Customising Your Gemstone Engagement Ring
All relationships are unique and special in their own way. Engagement rings should be a reflection of the bond between partners, as well as a special token of your love. Engagement rings are unique to the couple and the wearer gives it a personal touch that you can’t get from any major stores.
Customised engagement rings are very common, and allow you to put extra thought into the gift to your loved one.
Some important things to remember:
- Start designing early. Engagement rings can take a couple of weeks to complete, from the initial discussion with the jeweller to designing to making and then finally, to getting the finished ring. If you have a certain date in mind on which you’d like to propose, then you will need to give yourself sufficient time to get it all sorted!
- Have a budget in mind. Engagement rings can be costly depending on the type of stone and band you have in mind. Discussing your ideas with your ring designer will help get your planning in order, but you will need to have a ballpark price in mind so you’re not completely knocked over by any of the prices (did someone just suggest a pink diamond!?)
- This shouldn’t be a stressful process. You know your partner (or yourself) better than anyone. Your designer will help make the process easier for you with insights and suggestions for the rings. Be open-minded!
Some helpful tips:
- Find some inspiration. Visual inspiration is the best thing to present to your jeweller. This way, you can start to piece together the different aspects of the rings that you like to custom-create your own. Maybe you like the colour of the gemstone or the colour of the band. Doing a bit of searching and compiling photos that inspire you and evoke emotion from your ring will help with the design process.
- Research some jewellers. The most important facet of this process is finding a jeweller who fits your aesthetics and has a collection of rings that you can picture yourself or your loved one wearing. Working with a designer whose work you like will help create the ultimate piece for you.
Choose Your Design elements:
- Choose your gemstone. Have a look at the different types of gemstones, what they look like, and what they mean, and choose one that will be the centrepiece for your ring.
- Choose a cut. Once you have the gemstone you will need to choose the cut, meaning, what shape you want it to be. You may have to do a little more research on this, but there is plenty of guides out there to help you. Some popular cuts include pear, princess, oval and round. But there are plenty more out there.
- Decide on a setting. A setting just means how the stone will present on the ring. Will it be accompanied by a halo of other gems? Will it be by itself? Will the entire band be filled with gems? Familiarising yourself with these types of settings will help with the final decision-making process.
- Choose the metal of your band. Traditionally, engagement rings are made from yellow gold, rose gold, white gold or platinum.
- Pair it with your wedding band. You can save time and money by designing your wedding band alongside your engagement ring. This will ensure harmony between all pieces.
Design and Making Process:
On your first appointment, you will discuss with the designer all the important parts of the engagement ring. You will be able to ask any questions you may have, chat about alternatives and finally settle upon a design you love the most.
Depending on the jeweller, you may be able to design your ring in real-time via a 3D digital rendering, or the designer will provide you with the design concepts either digitally, or artistically at a later time.
Once you’re happy with the design it will then be wax moulded and cast into metal, which will help with the exact dimensions of the ring to ensure everything is perfectly sized and balanced.
Then the ring will be sent off to be set with the gemstone(s) you’ve selected. Then the ring will be polished, inspected and ready to be picked up.
*Please note – as stated, this process can take up to several weeks as the craftsmanship of such delicate jewellery must be done with the utmost patience and care, so please plan accordingly.
Caring for your gemstone ring is easy. Make sure you check where the gemstone sits on Moh Hardness Scale – this will tell you how hard or soft the stone is. It’s always best practice to take your jewellery off when doing any tough activities such as cooking and cleaning, or you’re doing any other hard work with your hands.
Making sure you clean your ring regularly with warm, soapy water is also good to help it keep its shine and brilliance.
If you continue to love and respect your ring as you did when you were first gifted it, then you should have no problems.
