Custom Jewelry Guide · Published
How a custom engagement ring is made
A custom engagement ring takes four steps. First we meet to talk about your ring, then we find your stone. Next we design it in CAD — computer software that draws a 3D model of your ring before we make it. Last, our jewelers finish it by hand.
This guide walks you through each step, then covers the wedding bands most couples add to their order.
Want to start now instead of reading? See custom engagement rings in Atlanta to see what we build and book a consultation.
What Your Engagement Ring Commission Involves
A custom engagement ring goes through four steps before it reaches you. First we meet to talk about your ring, then we find your stone. Next we design it, and last, our jewelers finish it by hand. Here is what each step involves.
- Stone sourcing — you can bring your own diamond, a family heirloom for us to reset, or let us find one for you. We can find a natural diamond, graded by GIA, a diamond-grading lab. Or a lab-grown diamond, grown in a lab instead of mined from the earth, graded by IGI. Either way, we match the carat (the diamond’s weight) and cut to your budget.
- CAD design & render — every ring starts as a 3D drawing on the computer, and you approve it before we touch any metal.
- Setting & metal — you can choose a cathedral setting (metal arches that rise up to the stone), a halo (a ring of small stones around your main stone), a bezel (a smooth metal rim that wraps around the stone’s edge), or your own original design. We build it in 14K or 18K gold — white, yellow, or rose — or in platinum.
- Timeline — most rings take a few weeks from your approved design to delivery. We set a firm date at your first meeting, before any work starts.
Bring us a Pinterest board, a family heirloom, or a rough sketch. Our jewelers turn your idea into a CAD design and refine it with you in person — see the full custom jewelry process for a full walkthrough of how we design your ring with you, from first sketch to finished piece.
Custom Wedding Rings for Him and Her
Most couples order a matching wedding band along with the engagement ring, for either partner or both.
- Custom wedding rings for him — brushed or hammered platinum and gold bands, black diamond or sapphire accents, and a comfort-fit inside edge (rounded so the ring feels smooth on your finger all day), sized just for you.
- Custom wedding rings for women — eternity bands (rings set with stones all the way around), curved bands, or contoured bands. Each sits flush against your engagement ring, in a matching or contrasting metal.
- Matched sets — order both bands together, so the metal tone, finish, and stones look like one design across all three rings.
Ask about our care plans for sizing and adjustments on a band ordered with the engagement ring.
Related guides & collections
- Custom engagement ringsThe commission itself — promise rings, couple rings and bridal jewelry.
- The custom jewelry processStage by stage, across every category we commission.
- Custom jewelry galleryPieces we can build for you — prototypes and past commissions, filterable by category.
- Engagement rings in AtlantaReady-to-wear stock you can try on the same day.
Snellville, GA
Start Your Commission
Every custom engagement ring is designed and hand-finished in our Snellville, GA store, minutes from Atlanta. Book a private consultation to scope your design, or call to talk it through with a jeweler first.
Prefer to talk? Call (704) 684-7530