Design Your Own Engagement Ring
So you know you want to propose to your girlfriend but you want to design your own engagement ring. First off, congratulations! This is an exciting time...so enjoy it!
The customization options for engagement rings are almost endless, but don't get overwhelmed. I'll share with you the top 5 things you need to know before designing an engagement ring of your own. I will also outline the most popular ways in which people design engagement rings.
Designing an Engagement Ring- Top 5 Things You Need to Know
Let's cut right to the chase. Here are the top five things you need to know about engagement rings before you go off and pay thousands of dollars for one:
- What style of jewelry does your girlfriend already like?
- What price range are you looking to stay within?
- What are your thoughts on the major choices such as metal type, stone, setting, etc?
- What stone shape do you think she wants? (radiant, round, princess, heart, pear, etc)
- What is her ring size?
Some additional things to consider when you're ready to design your own engagement ring is the return policy of the place you want to buy it at and their policy on doing ring size adjustments (in case you are off by a size or two).
Different Ways to Design Your Own Engagement Ring
When you tell people you want to "design your own engagement ring", how are you thinking of doing it?
The truth is, there are quite a few ways to design engagement rings. Here are some of the more popular:
Designing a ring from scratch
Whether using an online retailer such as Amazon or a local jeweler, if you know exactly what you want (or if you have a good idea of what you want), you can simply walk in (or log in) and start customizing. This requires more work than many of the other options but you will get exactly what you want.
Amazon offers a great way to customize engagement rings and there are quite a few other companies online that offer similar services.
Buying an engagement ring without the stone
Almost all reputable jewelers allow you to purchase a ring with a setting for a stone. The ring will come without a stone so you can use whichever stone you'd like. You might find a diamond online for cheaper than what they're offering at the store, or maybe your girlfriend has a gemstone with a sentimental story behind it (it used to be her great-grandmother's, for example).
Different Types of Rings You Can Design
The options are almost limitless, but here are a few suggested types of engagement rings you can design either from scratch or from a "base model":
- Gemstone engagement rings
- Moissanite engagement rings
- Sapphire engagement rings
- Three stone engagement rings
In the video above, the shop owner says that some ring shoppers even come in with pictures or ring concepts that they have drawn! So however you choose to design your own engagement ring, make sure it's something your girlfriend loves and it's something you can afford!
- Engagement Ring Ideas & Guides for Building, Buying Advice
Engagement Rings - ideas and advice for designing, choosing and buying yours, with several links to websites that will guide you in your decision. - Diamond information on the Four C's
Four C's diamond education; useful for those looking to design a ring with diamonds on it. - Helpful WikiHow article on designing your ring
The article gives a handful of helpful steps to jog your thinking on the topic.
