BRIDAL: A Guide To Designing a Bespoke Engagement Ring

If you’ve decided to design your own bespoke ring, you may be wondering where to begin. There are so many elements to choose from; such as the setting, the stone, metal, finish and overall design will all need to be taken into consideration when choosing such an important piece of jewelry.

We take a look at what you should consider when designing a bespoke engagement ring, do not miss these 6 essential tips prepared by our Bridal Editor:

Tip 1: Start as soon as possible

Custom-made rings take much longer than buying straight from a store. Bear in mind you’ll have to do some research before meeting with your consultant, and then you may not have a fixed idea for a ring on the first planning session. Once you have a design sorted, the ring will then need to be made – which will push the date back even further. As soon as you know that you’re ready to propose, start researching styles and prices.

Tip 2: Have pictures to hand

Once you’re ready to get to the designing stage, be sure to have some inspiration to hand. You could use screenshots or an app that can collate all of your favorite rings in one place like Pinterest, but having some designs you already love to hand will help you pull together your own.

Tip 3: Choose your metal

If your other half hasn’t spoken about what ring they want, think about what other jewelry they wear. If they always wear silver-colored pieces, you should stick with that. You could go with a platinum or white gold ring or think about their favorite color; if they love pink, go for the very on-trend rose gold.

Tip 4: What stone?

The stone is quite possibly the hardest part of choosing/designing a ring – especially if it hasn’t actively been spoken about. A diamond is the most popular stone for an engagement ring, however, depending on your budget you could consider other beautiful gems such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds or a unique pretty pink morganite (this is the perfect option if you go for a rose gold band).

Tip 5: Choose your cut

The cut is really important; it determines the shape of the jewel, how it sparkles, and some will suit people differently. There are so many different cuts to choose from including:

? Round – this is the most classic engagement ring style. An understated perfectly shaped jewel. A standard round brilliant gem has 58 facets to guarantee as much light as possible, ensuring a true sparkler

? Princess – a simple square style that captures the light perfectly.

? Emerald – as iconic as its namesake gem, an emerald-cut gives any stone a classic and vintage look

? Pear – a unique cut with one rounded end and one end which draws to a point.

Tip 6: Decide on a setting

The cut of the diamond isn’t the only important factor of the ring, you will also need to think about the setting. Here are just three to consider:

? Halo – this design features a beautiful gem in the center surrounded with a halo of other jewels (the Duchess of Cambridge’s famous engagement ring is an example of a halo setting).

? Cathedral – this type of setting, that features the gem sat high using arching prongs that resemble the arches of cathedrals, has been said to enhance the gem making it appear bigger.

? Three-stone – this features three beautiful stones in a row to form a statement ring.

Whether you’re wanting something simple or to make a statement, making a bespoke ring is a fantastic way to add a unique twist to a special piece of jewelry.