Are you hoping to propose to the love of your life? It's such an exciting time, and there are so many great opportunities to make the moment magical. No matter when you plan to do it -- a holiday, anniversary, or meaningful date -- the proposal itself is all about the ring.
No matter your plans, you need a memorable ring for such a memorable moment! Creating a bespoke custom engagement ring may be just the thing you need to make this night extra special. Every time she'll look at her finger, it reminds her of that moment she'll never want to forget.
Tips for Creating a Bespoke Diamond Engagement Ring
Many couples choose to create a custom diamond engagement ring that, to them, fits their unique relationship and personalities. Most women have at least some idea of what they want in a ring (if not the entire idea), and you have the opportunity to make her dreams come true by creating a custom ring. This process is, well, just that: a process. So, here are some tips we have for you if you're considering going the custom engagement ring route.
Start The Planning Process Early
The process of creating a custom engagement ring can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending on your design and the craftsmanship it requires from a jeweler. Knowing that, if you know when you'd like to propose, you'll want to plan ahead a few months to ensure the ring is ready by then.
You'll often hear of the "Four C's of Diamonds" when educating yourself on diamond jewelry, and these include:
- The Carat Weight
- The Cut
- The Color
- and the Clarity
Depending on your choice for each of these for your custom diamond engagement ring, you're looking at varying times and skills required to create your ring.
Collect Inspiration and Determine A Budget
When you are deciding on the right carat weight, cut, color, and clarity of your custom diamond engagement ring, you'll want to create some visual inspiration "board" to pull ideas from and that you can use to show your jeweler what you envision. Many men choose to snoop on their partner's Pinterest board to see what she may like, and then they do research on their own on platforms like Instagram or by browsing ring catalogs. Pick and choose from images you like based on:
- Ring bands
- Jewel-setting styles on ring bands
- Colors of the gemstones
- Cuts of the diamond
- Metals she likes (i.e. gold, rose gold, silver, platinum, etc)
Determining a budget can be one of the more nerve-racking parts of choosing a ring design. There are many choices when it comes to ring design (and not all will fit your budget), but if you feel overwhelmed, you can always come into one of our stores, and we can help you narrow down your ideas to match your budget.
Decide on a Wedding Band
Engagement rings aren't the end-all. You still have to choose a wedding band that goes with it! This is a good thing to consider when creating your engagement ring, as you must incorporate it with the wedding band.
Wedding bands come in all shapes and sizes and are customizable to your engagement ring (for the most part, depending on your choice). When choosing a wedding band to go with your custom engagement ring, you'll want to consider the following:
- Which types of metal will complement your engagement ring
- If you want it to stack or connect in a way that makes it look like it's a set
- If you stack it, you'll want to consider getting it sautered or keeping it as a separate stack
- Whether or not you want diamonds or other gemstones built into the wedding band
- How easy sizing will be (when in doubt, size up! It's easier to take away from a ring than it is to add to it.)
Customize Your Engagement Ring
When choosing how to customize your engagement ring, you want to remember that this ring is a reflection of your love for her and you want it to reflect her personality, style, and make it unique.
Some men choose to create rings with different bands, different gemstones, various diamond sizes, specific gemstone cuts, etc. If you don't even know where to begin, we suggest seeing if she has a Pinterest board of ideas, or taking a look in her jewelry box to get a feel for her style. Here are the choices you're going to have to decide on.
How To Choose a Metal
There are a few different metals you can choose from when designing your engagement ring, including:
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Platinum
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White Gold
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Yellow Gold
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Rose Gold
When you're doing your research on her preferences, pay attention to this detail!
How To Choose A Gemstone Shape
Most women prefer certain shapes when it comes to rings, so you'll want to pay attention to her preferences in this area. The shapes you can choose from include:
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Round
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Princess
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Emerald
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Marquise
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Oval
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Pear
Decide on a Design
You can choose from thousands of designs, which can seem overwhelming. We suggest browsing our site using the design search feature to narrow down your options, or come on into our store and talk with one of our specialists to find the perfect ring in time for New Year's! We have locations in Florence (Alabama), Huntsville (Alabama), and Franklin (Tennessee).