How to Design Your Own Diamond Engagement Ring

Last updated on April 24, 2023

Our product recommendations are made independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions if you use a link on this page.

Jewelry of any kind can have deep meaning but none so much as an engagement ring. This is a piece of jewelry that signifies a life changing event and will serve as a permanent memory of what could be one of the greatest days of your life.

All this considered, an engagement ring should be as unique and personalized as possible to suit the person receiving it. This should be something that reflects who they are and that they will be proud to wear.

Obviously pre-made engagement rings are readily available and you can find a huge variety out there. What if however you consider designing the ring yourself? This could lead to a truly beautiful and personalized piece that may be treasured for generations.

Why Design Your Own Engagement Ring?

The thing to remember about an engagement ring is that it is something that you may wear off and on for the rest of your life. It is not like a wedding band which traditionally stays on most of the time. Rather, with an engagement ring, you will sometimes only wear it on special occasions.

These are often expensive pieces of jewelry so as such they should really suit the kind of person the recipient is. The question is why would you choose to design it yourself over buying one that already exists?

It Shows the Receiver's Own Style

If you go engagement ring shopping with your partner you will notice that no matter where you go you will see similar styles of rings. This is because just like all wearables, jewelry is a slave to fashions. Now if the one you love happens to love some of the current fashions then fantastic, things just got easier. However if they pride themselves on individuality and style they may want something more suited to their personal tastes.

This is when you can consider having a custom made ring which reflects your beloved on a more personal level. Again this is their ring, and an eternal remembrance of one of the best days of their life.

You Can Incorporate Existing Stones

There may be a family heirloom that has been passed down to you which features a beautiful diamond. The band may have seen better days and may not be a suitable style. You still treasure that diamond though because it was perhaps grandma's or even great grandma's.

With a stone looking for a setting this might be the time to design a ring around that stone with such deep family connections. You can incorporate elements into the new design that nod towards the family heritage of you both or some other aspect of who they are.

It Can Help You Manage Your Budget

Some might think that designing their own ring will be more expensive but sometimes this is not the case. If you have a hand in every aspect of the ring's creation you can choose style, materials and all the gemstones. With a pre-built ring you pay what they ask and you don’t get to change it.

You can shop around and find deals on materials and diamonds. As you design it you can track how close you are to your budget and make adaptations to make sure you get something you love for a price that is reasonable.

It Is Just Plain Fun to Do

Shopping for engagement rings obviously has its own level of excitement but if you are literally looking for a pre-made walk out the door cookie cutter band you are missing out on some fun. Spending time creating the perfect engagement ring is a great artistic challenge.

Can you imagine the feeling of answering the question of where you got your engagement ring by telling them you designed it and had it custom made? There is no other like it unless that person is the type to try and copy something but then you were first and they are terrible copying people so who cares.

Use Online Design Tools

This is a great way to get started in the engagement ring creation process. Many major online jewelry retailers these days have advanced ring designing technology on their websites that will allow you to custom build your engagement rings from items in their inventory.

The question is though does this really count as designing the engagement ring yourself?

Product Line

When you go with an online retailer and put a ring together yourself then you are at the mercy of the options they have. You can choose from the gemstones they have in stock and from their collection of pre-made settings.

This is a mix and match kind of situation which is a step up from finding a straight out of the cabinet ring. It is limiting however because if you happen to want a certain metal for your setting and the retailer does not have this in their range then this is not an option for you.

Limited Range of Customization

This is essentially about finding the right elements of a ring and having them assembled for you. You choose diamonds or gemstones and match them to already created settings. In terms of creativity it is limited because your options are limited.

You Are Limited to What Is Possible

There will be certain times when a diamond shape may not be suitable for the ring setting you like. You see certain gem shapes are designed for particular settings and will not work or even fit properly into an unsuitable setup.

This takes away a lot of potential creativity because it limits you to the options that work logistically. Essentially this all boils down to the fact that designing your engagement ring online does allow customization but probably doesn’t really qualify as designing the piece from scratch.

Have a Hand in Every Step

Although online design gives you a little more creative control than just going for the best looking engagement ring in the case it doesn’t really allow for that much expression. This is why designing an engagement ring from scratch may be the option that best suits you.

This is the kind of service you are unlikely to find online but you will find it in a high quality boutique jewelers. The big retailers may not always have time for this kind of process but the mom and pop jewelers are often happy to play a part in creating the perfect piece for their customers.

We will admit that it can be a little more expensive to take this route and often much more so than simply putting together an engagement ring online with a major retailer which will in fact probably work out to be the cheapest option.

If your heart is set on something truly unique however let us walk you through the process of designing an engagement ring from scratch.

Search for Inspiration

If you are having this ring made for someone or they are part of the process you need to first tap into the style and preferences of the person who will be wearing the ring. This is a chance for you to show how much you know about the person you are going to ask to marry you.

