Why go engagement ring shopping, when you could go engagement ring creating?
Custom engagement rings are more popular than ever, and it’s easy to see why. The benefits to creating your own engagement ring are many. Firstly, a custom ring ensures that your engagement ring will be as unique as your relationship.
There is something undeniably cool about knowing that the piece she’ll be wearing for the rest of her life is the only one like it anywhere on this planet. (Talk about creating an heirloom!).
But the benefits to custom go well beyond the ring’s uniqueness.
A couple that opts to create their own engagement ring doesn’t have to start their marriage story with a tedious shopping trip to numerous jewelry stores.
Instead, couples who go custom get to start their marriage process in a more relaxed way: side-by-side, getting creative on a very rewarding, shared project.
Creating a ring together not only takes pressure off the groom, but it ensures that her ring will be exactly as she always wanted it.
And the perks to that are more than just emotional. Because you are deciding literally every element of the ring, you are paying for only what you want, and nothing that you don’t.
A ready-made design might be absolutely beautiful, but it may also include components that you wouldn’t have chosen yourself. If those components are things like side stones, they can really raise the price of the ring.
On a custom design, you decide what you want where, and that means you get to apply your budget exactly how it matters most to you.
There really is no downside to going custom. The hardest part about the whole process is figuring out where to start. It’s the blank page syndrome. You’re faced with unlimited design options, and you only get to make one ring… that can feel overwhelming, and that is why we’ve assembled this guide on how to design your custom engagement ring.
Step 1:
Start with the center stone.
Your center stone is the focal point of your ring. It’s the element that brings forth everyone’s oohs and ahhs, and it will comprise the majority of your ring’s budget. Therefore, it’s where you should start.
Think about what size and shape you want that center diamond to be.
When looking at shapes for your center stone, consider your hand type. Choose a shape you love, but also think about what will compliment your finger. A very long finger might not want anything too dainty, while the elongated shape of a marquise cut diamond might crowd a shorter finger.
If you have looked at lots of rings and find yourself just as excited by a princess cut as you are by a cushion cut, that’s okay.
Choosing a center stone is really about trusting your instincts.
Give yourself a number of days or even a few weeks, and pay attention to which shape keeps cropping up in your mind. The stone you keep coming back to is the one you should go with, even if it’s not one you’ve considered before. Diamonds are often described as having a “fire,” so choose the one that sets you aflame.
Once you’ve decided which shape you want, find the actual stone for your ring. The entire mounting will be designed around it.
Step 1B:
A picture (or board of pictures) is worth a thousand words.
This step can and should be done concurrently with choosing a center stone. Start a Pinterest board of rings you like.
Once you’ve compiled a number of pictures, take notice of what patterns are emerging.
Are most of your rings art-deco styles? Do 2/3 of the rings you love have halos? How about colored stones and shades of metal? Maybe many of the rings you love incorporate sapphires. Maybe it’s rose gold that keeps catching your eye.
These are the sorts of things it is helpful to learn about your own tastes as you begin to draw out designs with our custom ring experts.
If all you’ve gleaned from your board is what you hate, that’s okay! Knowing what you don’t like can be just as useful, and often is a whole lot easier to figure out.
It’s amazing what we can learn about ourselves when we give ourselves the opportunity to be surprised, and that’s what this step is all about.
Step 2:
This is where things start to get really fun. Now that you’ve narrowed down a few styles you like, start combining them!
‘Steal’ your favorite elements from an array of rings, and consider how those elements play together.
Instead of trying to think up an entirely new ring from scratch, most people find it is easier and more effective to customize an engagement ring by marrying elements of different rings together.
That’s why at Wedding Day, we have compiled a collection of over 3000 sample rings that you can come play with. Having that many rings is like visiting 15 ordinary jewelry stores. It’s enough to give you a giant head start on designing your own ring.
Sometimes it happens that people find a ring that is nearly perfect. In fact, the ring you find might tick every box on your want list, and maybe it will feel like that ring should be “the one.” Yet, somehow, it isn’t.
Perhaps something feels off or incomplete and you aren’t even sure why.
This is where the wonders of custom are most awe-inspiring.
There is no sacrifice, no settling, and sometimes all it takes is one addition or subtraction, one little change, to make the ring feel completely fresh and perfectly your own.
Step 3:
If you haven’t come in already, what are you waiting for? Bring your ideas to our Custom Design Experts.
If you don’t have any ideas yet, don’t worry. (That’s what those 3000 sample rings are for). We’re happy to help no matter where you’re at in the custom process.
Sometimes talking things through with an expert is all you need, and we are called Custom Design Experts for a reason.
Unlike a day of ducking in and out of high-pressure jewelry stores, you will find your custom experience to be relaxed, inspired, and fun. Here is what you can expect:
After plenty of conversation, your Custom Design Expert will take your ideas and turn them into computer-aided designs. These designs will be perfectly to scale and will include every detail of your ring. Since they designs are done by computer, you’ll be able to zoom in and ‘enlarge’ your ring to take a close look and be sure everything is absolutely how you want it. You’ll even be able to look at your ring from multiple angles.
You’ll get to approve the CADs and make modifications to them at every stage of the process.
Step 4:
Once you know you love the design, wait less than a month. Yep. That’s all it takes to turn your ideas into a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind ring.
Who knows, maybe in that time he’ll even think up a creative way to present the final piece to you. Who says custom can’t still be a surprise?
Good luck. And be sure to share your custom rings to our Facebook and Instagram pages. We can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!!!
