My now husband and I went to a local jeweler that had a stellar reputation. It took us a while to choose the right stone. A few weeks for a wax mold, and then another few weeks for the actual ring.

I’d reach out to someone local to you and see if they’ll start the process with you and help you get a mock up of what the ring will look like. Frame it and propose with that and involve your fiancé in the final process, they’re the one who will be wearing it forever!

FYI, 6 months is *extra* long. When I was shopping, many places quoted 4-12 weeks for a fully custom ring. If you know when you want to propose, find a place that can get the ring done on time!

Revisions are common but it may also make sense to do them after the proposal, so that you can get resizing or any other alterations requested by your soon-to-be-fiancee at the same time.

Just go to a local jeweler and tell them what you want to do.

Depending on what you mean by “soon” will dictate what can be done but I would plan for 6 months minimum because you will likely send it back multiple times for revisions. I’ve had 3 or 4 custom pieces made and each end up going back 3 times for various reasons so just prepare for that so you don’t stress yourself out.

I work at a store that does lots of customs! Make sure you get a warranty- you'll need it if you're wearing your ring every day! That's the advantage of not doing it online. What area are you in? Maybe message me? I can maybe recommend some in your area!

As someone mentioned James Allen I wouldn't recommend them but where my ring came from and I absolutely am in love with it was Gemsny they let you pick out loose stones and they have a bunch of settings to choose from I'm not sure if you can create a ring from scratch but I'm sure if you messaged them they could do something! This is my ring from there

https://preview.redd.it/2jyvr5j7m2ze1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f13fc6314c11a80a0846b4194c11a560579f0b21

Check out youdiam they also accept custom order as per your local market needs and demands. They have website Youdiam.com and etsy too

Once you locate a jeweler and set up a meeting you should do the following.

• Decide on a budget, add a 50% cushion if possible so you have some flexibility but don’t tell the jeweler about the cushion.
• Pick a stone color
• Assuming the budget isn’t unlimited I would suggest looking into the more elongated stones like an Oval or Radiant. They wear larger than they are so that helps with having a bigger looking stones while saving some money. I also feel they wear nicer on the finger.
• Choose a metal type and color
• Find a few pictures to use as inspiration and have fun. The process can be tedious and stressful at times but making something extra special for that extra special someone sets the bar. And if you do it right you should pick up a unique box because presentation is everything.

Here are the two Engagement rings I did for my Fiancé.

• 1.6 Natural Oval diamond set in rose gold with a white gold head
• 2.55 Natural Cushion cut pink sapphire in white gold. I got her two because she changes her style up and I’ve gotten her both rose and white gold jewelry in the past so now she has options with the rings too but the diamond is the one she considers her true engagement ring!

So pretty! My boyfriend and I are planning to get a custom engagement ring from Karat Jewelry Group. They recently sent us their CAD drawings, and we were so impressed. ��

I'm gonna copy an old comment I made a couple weeks ago:

> For me, jewelry customization was just a hobby that my mom and I would enjoy together while I was growing up, but there are a ton of ways to start!

> I would recommend visiting r/moissanite to find overseas vendors that do custom projects for pretty cheap, I've gotten custom projects with lab stones (not just moissanite; diamond, sapphire, ruby, alexandrite, and emerald too)for anywhere from $200-500 using those vendors.

> Another sub is r/shinypreciousgems which is a sub full of professional gem cutters who sell their precision cut gems and also educate their users about a whole host of topics related to minerals and precious gems. It's honestly the only place I buy my gemstones now; once you see precision cuts, it's hard to go back to factory cuts ��

> And lastly there's the small businesses, which are always great to support. You can walk into any jeweler (avoiding big chains like Kay, Jared, and Zales), browse their showroom and get a quote for your project, and see how well you vibe with the craftsman. You should really shop around to a few places to see if their showroom jewelry is good quality/your style, how communicative the jeweler is and whether or not they're on the same page as you about your project, and of course whether their quote is within your budget. They should be friendly and answer any "stupid" questions you have without making you feel like it was a stupid question lol. If brick-and-mortars aren't available to you still, you can also find incredible small jewelers on Etsy who can provide all the same service from an online marketplace.

> Hope this helps!

I started trying to design a custom ring 1st of Jan. I did not try to design it myself as I have zero concept as to proper mountings, settings, etc. I started with an Edwardian filigree 3-stone pic I found on the internet as “inspiration”. I did NOT have any idea as to what I wanted in the end, I just knew that I like this old setting. But it was handmade, hand engraved, and needed “updating”. 4 designers later, the last guy created a CAD that I love, and located stones. So.... maybe in June I will actually have a ring.
IMHO, this process was much more difficult than I had ever imagined. You have to find the right designer AND the right person to make it AND the right stone(s). I needed 3 matching diamonds plus coordinating accent diamond and blue sapphires. I could write a book as to what all we have been thru. Seriously. Holding my breath.... ��������

I'm getting mine done at Green Lake Jewelry Works and I've had SO much fun with the process. Here are the original sketches they did, then these when I picked a setting and gave feedback on the twists, and now we settled on this design. I get to see the CAD model next, within a few days. I expect another month or so before my ring is totally finished.

