Six Steps To Creating The Perfect Custom-Made Engagement Ring

Since you’ve landed here it’s quite reasonable to assume that you’ve found the perfect partner to spend the rest of your life with! First and foremost, we’d like to pass on a huge congratulations! One of the most important tasks to get you started on your proposal plans is finding that perfect engagement ring. Our post below is a step-by-step guide when you want to create a custom engagement ring:

1. Start with a budget in mind 

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to how much to spend on your engagement ring. You might go by the popular ‘3 Month Rule’. That is, your engagement ring should cost three months' salary. Or you might decide to go with a higher or lower budget. Regardless of what your budget is, it is important to have an idea on how much you would like to spend as this will assist you immensely when going through the purchasing process. Armed with this number, a good jeweller will be able to work with you to get the best diamond and engagement ring setting for you based on your preferences.  This is the first place to start and as you get into it, you might even find that you’d like to lower or raise this budget.

2. Understand the 4 C’s

The next important step is to get familiar with the 4C’s as you’ll be hearing about them alot during your adventures of hunting down the perfect diamond. A simple understanding of what each of the 4C’s represent in a diamond will take you far - there’s no need to get a PHD in gemology. The 4C’s: Colour, Cut, Clarity and Carat -  here’s the basics to get us started:

  • Colour: Ranging from “D” to “Z”. This is a global standardised rating on the colour of the diamond. The general rule here is that the larger the diamond, quite frankly, the more visible the colour is. We recommend for diamonds larger than 1 carat to go with at least H colour or above. For smaller diamonds, you may consider I ,J or K. 
  • Cut: Take it from us - this is undeniably one of the most important aspects, this refers to a diamond’s proportions, symmetry and polish, brilliance and fire.  The cut determines the light reflecting off the diamonds surfaces and how much it sparkles. For this reason, the diamonds can also often be the biggest swing factor in its price tag. 
  • Clarity: Clarity is an expert’s assessment of the naturally occurring imperfections both on the surface and within the stone. There is a strong misconception that you need to buy a high clarity grade to avoid seeing any imperfections, but many imperfections are not visible to the naked eye. Our recommendation if you are after an “eye-clean” diamond is always to go with an VS or SI. You can read more about that here
  • Carat: Whilst commonly known as the size of the diamond, carat actually refers to  the weight of your diamond. One carat is subdivided into 100 points, and equivalent to 0.20 grams. It is very important to remember the weight of a diamond alone cannot determine the value and price, as each diamond is unique, and the value is very dependent on the other three favours (Colour, Clarity and Cut) mentioned above.

To learn more about diamonds head on over to our 'Learn About Diamonds' page.

3. Do your homework on styles

Before heading to the jeweller, you want to make sure you have an idea of what you want. Jewellers can work closely with you to design the ring to your exact specifications, but bring as many images as you can along - the more detail you can provide your jeweller, the better! Make sure you don’t just bring along an aerial shot of the ring. When you find a design you like, make sure you get images from ALL angles possible, and I mean every angle. The top, the side, left, right and centre - you name it! From there, your jeweller can start working on designs with you. 

At Just Gold Jewellery, we always provide a detailed computer rendering of design. This will ensure that there's no guesswork in the process, as the rendering will reflect exactly what your final ring will look like. It will take up to one week to custom create the rendering. From there, we work closely with you to alter anything that you wish, with revised renderings to reflect the exact ring you have in mind. Once the rendering is confirmed, our expert jewellers will start the process of handcrafting your ring! Contact us now to get a quote on your ring 

4. Get her ring size!

This is where things (can) go wrong. The last thing you want is to have completed nailed the perfect ring only to slip the ring on the finger and find it’s the wrong size! Although, if you do get it wrong, don’t worry - you can always head straight back to your jeweller together and get it resized. 

To try maximise your chances of getting it right, you’ll have to think outside the square. Give your jeweller something to work with - try get her ring and trace the inner circle of the ring, or put her ring on your own finger, draw a line to where it measures up to and snap a photo. Getting help from her best friend or mother always helps too!

5. Find a good reliable jeweller 

Now that you’ve got the basics of diamond and engagement ring 101, it’s time to find a jeweller to create this masterpiece! 

You will want to make sure you find someone reliable - do you have friends who have recommendations? A friend who recently proposed or got proposed to? Do your homework - read the jeweller’s google reviews, visit their instagram page, we’d even recommend going to the physical store (if there is one) to check out their craftsmanship. Speak to the jeweller about your preferences and get a good feel of what they recommend to you. Are they responsive? Professional? It’s important to trust your gut as well here!

6. Know custom-made jewellery takes time - for good reason!

Understand that custom-made jewellery takes time. You are creating something from scratch, the process involves creating a detailed computer rendering which can take up to a week. This computer rendering will show you every single detail that you need to know - where do the side diamonds sit, what do the final proportions look like? How high will my stone sit in the setting? These are details that are often overlooked but can make a big difference when it comes to the final ring.

Once you’ve decided on a jeweller, make sure you chat to them about your proposal plans. You don’t necessarily have to tell them the whole plan - although it's always nice to hear what the lucky partner has in store. What's most important to your jeweller is the date you plan to propose and when you need the ring. Custom-made engagement rings can take anywhere from 4 weeks to months, depending on the style. It’s always a good idea to build in some buffer and speak with your jeweller so they are on board with your time frame!

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If you have any other questions about your custom made engagement ring you are always most welcome to speak to our custom made engagement ring specialists. Please feel free to drop the Just Gold Jewellery team an email, come to our store or give us a call. We are here for you.

At Just Gold Jewellery we are always more than happy to assist you with your jewellery questions. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

- Just Gold Jewellery - Sydney Engagement Ring Specialists, Sydney Diamond Specialists, Sydney Custom Made Jewellery Experts, Sydney Wedding Ring Specialists

Written by Just Gold