Tips for Custom Designing an Engagement Ring

There’s nothing more romantic than an engagement built around your unique love story. If you have never experienced designing a custom piece of jewelry, the thought of starting one may seem daunting. However, creating a unique, one-of-a-kind engagement ring is much easier than most people think. Taking the initiative to custom design a ring will take time to develop, but the end results will be unquestionably worth it.

Why Create a Custom Engagement Ring?

Throughout the past few decades, more and more couples are opting to custom design engagement rings. The gradual shift in preference is likely due to the already many avenues of customization designer engagement rings offer like hand-selecting the center stone, choosing the preferred metal choice, and adding inscriptions or hidden gemstones to the inner layer of the ring. Instead of the more traditional designer route, modern couples are taking the reigns creatively. Designing a ring with a professional jeweler helps couples realize their unique vision down to every last detail.

Start a Custom Design with a Trusted Jeweler

Your first step is securing a trusted jeweler who will bring your dream engagement ring vision to life. With our talented team of designers at Albert’s Diamond Jewelers, you will have the best opportunity to start your journey of creating a one-of-a-kind engagement ring. At Albert’s, we offer custom design consultations to understand what you are looking for, your budget and the intentions behind your design choices.

During the introductory consultation, our professional team will discuss your ideas, share our input and begin formulating a direction that moves us closer to designing your dream ring. Once the design has been chosen, the master craftsmen will navigate towards deciding whether the ring should be made using hand-carved wax, computer-aided design or hand fabrication. Once this has been established, you will then begin making decisions on precious metals, gemstones, and various design characteristics. Our design team will provide examples and suggestions to make the process stress-free and enjoyable from start to finish.

Find Inspiration for the Design

An important step when it comes to choosing a design for your engagement ring is deciding which styles inspire you. Consider the ring setting—would you like a solid precious metal or maybe a mix of metals? Are diamonds a must for your ring, or are you looking for colored gemstones? These are just a few of the questions you will need to answer before creating the perfect ring.

We suggest doing some research to learn about the various modern design elements. Our catalog of engagement rings offers some inspiration and insight into which elements speak to you. After all, this is your engagement ring and it should reflect your personal style.

It might also be helpful to take a look at what’s trending on the market right now. Explore Albert’s blog to find a range of topics that might expand upon your initial vision with popular ring designs that stand out to you. For example, check out our article on the best gown and ring pairings, where we picked prominent gown silhouettes and paired them with complimentary ring styles. What you read just might influence the design of the ring you wish to create!

The Three Big Decisions

You’re probably wondering, what could be more important than picking the right jeweler for the job? Although your jewelry designer will be your first major choice, there are three other decisions that are extremely impactful. Determining your metal choice, the ring’s center stone and diamond accents are key elements to the overall design. Let’s take a closer look at these specific details so we can help you get a headstart in the custom design process.

1.Choose a Metal

Traditionally, engagement rings are made from gold or platinum, but there are a variety of tones to choose from when customizing a ring. Whether you are leaning towards yellow, rose or white gold, these will each leave a unique impression on the engagement ring design.

Also, it might be beneficial to think about how sensitive your skin might be to certain metals or even mixed-metal jewelry. Platinum is the most hypoallergenic choice, and it’s better to choose something that will work for you long-term because after all, you will be wearing this ring every day for the rest of your life.

2.Figure Out Your Setting

Trust us when we say, there are even more settings to choose from than there are diamond cuts out there. How is that possible? Halo, cathedral, prong, tiffany, bezel, bar, flush, suspension, tension, channel, pavé, cluster, and three-stone settings are your choices. Learn more about these style details here!

3.Pick Your Center Stone

When deciding on the center stone, it’s important to remember, all diamonds are going to shine in their own unique way! You will certainly want to personally handpick this aspect of your engagement ring because this is the heart of the ring.

Traditional diamond cuts include round, cushion, princess, oval, emerald, pear, or marquise. To find out which diamond shape is right for you, explore our guide to diamond shapes. You can also learn more about diamonds and their 4 C’s as you browse through our website. If you don’t understand every aspect—there’s no need to worry! Your dedicated design team will also help you choose a diamond by thoroughly going over all of your choices and explaining the details of diamond certification.

Don’t Forget the Wedding Band

As you already know, you won't be wearing that engagement ring solo for the rest of your life. On your wedding day, it will finally be accompanied by a beautiful personalized band that will signify your promise of forever. Many couples choose to have a wedding band designed and created at the same time as the custom engagement ring. It will ensure these pieces are seamlessly paired. Albert’s Diamond Jewelers will work with you to create both together with savings opportunities, so you can save some extra money to spend on your honeymoon!

Contact the custom design team at Albert’s Diamond Jewelers online or by calling (219)-322-2700 to learn more about the exciting process. We look forward to helping you create the engagement ring you have always dreamed of.