Photo by Akhila Katuri on Unsplash
When proposing to your partner, don’t just put any ordinary ring on their finger. Instead, design a piece of jewelry that is not only true to their personality but is also a representation of your bond. After all, a love that’s as special as yours should be commemorated in the most unique way, shouldn’t it?
Fortunately, crafting a custom engagement ring isn’t as complicated as it seems. To help you out, we’ve put together this guide on designing a custom ring that’s guaranteed to give you the “yes” you’ve been hoping to hear!
Why design a custom engagement ring, anyway?
As you choose an engagement ring, you may want to consider designing your own ring instead. Here’s why:
Custom rings are more meaningful
Designing your own ring allows you to adorn it with details that hold meaning for you and your sweetheart. For instance, if you gave your significant other roses on your first date, you could craft a ring featuring that flower. Or, you could combine both of your birthstones to symbolize the life you’re about to begin together. With these thoughtful details, you’ll be reminded of the love that you have every time you look at your engagement ring.
You’ll get to show your love with something unique
Your future fiancé deserves more than just pre-made jewelry. What better way to show your love to your spouse-to-be, than to propose with a ring that no one in the world will ever have? Custom rings give you complete creative control over everything, from the metals to the setting to the gems. You’ll get to design a one-of-a-kind ring you know they’ll adore.
Designing takes less time than traditional ring-shopping
It takes most people months to pick out the perfect engagement ring, mainly because they feel overwhelmed by all of their choices. Customizing a ring, on the other hand, is less time-consuming as you’ll go into it knowing exactly what you want. Plus, you’ll be working closely with a jeweler who will guide you every step of the way, giving you the lowdown on setting styles, cuts, and other engagement ring terminology.
You won’t have to compromise
Let’s say you love Ring A’s stones but you’re a fan of Ring B’s setting style. If only you could combine them to create the most beautiful piece. What if we told you that you actually can? When you customize your ring, you won’t have to settle for something you only love halfway. Choose all of the details and craft a unique piece that you’d be proud to reveal when you pop the question.
Creating your own ring gives you more variety
Pre-made engagement rings are typically crafted from gold, sterling silver, and popular stones such as diamonds. But what if you don’t like what you see in the store? What if you want more variety? When you create a custom ring, you’ll be able to choose from a wide range of metals, minerals, and gemstones, allowing you to design to your heart’s content! Want a rose gold ring with a ruby center stone that sits on a prong-style setting? Go for it!
How to customize the perfect engagement ring
Now that you know why custom engagement rings are an excellent choice, let’s go over a few tips on how to create a proposal-worthy piece:
Always work around your budget
Unlike buying a pre-made ring where you can easily see each piece’s price tag, creating a bespoke ring can be trickier. This is because you won’t know the total bill until you’ve chosen the gems, metals, etc., and accounted for the labor costs. (The good news is that your custom ring will likely cost less than a pre-made ring as there’s little to no markup!).
Before you sit down with your jeweler, be sure to set a budget to prevent yourself from being carried away with your design choices. With a budget in mind, you’ll be able to make decisions that won’t put you in financial trouble (because who wants to start a marriage in debt?). For example, instead of diamonds, perhaps you could choose moissanite as your center stone – it costs as little as $600 per carat!’
Find out what your future fiancé wants
Surprising your sweetie with a custom ring? You’ll want to be a bit sneaky and find out what they want. Chances are, they’ll have told their best friend about it, or if they’re on Pinterest, they might’ve pinned their dream ring on one of their boards. You could also take a cue from rings they own. Do they gravitate towards gold? In that case, they’ll likely want a gold engagement ring, as well.
Search for inspiration
Before meeting your jeweler for the first time, make sure to do your homework! Along with figuring out what your partner wants, go to Pinterest and save photos of rings you want to get inspiration from. Another great jumping-off point is your jeweler’s portfolio. Not only will this give you an idea of what an ideal engagement ring looks like, but it also lets you see what designs they’re capable of creating.
Do note that your jeweler probably won’t be able to replicate a ring, not because they can’t, but because this practice is frowned upon. This is why it’s important to work with the pros – they can help you create something similar to what you want while making it uniquely yours.
Design your ring around the main gem
Don’t know where to start? You may find it easier to choose the main gemstone first and design around it. Most – if not all – engagement rings feature a focal gemstone that sits in the center, with white diamonds being the most popular choice. But if diamonds aren’t your fiancé’s best friend, don’t worry – there are still so many swoon-worthy stones to choose from, such as sapphires and rubies. Lab-made gems are also a great choice if you’re on a budget!
Here are three things to consider when choosing your ring’s main gem:
• Cut. How the gemstone is cut will affect how much light it will refract. In other words, it’s what determines how sparkly the gem will be.
• Color. Generally, you’ll want to go for gems with the purest colors. But when it comes to diamonds, clear and colorless stones are better.
• Clarity. When gems are cut, most of them end up with inclusions – these are tiny interior scratches that can make the stone look cloudy. You’ll want to choose a stone with few inclusions but bear in mind that clear gems are rare and cost significantly more.
Create a ring that’s true to your sweetie’s style
Don’t forget that you’re designing a ring for your future fiancé, not for you. Create a ring that they would want to wear each day. To determine the ideal style, consider their daily fashion choices. If your fiancé is a minimalist, your best bet is a solitaire ring, which is both clean and classic. Or, if they love vintage finds, go for an ornate ring that’s fit for royalty.
And remember, you can be inspired by trends, but don’t let them dictate your choices. Minimalist, single-stone rings may be all the rage now, but if they don’t feel true to your partner’s style, don’t feel pressured to follow the trends.
Final thoughts
With a bespoke engagement ring, you can show your spouse-to-be how much you care for them and create a piece that’s a true representation of your love story. Use this guide to design jewelry that will sweep your sweetie off their feet, and make their heart swell with joy as they say “yes”.
And don’t worry, there’s no right or wrong in designing a custom ring! Whatever your ring looks like, we know your partner will see how much thought you’ve put into it and will fall in love with you all over again.
After you’ve asked your sweetie to spend the rest of your lives together, don’t forget to grab a copy of our ebook! It has everything you need to know about wedding invitations, from RSVPs to wedding websites, and everything in between.
Author Bio:
Sophia Young recently quit a non-writing job to finally be able to tell stories and paint the world through her words. She loves talking about fashion and weddings and travel, but she can also easily kick ass with a thousand-word article about the latest marketing and business trends, finance-related topics, and can probably even whip up a nice heart-warming article about family life. She can totally go from fashion guru to your friendly neighborhood cat lady with mean budgeting skills and home tips real quick.