Look for inspiration regarding particular stone types and shapes and also look for ring types that are pleasing. Gather pictures of shapes and designs that appeal to bring with you to a meeting with the jeweler.

If you are artistically minded you might be able to sketch a design that you think would look great. Be prepared that the jeweler will be honest if the design would be unsuitable for certain purposes. They ultimately know if a certain size or shape of diamond would not work logistically. That said they will also try and help you adapt the design to ensure it will work.

Set Your Budget

If money is no object for you and you are willing to spend what it takes then that is fine but we understand not everyone can do that financially. Now the “tradition” states that we should spend at least 3 months salary on an engagement ring. I am here to call foul on that.

You see the people who originated that tradition if you can call it that were the DeBeers diamond mining company. As part of their ad campaigns over the years they have actually been increasing the number of months worth of salary that you should be spending.

It started at one month, then in the 1980s bumped up to two and now it's three. They want us to believe that spending at least this amount is the only way to show we really value the person we are giving the ring to.

Well I am sorry but I don’t think the people selling the diamonds should get to dictate what is “tradition” when it comes to what we should spend on an engagement ring. You should spend what you can afford to spend. We live in a world of options and we can find something to fit most budgets.

So once you know what you have to spend you are ready to see what will work within that set amount. It may affect the size and quality of gemstones you can afford and the metals used in your setting so be ready for some flexibility if your budget is limited.

Choose a Jeweler to Work With

When it comes to picking the right jeweler this is absolutely essential to ensure you get the best results possible. You will want to consider a number of aspects when choosing who will help you through this process including:

Check Their Portfolio: You need to check what kind of rings and designs the jeweler has created in the past. They will often have a portfolio of some of their best designs for you to check out. You are looking for someone who creates designs that you like so this may take a little shopping around.

Check Rating and Reviews: We live in a world where you can find reviews and ratings for almost everything including jewelers. Now bear in mind that most people will only leave reviews if disgruntled and some folks are a little keyboard happy these days when it comes to online criticism. Just pick through the reviews and make sure there are no consistent red flags.

Search the Best of Lists: Another thing that litters the internet is "best of" lists and these are literally lists that have been compiled that indicate which are the best companies for certain things in your area. A search for the best jewelry designers in your area will likely throw up some options to check out.

Ask Around for Recommendations: If you see someone with an engagement ring that they say they had designed, ask them by whom it was made and how the process went. Hit Facebook and poll your friends list to ask who may have used a good jeweler to design pieces for them.

Initial Design Phase

Once you choose the jeweler you want to work with you will set up a meeting and go over with them what you are looking for. They will take notes, perhaps start some sketches and talk you through options based on your budget.

Depending on the jeweler they may go beyond sketches and perhaps create a digital 3D image or even a physical one to give you an idea of what the ring will look like before starting to put it together.

You may have a few meetings before you are finally happy that the design works for you so be patient and understand this process can take some time but it is usually worth the wait.

The Ring is Created

Once you finalize your design and materials the jewelers will create your ring setting using their specific methods and start setting your gems in place. This can take a while as it often includes making wax molds for the ring setting and also a lot of refining and polishing to make sure the engagement ring looks perfect.

How Much Will a Custom Engagement Ring Cost?

You may as well ask how long is a piece of string because frankly this is a unique piece of jewelry and its final cost is going to depend on the jewels you choose and the materials used for the setting. The range of costs can be in the hundreds to the thousands on average.

There are a few things that you should understand however when it comes to cost:

It is More Affordable Than You Think

I won’t sugar coat things. There are cheaper options when getting an engagement ring than having one made from scratch. There will be costs involved for having a ring built from the ground up. Often however these additional costs are not that bad.

As long as you build the costs of creating the ring into your budget you should do just fine.

You Can Save Money With Your Own Stones

We mentioned earlier that incorporating gems from an existing ring can not only be sentimentally rewarding but can also save you a lot of money. If you have the stones already the jeweler can help you design your ring around the stone.

Jewelers Will Give Great Money Saving Advice

A good jeweler will understand the most important aspects of the ring and that is to make sure it is not weak or poor quality. They can work with your budget and advise you where you should be spending that budget to get the best ring overall.

They may suggest a less expensive diamond for example so you can invest in the quality of the setting. A weak setting can become damaged and this can lead to loss of the gemstone.

Final Thoughts

There are really two levels when creating your own engagement ring. The online version which is a piecemeal selection of options which may produce the results you want for a very reasonable price. Of course the other option is more involved and a little more expensive.

Working with a professional jeweler can help you create an engagement ring that is truly unique, one of a kind in fact. The online option eventually based on the law of averages will create rings that are virtually identical save the diamond of course.

Designing your own engagement ring is not only fun but it brings a special sense of individuality to the process.

Reference Diamond Size Chart

If you use any of the definitions, information, or data presented on Diamond Size Chart, please copy the link or reference below to properly credit us as the reference source. Thank you!