Buying A Custom Engagement Ring - A Buyer’s Guide
Introduction
You have found the love of your life and are now beginning the exciting journey to find the perfect ring! This can be a challenging decision, but you need to remind yourself what made you fall in love with your partner or what makes this relationship special. It’s highly likely it is because they’re unique, different from anyone else you’ve ever met, and make you feel like no one else has ever made you feel. Your love is undeniably one-of-a-kind, so why shouldn’t the engagement ring be one-of-a-kind?
You will find several beautifully designed engagement rings in traditional brick-and-mortar stores and online. The possibilities and choices are endless; however, wouldn’t you want your engagement ring to be as unique as your love? If yes, it would be wise to think about custom engagement rings.
What is a custom engagement ring?
As the name might suggest, a custom engagement ring is a ring made from scratch, especially for you or your partner. This is a perfect option for those who want to find an engagement ring that tells their unique story, which can be challenging to find in pre-set engagement ring marketplaces. With a custom engagement ring, you have the freedom to create something entirely your own or even keep it simple by using an existing ring as inspiration and altering a few elements. Whichever way you choose, you have flexibility in all aspects of the engagement ring design. A custom engagement ring allows you to be involved in the design process that may be meaningful to your partner. You can weave your love story into a stunning custom engagement ring, thanks to several expert jewellery designers like Gemvy.
Pros and Cons of a Custom Engagement Ring
If you have started thinking about custom engagement rings, you should consider a few things. There are some incredible benefits to going for a custom engagement ring, but with that, there are also a few downsides.
Let’s begin with the pros of custom engagement rings:
- Results will be one-of-a-kind.
A custom ring allows you to be as creative as you want, with detailing and engravings unique to you and your story; the results will be one of a kind. There are several aspects of an engagement ring that you can fiddle around with, which you might not be aware of, such as adding or subtracting the number of prongs, the size of the band, and the apparent size and shape of the stone. The freedom to customise these little details means you or your partner will wear an entire one-of-a-kind engagement ring. 
- Involved in the Creative Process
If you buy a custom engagement ring, you will be fully immersed in the exciting experience. Custom engagement rings allow you to wield significant power regarding the design and meaning behind the piece you are creating. You will find yourself working with professionals who design the engagement ring in your mind and vision, translating your feelings of love for your significant other; and keeping you aware of every step.
- Certain of Quality
Custom engagement ring design keeps you very close to the process. You will have knowledge and choice in the matter of what materials are going into the engagement ring. From the stones to the type of metal; each element will go through your approval; in this way, you can be sure of the quality you will be getting!
- Emotional Connection
Custom rings carry a special meaning for you as a couple. This unique engagement ring encapsulates your involvement in the process and the significant details of you and your love story. The experience will become part of your story as a couple and will always hold incredible memories.
On the other hand, there are a few things you might need to consider before dwelling on the custom engagement ring journey.
- Expensive
Custom engagement rings can bear extra costs, considering you have to find the right skilled artisan to create a piece that is uniquely your taste and design. However, there are some online retailers like Gemvy. that specialise in custom engagement rings and can help you in the process to stay within a set budget.
- Might Take Some Time
Unlike pre-set designs, custom engagement rings can take longer due to all of the detail you require. The labor and love spent on a bespoke custom engagement ring mean you should not expect a quick turnaround. There are several stages of the process you go through while creating a unique piece, the back-and-forth of the initial sketches and then the creation means you must keep a long timeline in mind.
- Cannot Be Returned
One of the disadvantages of a custom ring is that if your proposal doesn’t go well or your partner does not like the ring, it cannot be returned. A custom ring has elements, like engravings that are particular to you as a couple, making it impossible to be sold to someone else.
Custom engagement ring process
Keeping these things in mind, if you are leaning towards a custom-made engagement ring, you should learn about the steps you need to take to make this a reality.
1. Know what you want
Before your initial consultation with a jewellery designer, it's best to set a realistic budget and see what’s out there regarding design and materials. Our guide on unique engagement rings will be very helpful with deciding on design options. If you’re buying for your fiancée, maybe see if there is a particular style or set of rings they prefer. Once you have an idea of the defining style of your custom engagement ring, you can seek a jewellery designer that you feel would be able to deliver what you have in mind.
2. Consultation
The jeweller you choose should help bring your vision to life, so you should seek someone out whose designs you are a fan of. There are several online retailers like Gemvy. based in Toronto, which carries the most extensive collection of original designs in the world. Jewellers like Gemvy. have skilled artisans and hundreds of designs that can be customised to fit your taste, especially since copying other designs is illegal.
Finding the right jeweller means assurance that the quality and craftsmanship will be exceptional. During your consultation, ask and see the type of work available at the jeweller. Ask whether they have an artist that can bring your vision to reality. Gemvy. works with one of the most talented artists from around the world, which will bring your vision to life.
It’s also best to take inspirational photos and sketches for your consultation. This will allow for deeper discussions regarding the feasibility, budget, time, design preference, and material choices. Also, discuss your design’s purpose, message and meaning; this can help the designer bring your vision to life.
3. Sketches
Once you have chosen your custom engagement ring designer and consulted with them on the vision, you will move on to the third step. You might have brought in your rough sketches of what you are looking for, but the designer will work with professional artists to create a more polished and detailed production drawing. It’s best to ask to see several drawing options, and don’t be afraid to point out any changes at this point. These sketches can take up to a week to be sent to you; some designers may charge if you ask for more sketches than 1-2; on the other hand, Gemvy. sends up to 5 detailed drawings. Once you are satisfied with one or two designs, you can move on to the next stage.
4. CAD Design or 3D Modelling
This stage can show you what your desired custom ring can look like. A CAD is a drawing of your ring that is created on computer software. It is not the final representation but is used to show the cast of the wax structure of your ring. However, other renderings can be made using the CAD design to create the photo-realistic image of the custom engagement ring. It includes details like the weight and sizes of elements, allowing you to determine the final cost of the finished product. Gemvy. , like other jewellers, uses CAD and provides you with high-resolution images and a video of what your final custom engagement ring would look like. This is when you can ask for any further changes to be made and then finalise your perfect custom engagement ring design.
5. Production
Once you have chosen your final custom engagement ring design, the production process to bring it to real life begins.
• Wax Printing: This process involves using a 3d printer to create a wax model of the engagement ring design you have selected.
• Casting into metal: The wax model is used to create a mould to be filled with metal, which is transformed into a liquid at a high temperature to fill the desired mould. The metal hardens to form the raw casting of rings.
• Preparing and Pre-Polishing: The raw castings of the custom engagement rings are then prepared for sizing; it is then filed into shape and then sent for pre-polishing to prepare the ring for the setting.
• Diamond Setting: After the pre-polishing, diamonds or gemstones are set into the ring using specialist tools.
• Polishing and Rhodium Plating: After the diamonds are set, there is a final round of polishing to perfect the ring. At this stage, if you have chosen white gold as your preferred metal, rhodium is plated around it to protect it from scratches and other wear.
• Delivery: Lastly, the ring is passed through quality checks to ensure the desired custom engagement ring is delivered to you. You can always go to brick-and-mortar stores. However, with the wide range of selection and impeccable customer service available online, at stores like Gemvy. , you will not be disappointed.
Buying a custom engagement ring requires work but this effort to personalise an object that symbolises your love will be an unforgettable experience.
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