Whether you’ve started making serious plans to pop the question to your partner or still weighing your options, choosing an engagement ring is at the center of it all.
You’ll find that there are many types of rings available, but a custom design engagement ring is one of a kind piece of jewellery. Custom-made jewellery is a great option to go with if you want to make your proposal unique and memorable.
Aside from the big question you’re about to ask your partner, there are a few more questions you should consider asking yourself when choosing a custom-made engagement ring.
Factors to consider when choosing a custom-made engagement ring
How much do I need to spend?
As you might expect, custom rings do not come cheap. While standard rings may cost you around $300 to $6,000, custom-made ones cost 3x as much.
The price will also depend on the basic building blocks of the ring – diamonds, gemstones, metal, setting, band style.
This is an important question to consider as it will set the limits of what you can purchase. While you may have grand ideas around the engagement ring, at the end of the day, it’s still important to ground those aspirations in reality.
If you’re pressed with budgetary considerations, you can actually combine your custom ring ideas with the jewellery designer’s existing styles. That way, you don’t have to break the bank trying to make a totally new design. The end product will still be unique and specially made for your loved one.
How should I go about deciding on the design elements of the ring?
First, it’s really important to develop a clear idea of what kind of ring you want to create for your partner. Scour the internet, visit your local jewellery store, and ask advice from family and friends who have gone down this path.
But most importantly, get more information about your partner’s ring preferences. If you’re keeping your proposal plans under wraps, find ways to do it surreptitiously. You could ask mutual friends to help you extract the key info you need.
Once you get a better idea of the ring, start thinking about the center stone. It’s the crucial part of the ring that will dictate the rest of the design elements. Find out what shape or cut your partner will find most appealing and visualize how you want it to be positioned on the ring.
What should I look for in a jewellery designer?
Find a jeweller that is approachable, ideally someone you know and trust. It can be challenging to sit down and talk with a designer about the exact specifications of your custom ring if things start off on the wrong foot.
As you go ring shopping and visiting several jewellery shops, see if the jewellers you meet can help you articulate the specific designs you intend to bring out in the ring. If you still can’t find a good designer, ask your married friends or relatives for recommendations.
Once you start meeting and conversing with a number of these designers, you may ask to see their portfolio or body of work. See if their style and approach suit your needs and your vision of the ideal engagement ring for your partner.
Continue weighing your options, as well as other technical questions
Beyond the three listed here, there are definitely more technical questions to consider in buying a custom ring. More of these questions and considerations will materialize once you find a designer and start collaborating on the ring design. Best of luck with your engagement plans!
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