I'm a designer.

Can you tell me the story between you?

I can help you design a ring that only belongs to you.

Hi!

​

How I normally proceed with my clients goes as follow:

​

1-I'll ask the clients if they have a model in mind. Providing me with pictures of styles or different elements of styles, hand drawings, and even poor sketches will help a lot.

​

2-I'll need a finger size. This can be measured by either voting me at my studios either in Bangkok or Shanghai, but also at any local jeweler. (If the project is a secret, snitching one of your girlfriend's or wife's ring will be proven very helpful! ;-)

​

3-The budget for the project. It might seem a bit blunt, but I believe serious customers have numbers in mind. This is very important also for the fact that it will help me direct my researches in order to spare everyone s time.

​

I will then outsource the gemstones in order to have exact measurements, then ask for a deposit in order to buy the rocks and get ready for the next step: 3D modeling.

​

Making the 3D model is an important step, as it will not only be used to show renderings to the client for approval or tweaking a few details to match the client's taste as much as possible but also making sure that everything will go smoothly for the actual production.

​

After approval of the 3D drawing, I will start the production of the piece and keep the client informed of the progress.

​

The last step, handing over the piece to the client, happens around 10 days to 15 days (even though I have made miracles happened in as short a time as 4 days!)

​

For overseas clients (which is more and more numerous in the past months), the piece arrives at their doorstep 3 to 5 days (via a trusted logistics company such as FEDEX, UPS, etc.)after final approval of the finished piece.

​

Voila!

​

:-D

​

I would say, as for the experience itself, that the vast of my clients really enjoy the process, as they enjoy freedom in design and budget, on top of having direct access to a professional to educate and guide them through the thing from A to Z... And as a result, it is not uncommon for this to be the beginning of a great and amicable relationship!

​

Good luck with your jewelry project dear!

​

;-)

​

Yves

My boyfriend and I just put a deposit down on a Heidi Gibson ring that I customized! It was a super easy process, I just emailed back and forth with Heidi to let her know what I was wanting, and once the design was finalized, we sent the deposit and I sent her the stone I was wanting to use as a center stone!

We paid the deposit at the beginning of May, and she estimated around 10 weeks of a turnaround time, so we're expecting it mid-July/early August!

I designed my own ring with the help of a local jeweler. I had taken a workshop with her a year ago, so as soon as my boyfriend and I started talking about rings I emailed her. It's been a really great process so far. I was deciding between using some heirloom stones and designing something entirely new, and she was really patient with me while I emailed her multiple conflicting visions. I ended up deciding to make a completely new ring, and told her a range of specs for the diamond as well as our total budget. She sourced a few stones and we were able to go see them in person (with masks) and I was able to hold them up to my finger and see them in different lights. Once I picked the stone and we had talked about the general design (a very simple bezel) she sent me a few options for the gallery, and I took those ideas and some of my own and combined them. I made a mockup in Illustrator (I have a hard time visualizing things until I can literally see a version of them) and she confirmed that the design was doable! After that point I decided to stay in the dark. She said she'd send updates to my boyfriend but since I want to be somewhat surprised by the final result, I'm staying out of it. Only ~2 weeks left to wait!! We started the process in late April, but since I was so indecisive the process took a bit longer. We ended up paying a rush fee once the final design was decided, which shortened the total production time from ~10 to 6 weeks (that's including time spent sourcing and looking at the stones).

Sorry, that was longer than I intended. Since we're keeping it a secret until we have the ring I haven't been able to vent my excitement.

Overall (so far) it's been a great experience, and we got a really good price compared to a similar ring from an online retailer, plus I get to say that I designed my own ring, which is important to me.

I had my set made through Krikawa, and they were AMAZING! Every piece is custom!

https://preview.redd.it/849rvgs8l2df1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=629f3c16eeded3c637309c841af2a58c99f962d6

Mine is a 2.04 green sapphire, matching green diamonds in the band, set in platinum with a mokume gane inlay of 22k yellow gold, 14k white gold, and sterling.

Make sure you ask about warranties, resizing, and return policies. I almost went with an online shop that looked amazing, but they had zero aftercare services. In the end, I used a jeweler in the Diamond District (NYC), and they were fantastic, super quick and reasonably priced.

Check out JPX jewellery- I’ve seen his instagram page and he creates really beautiful designs! I would love to work with him one day!

I personally would get a loose stone online then take it to a local jeweler near you. If thats not an option, I got mine from white house brothers. Stones are very reasonable priced, their settings are alil higher because they do it in house but for me it evened out so I still decided to go with them!

