While your jeweller is the one who brings your dream engagement ring to life, the process starts with inspiration and ideas. From things you’re pinning to your Pinterest boards, to trends you’re seeing on social media, heirloom rings in your family, stones you love, metals you know will suit your skin tone, and even designs you already visualise in your mind, every idea plays a role in creating the ring you’ve always wanted.
Sometimes, however, it isn’t always easy to get all of those ideas into something you can take to your jeweller for custom ring design. You may be able to tell them that you love certain aspects of rings, but you may not have anything to show the designer to help them begin designing your engagement ring. If you find yourself in this position, these tips are sure to help.
Simple Strategies for Planning Your Custom Engagement Ring
Here are just a few simple but effective ways to start designing your engagement ring idea to take it to your jeweller.
Start with the stone
This sounds obvious, but the stone itself is the most important part of the ring. This means that it should always be the thing you consider first. Think about which stones you like, whether you already wear them in other jewellery, whether you would wear them every day, and whether they truly reflect your style and personality. Diamonds are a timeless choice for many. They are not the only stone, however. From precious stones like sapphires in assorted colours, to more unusual stones like colour-changing Alexandrite, there are plenty of choices out there. Once you have a general idea of the stone, you can begin thinking about cuts, shapes, and overall designs.
Make a list of inspiration and ideas
Having a folder, list, or Pinterest board of ideas will make it much easier to find inspiration. You can start by searching for rings that use the stone type and cuts you like, and metals you prefer. This will give you plenty of examples of rings that you may not have considered. You will find plenty of ideas using your favourite stone, or even something different that uses stones in similar colours. Once you start narrowing down your list, you can take this to your jeweller.
Consider what you like and don’t like
This is another important step. You may come across rings that are close but not exactly what you like. Some rings may have the perfect stone, with a band you wouldn’t wear. Or a shape you love, in a setting you don’t like. For example, you may love pear-cut stones and not like prong settings or three-stone designs. You might love rose gold, and not like any traditional styles you see. You may love the idea of a classic design, using a modern stone cut or type.
Once you’ve gotten a list of ideas you think will work, you can then show it to your jeweller. They will go through the ideas with you, asking questions, telling you what is practical (and what is not), and giving you other advice on how to start planning your ring.
Ready to start turning those ideas into reality? Contact Cape Diamonds and let us help you create your dream engagement ring.