metal to craft a unique and meaningful treasure. Keep in mind that custom work will take longer to complete than something that is premade or pre-designed. For our services, it typically takes 3 to 5 weeks. For more information on customizing a ring with us, click here. 

How Much Does A Designer Engagement Ring Cost?

Many designers will have a minimum for custom work, and that will vary from company to company. The designer will price it out based on a variety of factors, including materials, design fees, CAD fees, labor, and demand amongst other things.

A custom ring generally costs more than a prefabricated ring. Expect to spend $3,000 to upwards of $40,000 based on your personal design choices. This is why it’s important to agree on the budget ahead of time so you and your designer can meet that goal together.

Custom Engagement Ring Tips

• Give yourself plenty of time, at least two months, from concept to finish.
• Center stone size only matters if you (or the person you’re designing it for) think it matters.
• Try on ring settings and different size stones ahead of time to get a feel for what looks good on your hand and fits your aesthetic.
• Sometimes it is cheaper and easier to get a wedding band from the same location or have it made at the same time.
• Do not take a designer’s work to a different designer to replicate. Most jewelry designers will not recreate another designer’s work and it’s generally frowned upon in the industry.

For more information on creating a meaningful custom engagement ring for yourself or your loved one with Jennie Kwon Designs, please visit our Custom Design Page: https://jenniekwondesigns.com/pages/custom 

Sources:

https://www.brides.com/story/custom-engagement-ring-tips 

https://www.wikihow.com/Design-Rings 

https://www.impressjewelers.com/blogs/news/how-to-design-a-ring-from-scratch-step-by-step-guide-to-ring-design 

https://www.vogue.com/article/buying-engagement-ring-avoid-mistakes