Ring Concierge

This shouldn’t be an issue to get custom made! The only more complex part is the pattern on the profile, which is difficult to see in the image, but if you can explain what you want from it it shouldn’t be difficult to execute 😊 where are you based? There will be plenty of places to recommend

I (half jokingly) made my bf a PowerPoint the day after he ever brought up trying on rings and had him sit through a corporate style deck presentation because I’m type A like that lol. Did basically all of the research for him and we visited some jewelers and tried on some rings and diamonds in semi mounts but I always knew I’d have to go custom because I wanted a euro shank. I ended up doing it all and taking over all communication with the custom team of the company we went with and just had them send him the invoices 😅

I am very very particular clearly but I’m sure he appreciated it in this case.

I ended up doing most all of it myself. He just really had no idea where to even start (and I didn't even know what I wanted), and it evolved into my working with a jeweler. I would talk with him and see how involved he'd like to be!

Look at enough rings to have an idea of the looks you like. Chunky, dainty, antique, modern, sleek, mystic?

Then look at some specifics. Do you want a traditional solitaire? Side stones? Pave, hidden halo, bezel?

Once you have some vocabulary, look for more examples. You can then show him a bunch of different images and be clear if you're looking for some combination of these, or best case, any of these.

Decide if there are aspects of the center stone (if you're suggesting that look) that he can have free reign. Be clear if you prefer a smaller stone or if you want many carats. Decide if you care if it's a diamond or sapphire (both good choices for daily wear). And if you don't have strong feelings about any particular shape, let him know that.

Too often with these big choices we get ourselves into a huge tizzy of requirements and what the "perfect" thing is. There are many possible magnificent things, and you're going to get one. Enjoy!

Nothing wrong with wanting to be surprised! Also nothing wrong with sending inspiration of what you do like in a ring! Take some time to browse designs and you learn if you have any strong feelings about and ring designs (ex I dispise heart shaped stones and love ovals and emerald cut) take notes so he knows what to avoid and what to steer towards. It's important you love your ring, so if you accidentally fall in love with one specific ring while browsing, let him know so you're not disappointed and comparing the ring you got to your dream ring. The proposal can still be a complete surprise

I’m currently engaged. My fiancé and I started talking about marriage and went to try on rings together at various places to see what styles we both liked. He made it pretty clear that it’s whatever I liked most because I’ll be wearing it forever. Once I got the stone I liked we went to a jeweler who helped me design the ring. My Fiance was also part of the process but I had the end say on what it would look like. I approved the wax model and that was it. Never saw the finished product until he proposed and had no idea when he was going to do it so it was still a surprise for me.

Fully! We went together to a local jeweler to look at options and design the ring. He wanted to make sure we got something I would like, especially since he felt so overwhelmed with options!

We are still waiting on our CAD, but he enjoyed helping me pick out the diamond shape, helping to choose which stone was sparkliest, pointing out settings he thought were pretty, etc. I don’t think it is less romantic! He is less stressed about ring shopping, and we both know that we will both be happy with the design and quality.

Fulllllly, and you’re not wrong whatsoever if you’re the one who will be wearing it! You can always get his opinion on it but it’s also your ring!

Fully involved. I took all the calls with the designers and approved all the CADs. I did involve him in the process and have him cc'd on every email but he gave me complete control over the design. The only thing he did was give me a budget and his credit card lol.

I designed the whole thing. My husband let me get and do whatever I wanted. :)

I went with my partner and we picked out the ring together, I let him pick the stone on his own because I didn’t know he was going to pick out the stone lol. If you’re going fully custom, be there for it. I would’ve wanted to. It’s a piece of jewelry that is:

A- EXPENSIVE!!! B- going to be worn by you for the rest of your life.

You are not wrong for wanting to design it!

I did a custom ring with Shiny Precious Gems recently. They have subreddit by the same name, and the sub owner (Jim) is u/shinypreciousgems. If you email Jim and Liss an image, they can get you an estimate from their goldsmith, and they'll send you CAD images through the process. They might even have something similar in their standard settings that they could suggest. They have a HUGE catalog of settings.

Anyway, I loved working with them and highly recommend them. The craftsmanship on my ring is excellent.

Lastly, I absolutely love that setting in the photo. The arrangement of side stones is adorable!

I used an oversees Chinese vendor. Very well made. Here’s there instagram if you need ideas. Tianyu IG

https://preview.redd.it/5u597rzl61ab1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=61ae82b4adef75f94931722a74eca8cae6a2b215

My bf and I actually ordered this exact ring! i can tell you exactly where to get it, its a store called Ring Come True based in Toronto, they also are happy to do custom work! Working with them has been so great and the prices are super reasonable! They specialize in moissanite and also offer lab diamonds, no mined diamonds though!

We got the Psykhe ring, the same as your image, with a 1.3 ct lab diamond for a little over 3k

Here's a link to it on their website (also check out their Instagram, its great)

https://ringcometrue.com/collections/engagement/products/the-psykhe-oval-cut?variant=37962547429566

My fiancé did vrai, custom made and he said he had the best experience.

I used CustomMade! I had a wonderful experience with them and my ring turned out exactly like I envisioned.