How to build your own engagement ring

It is not uncommon to have a desire to build your own engagement ring. There are many reasons for this but, the primary one is that it is a very personal item that involves a lot of emotion, and is something you will have for a very long time.

The process to build your own engagement ring involves many steps. The process can be simplified by keeping several important points in mind. One should always begin with the gemstone.

Step one: Select your gemstone

Select a gemstone that will be the primary focus of the ring (unless of course the use of a primary gemstone is not contemplated). One should know ahead of time whether you will use a diamond or some other colored gemstone . They should know what shape they want, and what size they would like to have. The reason for focusing first on the primary gemstone is that the ring should be made to focus on or flatter the gemstone. One should not try and fit the gemstone into the ring design. In other words the ring design should always accommodate the gemstone rather than the other way around.

Step two: Choose ring style

The second step in the process is to get ideas of the ring style. A good way to do this is to look at ring magazines and browse retail stores, acquaintance rings, and internet sites. When visiting stores it is a good idea to actually try some rings on to get a sense whether some styles seem to flatter your finger or hand more than others. Most people discover that certain styles appeal to them more than others. Hopefully these are the same styles that are most flattering when they are being worn.

Step three: Select the style of setting

Special attention should be paid to the method of setting any gemstones that will be placed in the ring. Sometimes the gemstones are set off of the ring in which case crowns or bezels (crown styles are distinguished as crowns and they can consist of three or more prongs.) 4 and six prong being the most common.

Another style of crown is the basket crown. The high base or (narrow) crown consist of peg style, high base, low base. These are crowns found in your typical tiffany ring. At other times the ring styles display gemstones down even with the metal surface. In this case, the settings are referred to as channel setting, or burnished setting.

Step four: Consider the metal

The fourth consideration is to know what kind of metal one intends to use in the ring. These metal choices usually include: silver, gold (white or yellow), palladium, platinum, tungsten, and titanium.

Step five: Choose a jeweler

After the range of styles has been narrowed down, the process of individualizing a style that can be pictured in the mind is to be made. At this point you can select a reputable jewelry designer who can help you move the image that is in your mind onto a piece of paper and eventually execute it in a three dimensional form, such as a wax model or 3d image rendering of the ring.

Step six: Develop a sketch

When you are satisfied that the sketch properly represents the image in your mind you can instruct the jeweler to make a three dimensional wax model. Depending upon the jeweler’s schedule, this can take between several days and several weeks.

Step seven: Examine and refine the wax model

When the wax model has been produced it is important to examine it before production before the process proceeds any further. You might notice small details that you will want to change. Small changes can be made to the wax model by hand without having to redo the entire process. If the details to be changed are minor, it may not be necessary to examine the model again before proceeding with production.

Once you have decided that the model is exactly what you had in mind, you can instruct the jeweler to cast the model. This means that the model will then be used to create the exact form that will be cast into the metal you have chosen. In this way the final ring is an exact copy of the wax model you have examined. . At this point the jeweler may ask for a down payment on the ring. If your intention is to have a one of a kind design, you will not want to have a mold made of your ring. If the mold is made than of course your ring can be reproduced and your ring is no longer a one of kind piece. The other thing you can do is instruct the jeweler to make a mold that you can take possession of. Your motive in doing this might be your concern with the need to reproduce the ring should your original ever be lost.

Step eight: Polishing the ring and setting the stones

Once the jeweler has cast the ring she/he will need to clean up the rough casting by filing and polishing and of course setting any stones that you have selected to go into the ring. The final step in building your own engagement ring is maintenance. So far we have been focusing on the acetic aspect of building your own engagement ring. There are however practical considerations that should not be overlooked. Practical considerations involve issues of maintenance, durability, and wear ability. Styles that contain a large number of very small diamonds are obviously less trouble free, than rings that contain fewer small diamonds. Gemstones that are set higher off the ring are theoretically more vulnerable to damage than stones that are set down in the ring. Some designs harbor dust and oils easier than others. When rings easily accumulate dirt and oils they will not look as nice that rings that are relatively less hospitable to these substances. Rings that contain parts that are too thin break easier than rings that have a more durable construction. An example of a less durable ring would be some of the filigree styles.