As you’ll wear your engagement ring every day, you want it to be a piece you truly adore. Designing your own is a surefire way of having your dream ring created for you. Custom-made rings are becoming increasingly popular as they let women express their personality, allowing them to experiment with different design elements, including the gemstone, metal and setting of the band. If this sounds like something you’d like, here’s our guide to getting a bespoke engagement ring.
- Start the process early
While you can purchase an off-the-shelf engagement ring the same day you spot it, designing your own naturally takes longer — at least six weeks to make according to designer Zameer Kassam. So, you’ll want to start the process early to ensure your ring is made in time for the proposal. You also need to allow for extra time as it’s a long process from the initial idea to the finished product, and delays can always occur. As part of this, factor in how long you may spend corresponding with your designer to ensure your ring is exactly how you want it, which could also lead to adjustments.
- Choose a reputable jeweler
The jeweler you pick will impact the quality of your ring so you should choose one with a solid track record of custom designs. To help with this, research online and ask your friends and family for recommendations. The ideal jeweler will have expertise and experience, so be sure to ask them for some examples of their work and how long they’ve been in the industry to gauge their credibility. Any esteemed jeweler will be happy to show you their portfolio.
Ideally, you want your engagement ring to be designed by someone you trust and who understands your vision. Take custom ring experts Taylor & Hart, for instance, which allocate a personal consultant to each of their customers to create a design which not only brings their ideas to life, but caters to their exact budget.
- Look for visual inspiration
When designing your own engagement ring, you should spend time looking at different styles. While you might have your heart set on a certain look, you never know what other designs will spark creative ideas. For example, you might see a band on one ring you like but the stone cut of another, both of which can then be incorporated into your own bespoke design.
You don’t even need to leave your house to feel inspired thanks to visual social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest. Use these to create mood boards that let you show your jewelry designers what kind of things you like. You may also consider taking your current jewelry collection into account — for example, if you tend to wear silver pieces, you might want an engagement ring to match.
- Set a budget
Setting an engagement ring budget ensures you don’t overspend and have to cut back other parts of your wedding funds, so assess your finances before starting the design process. Your budget will impact the carat, cut and clarity of your diamond, which can all greatly vary in price. However, a bespoke engagement ring doesn’t have to cost any more than an off-the-shelf design, and can be tailored perfectly to your budget. You should always let your jeweler know how much you’re willing to spend so that they can create your dream ring without breaking the bank.
- Get insurance
After spending a lot of money on your bespoke engagement ring, the last thing you want is for it to be lost, stolen or damaged with no means of replacing it. As such, taking out engagement ring insurance is essential as it can cover some of the costs, though bear in mind not all policies have the same terms and conditions so make sure you find the one that’s best for you. You can either add an extension to your home insurance to cover jewelry or take out a separate policy specifically for your engagement ring, though be sure to do this as soon as you purchase it.
