If you’re turned off by cookie-cutter morganite and diamond engagement rings, you are not alone. It’s no secret that the glass display case engagement rings found in most jewelry retail stores are mass-marketed, machine-made products. Once upon a time, if you wanted to buy an engagement ring, you would visit a small jewelry retailer that offered a unique selection of handcrafted artisan rings. Today, the growing market trend toward custom designed engagement rings reflects a return to this old-fashioned sensibility. Renewed demand for distinctive, irreproducible pieces suggests that more couples are seeking personalized ring designs that stand out from the crowd.
If you’re thinking of designing your own garnet engagement rings, the first thing you should know is that the process is easier than you probably think. Many reputable chain stores and online retailers take custom orders, and there are also jewelry manufacturers that specialize exclusively in custom, handcrafted engagement rings. Furthermore, if you go online, you will find that professional jewelers frequently have computerized applications on their websites that allow you to design your engagement ring from the comfort of your home. These virtual ring design platforms or systems allow you to select the stone cut, setting, metal type, finger size and other specifications of your ring. The virtual applications are image-based so you can visualize every aspect of your ring design before placing an order.
There are different levels of personalization that can be done with custom-made engagement rings. You can choose to start from scratch or you can tweak a pre-made design to your liking. Whatever you decide, you should know that designing your own ring doesn’t require any special artistic talent or knowledge of jewelry design. Remember, the jeweler is an expert who is there to help you turn your general idea into a full-fledged object of beauty.
The wonderful thing about custom-made jewelry is that you are free to be as creative as you want. Looking at rings already on the market will give you inspiration and ideas, but ultimately, what your ring looks like (and costs!) is up to you. Bear in mind, you will need to select the jeweler who can best meet the degree of customization you desire. Usually, you will meet with a sales consultant to discuss your design. If you are seeking direct, close collaboration with a ring design artist, try an independent merchant, but you should know that independent merchants are harder to locate and come at a higher price tag.
Aside from the ability to create a ring unlike any other, there are other advantages to a custom-made engagement ring. Custom-made rings do not need to be resized since they are fitted exactly to the wearer’s finger dimensions. This is an advantage because resizing techniques weaken the bands of rings. Custom-made rings also allow for more design variation. For example, most pre-made engagement rings are set with diamonds, but with custom designing, you can incorporate any number of different gems into your ring.
Engagement rings also have the benefit of being hand-made. Hand-made rings are inherently more durable than machine-made ones. They also take less time to make and can easily be modified during the fabrication process. The downside is that handcrafting makes the item somewhat more expensive; however, many people find that the added expense is well worth the while.
Customized engagement rings are literally in a class by themselves. They cater to individual tastes and capture the unique, exclusive nature of a couple’s relationship. Furthermore, the participatory, collaborative process of designing a meaningful moonstone engagement ring can bring a couple closer together, and there is always the singular joy of seeing one’s vision brought to life. If you want to communicate something extra special to your betrothed, a one-of-a-kind custom-designed engagement ring just may be the way to go!
