Things to Consider on a Custom Engagement Ring

The decision to ask for someone's hand in marriage is extremely personal. Men search out for ways to be distinctive in their proposals and a custom engagement ring offers that option. It is a great opportunity to have a ring with special meaning to you and your partner. You may choose to surprise your sweetheart with a ring you have designed for them or you may want to include them in the design, both of you working in partnership. Designing a custom engagement ring is a great way for you and your partner to express your deep connection through art and it can be a very rewarding experience for your relationship. There are different degrees of customization available depending on what you want your ring to look like.

The Custom Designed Ring

Once you have decided on a custom ring, you will need to find a jeweler who offers customized services, either at their store or contracted out. There are also companies online with whom you will be able to design your ring through their website and have the completed product delivered to your door. The most difficult step will probably be deciding how the ring should look. This is when it is useful to seek the advice of the jeweler and research styles of engagement rings. You may also choose to contact an independent jewelry designer who, after speaking with you, can draw up your ring and then create it. With a designer you can guarantee that your piece will be one of a kind and you can sign a contract that stimulates that the design never be created again by that designer.

The Ring with Customized Options

Most jewelers can offer you rings with customized options. A custom ring also can be as simple as a personalized engraving on the inside of the ring. It doesn't need to be an entire ring created from scratch. You may also choose to customize it by selecting the setting, the prongs and the stone. You may choose to veer away from the traditional diamond and pick an emerald, ruby or sapphire to grace your ring. You are also able to choose the metal for the band and band style; the most popular being platinum and gold.

A journey into your relationship and a commemoration in jewelry of your love, a custom ring is a distinctive choice. A memorable token of your affection, a custom engagement ring is definitely one way to make your proposal exceptional!

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Things to Consider When Buying an Engagement Ring

For many girls, getting engaged is all about one thing: the DIAMOND!!

However, choosing a diamond can be a very complicated process, with different advice being offered by jewellers, family, friends and neighbours. Here are a few simple tips to make sure that the process ends up with you buying a ring you love:

Enjoy the process! Over-thinking the science behind diamonds can mean that your head will over-rule your heart, and you may end up with a ring that you think is good value, despite your instinct telling you otherwise.
Learn about the 4Cs. It is useful to understand the lingo being used by jewellers. What is the difference between a G colour and a H colour, for example? To some people, there is no visible difference, to others, even a tiny variation in colour can be noticed. It is the same with cut, clarity and carat weight.
Don't get focused on size; carat is a measurement of weight, not of quality. A 1.99 carat diamond will appear to be the same size as a 2.00 carat diamond, but there will be a large difference in the price. But even more significantly, a 1.5 carat high quality diamond will look much, much better than a 2.0 carat diamond of low quality. See what grabs your eye, rather than worrying about technical specifications.
Decide on a general style of ring that suits you; three stone diamond rings suit some hands, whereas only a solitaire will look well on others. Take your time and try them all, you will quickly see what you like.
Find a jeweller you trust. You need to be sure that they will be happy to look after you and the ring after the purchase. Ask them about their post-sale service; is there a charge to clean and check the setting? How often can you call in to have the ring inspected?
Learn about certification. There are many certification bodies in the world. Even though they all use the same terms to describe colour and clarity, there can be differences in how they grade the same diamond. I have seen cases where a diamond was certificated as being E colour by one laboratory, and G colour be another laboratory. Insist that the diamond is certificated by a reputable laboratory. In Europe, the two best known, respected laboratories are the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and the HRD, (Hoge Raad voor DIamant)
Choose which metal you wish to go for. Some people strongly push gold, some strongly push platinum. This is in some ways a cultural matter, for example, in Belgium, most diamond rings are in white gold or yellow gold, while in Ireland, most are in platinum. Both are suitable for jewellery, but have different properties. Do some research on the differences, and make your own mind up.
Finally, decide a budget a stick to it. Your Dublin engagement ring is more than a piece of jewellery, it is the symbol of a union for life. There is no point starting a life together with a large debt. You can always get a bigger diamond at some point in the future!

Garret Weldon BSc GG (GIA)

Weldon Jewellers Dublin

Original article