How to Customize Engagement Rings
When you pop the question, you want your future bride to know just how special she is to you. Designing a one-of-a-kind engagement ring for the girl in your life can be a meaningful way to show her how much you really care. In the steps below, you'll learn how to work with a jewelery designer to come up with the perfect design.
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Things You'll Need
- Jewelry design software (optional) Bridal or jewelry magazines Marker Post-It Notes Jewelry designer
Instructions
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How to Customize an Engagement Ring
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Start by getting a feel for your future fiancee's likes and dislikes in jewelry. Chances are, your gal has very specific tastes and has spent time thinking about her engagement ring. Page through magazines and websites together and have her choose the rings she likes. Things to keep in mind are: the color of metal she is drawn to (white gold, platinum or yellow gold are the most common), the cut (or shape) of the stone, and whether she likes a solitaire setting (a single stone) or one with smaller stones flanking the center diamond.
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Set a budget and talk together about what is realistic. A custom-designed ring may set you back more than buying one straight out of the case, but there are ways to offset the cost. If your fiance's heart is not set on a large stone, choose a half-carat diamond for the center. Or select white gold rather than platinum. Not only is white gold less expensive, it is also easier to work with, thus the price of casting a gold ring will be less.
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Find a jewelry designer in your area and bring a sketch or several pictures depicting your ideal ring design. Interview several jewelers before making your final decision. Assess them based on their communication skills, whether or not they seem to understand what you're looking for and by reviewing their previous work.
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The jewelry designer will work with you to create a professional sketch and confirm all the details like metal type, stone shape and specific design elements.
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Next, the designer will hand over your sketch to a model maker, who will create a wax model of your ring. This will give you a three dimensional look at the ring, which is useful for visualizing proportion and thickness of the band.
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Once you've approved the wax model, the jeweler will create the ring of your dreams, and all that's left to do is propose.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider using an heirloom family stone and designing a custom band to go with it. Leave plenty of time, a custom ring takes longer than one purchased over the counter. Ask if your jeweler is familiar with Computer Aided Design, or CAD, a very specific design tool that allows for near-perfect accuracy.
Don't be afraid to walk away from the early stages of the design process if the jeweler is not communicating well. Always agree on a price up front and make sure both you and your jewelery sign a contract before design begins.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Graeme Weatherston, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
