If any jewelry piece should be custom, it’s a wedding ring. Your relationship is like no other couple’s relationship, and the rings you wear to represent your marriage should also be unique.
But how do you get started finding a jeweler who creates custom engagement rings and wedding bands to your exact specifications and style? And what should you look for? Here we provide a little insight into the process, along with a few designs for inspiration.
First, start your search early for a jeweler who does custom design.
When done right, a custom piece takes time. Realize that just because someone says they do “custom” work, they may not actually create your ring from scratch. Custom goes beyond selecting your gold color and the shape of your diamond. Do your research to make sure the jeweler you select is the one doing the actual crafting of the entire piece in-house, rather than sending the work elsewhere or using prefabricated pieces.
Just as important: Select a jewelry designer that has received industry awards. This can bring peace of mind and helps you understand the credibility and integrity of a designer that you’re considering working with.
Browse and collect inspiration.
Inspiration is everywhere when it comes to creating your ring — not just in bridal magazines or jewelry ads. Use your imagination: think about images in nature, patterns you are drawn to (such as floral or geometric), and even color and gemstone preferences. With something truly custom, you can adhere as much or as little as you like to tradition, so really think about what it is you want to wear on your finger every day.
Book an appointment with a jewelry designer.
He or she will want to see the ideas you’ve collected, so bring photos (in print, saved on your phone, or in your Pinterest board) and be ready to share.
Here at Coffin & Trout Fine Jewellers, not only do we like to talk about your ring design ideas at our first meeting, we like to show you around. You’ll get to see the studio where we’ll be handcrafting your unique engagement ring, and you’ll even see our jewelers at work. Our customers love getting this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the process.
Discuss your design preferences with the designer.
The best place to start is with diamond selection. The diamond is often the center of the show, and knowing which size and shape you like will set the stage for the ultimate design concept.
In addition to looking at your design ideas, we’ll take you through the process of determining metal type (yellow gold or white gold, for example), the selection of complementary stones, and so on. Often, It can be helpful to try on different designs in the showroom. Sometimes what you see in a photo turns out to be completely different from what you want when you see it on your finger.
Get ready to see your ring in 3D.
Not many people know that a custom jewelry design can be mocked up in a computer system and printed before a piece is actually crafted. Here in our store, everything is done in CAD (computer aided design), which we use to create realistic 3D renderings and a prototype of your ring.
This step is key because any photographic representation is only two dimensional. Seeing a 3D version helps you get a better sense of the final proportions and fit.
Inspiration Starts Here
Take a look at some of our favorite ring designs and start planning your own.
Women’s Wedding Rings
Split Prong Diamond Wedding Bands
We can customize wedding bands like these according to your taste and engagement ring design. Talk with us to learn more about the variety of metals and diamond sizes that you can select from.
Stacking Diamond Fashion Rings
These rings from our Navette Collection, which can be built in white, yellow, or rose gold and using different colors of diamonds — such as yellow, pink, or white — are a good example of how wedding bands can be customized.
Stackable Gemstone and Diamond Bands
Wedding band designs can be more creative than you might think. These bands show some of the variety of metals, colored gemstones, and diamonds that are available to you when you work with us to design a custom piece.
Men’s Wedding Rings
Deco Yellow and White Gold Celtic Knot Men’s Wedding Band
This Celtic knot-inspired motif is crafted of bright, sandblasted 18k yellow gold, framed by lustrous 14k white gold, but we can create a similar design of metals that you choose.
Paragon Sapphire and Diamond Men’s Wedding Band
In this ring, 14k white gold is brushed, then inlaid with alternating princess cut diamonds and blue sapphires. We can create a similar design for you using gemstones and precious metal selected by you.
Men’s Wedding Rings
Deco White Gold and Meteorite Men’s Wedding Band
We work with a variety of materials to create our custom designs, as you can see in this men’s wedding band, which uses brushed 14k white gold and octahedrite siderite meteorite to make a masculine statement.
