Create a Custom Engagement Ring: Your Complete Guide

Everyone wants to purchase the wedding ring of their dreams, but not everyone’s ideal engagement ring is sold over the counter. Nelson Coleman Jewelers is one of the best engagement ring designers around and is here to help you design the wedding ring of your dreams. In just four easy steps you can transform your detailed or vague ring ideas into a unique custom wedding ring. Keep reading to learn about Nelson Coleman’s custom jewelry design process.

Step 1: One-On-One Consultation

Communication is key at Nelson Coleman Jewelers. At this point in the custom wedding ring design process, one of our designers will sit down with you to discuss your ring ideas. Our goal is to understand exactly what you want in your custom engagement ring. You will have the chance to review sketches, photos, and actual pieces to help create the basic sketch of your custom ring. At this point, you will also discuss the 4 C’s of your ring to help complete the brainstorming stage. Below are some of the elements of your ring that we'll discuss with you.

What is Your Engagement Ring Style?

How to Choose a Diamond Shape for Your Custom Engagement Ring

Round diamond engagement rings are the most popular style but that doesn't mean it's the right choice for you. There are several factors to consider when choosing a center diamond shape for your custom made engagement ring.

Are you more traditional but also have a love for popular trends? Then you might fall in love with round and princess diamond engagement rings. How about a modern, trendy alternative? That will be a pear diamond engagement ring that maximizes brilliance with a slender silhouette.

For a love of the past, the cushion diamond is the way to go. With a pillow-like distinct appearance, this shape shows color better than almost any other diamond shape and is a great choice for colored stones, too.

Oval diamond engagement rings are good for an active lifestyle thanks to their rounded edges. Traditional with a twist, the oval shape makes the stone appear larger.

Emerald diamond engagement rings are great for a larger elongated style. The cut will reflect and dazzle any onlooker and has a distinct vintage-inspired charm. If you love the step-cut facets of the emerald diamond but prefer a more symmetrical shape, an Asscher cut diamond is an excellent and somewhat unique choice with impressive sparkle and brilliance.

The marquise diamond is for the lover of symmetry. With the large crown surface, it will make your diamond look bigger and your finger look slimmer.

Fortunately, there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a center diamond shape. It's a pivotal part of the custom jewelry design process that will set the tone for your very personal and unique custom engagement ring. We can help you sort through these options so you can decide what best represents your love.

What is a Good Diamond Size for an Engagement Ring?

The biggest diamond size or the average diamond size for an engagement ring isn't always going to be the best option for you. While carat weight might be the first thing people ask about when it comes to diamond engagement rings, it only represents one of the four C's (carat, cut, clarity, color). You may decide that one of the other C's will take priority in your diamond selection, but size is still going to be an important factor to consider.

Choosing the right size, color, cut, and clarity depends on your personal desires and budget. You can brush up on the 4C's to help you decide what aspects of your diamond might be the most important to you. This may vary depending on the center diamond shape you've chosen. You can also send a message to one of our experts to help you see the big diamond picture. We love helping people create the jewelry of their dreams while staying within their budget.

Colored Stone Engagement Rings

Colorless diamonds are the classic engagement ring choice and are undeniably beautiful. But sometimes we need a departure from the status quo and colored stones are a great way to add a distinct and personal style to your custom engagement ring. Made popular during the Art Deco period (1919-1939), colored stone engagement rings can be fitted with colored diamonds or with a variety of gemstone selections, either as the center stone or the accent stones.

Diamonds do make a great durable choice for a ring that you will wear every day. They top the charts on the Mohs hardness scale. But if you're craving a little color or diversity in your life, there's a great selection of hues to create a gemstone engagement ring or colored diamond engagement ring. Choose from blue, green, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and everything in between. Substitute that colorless diamond ring for a luxurious pink diamond engagement ring, an elegant emerald engagement ring, or even an ethereal pearl engagement ring.

Colored stones can each range in many different colors. Our picks for the best gemstones for engagement rings in terms of color and durability are sapphire, ruby, and moissanite. These precious colored stones are next best to diamonds when it comes to hardness.

There are seemingly endless possibilities when it comes to colored stone engagement ring options. Just be careful not to dip too low on the Moh’s hardness scale to avoid unfortunate damage issues down the road.

See inside a colored stone story

What is the Best Metal Color for an Engagement Ring?

The good news is there is no right or wrong answer to this question either. Choosing a metal color for your custom engagement ring is a highly personal choice and can depend on a variety of factors. White and yellow gold are the most common choices but not the only ones available.

A common question we hear is, “Will rose gold still be in style?” or “Is rose gold classic enough?” Yes, it is! You don’t need to hesitate if you love the idea of a rose gold engagement ring. You don’t need to be worried about what you’ll think of it in forty years or if you can pass it down to your children. Rose gold is as classic and timeless as white and yellow gold engagement rings.

Looking for an alternative to gold? Platinum and palladium will stand up to daily wear. These two white metals are also a great hypoallergenic alternative. A platinum engagement ring has exceptional durability. It can be polished multiple times without the risk of metal loss. A palladium engagement ring excels when it comes to maintaining its bright white color. It will not fade over time and does not require re-plating.

If you're looking for a more affordable option, a silver engagement ring can be a great choice. Silver has a beautiful luster and great durability. With the proper understanding of how to care for silver engagement rings, they can become treasured heirloom jewelry pieces.

If you can't quite decide on one metal color, you can always opt for a tri or two tone engagement ring design. There's a wide variety of ways to incorporate multiple metal colors from discreet accents to bolder pairings.

Most rings can be custom-made to your metal choice. If you try on a white gold engagement ring in a store or see it online, ask about other metal options. You don’t need to settle!

Personalize Your Engagement Ring

Take any engagement ring style and make it your own with simple or elaborate customization choices. A three-stone engagement ring can be transformed with a blue center stone. A classic round diamond engagement ring can be elevated with emerald accent stones. The possibilities are yours to explore.

Fully customized engagement rings are very special. Sometimes all you need for that perfect touch of personalization is changing one small detail of an otherwise traditional style. It might be a discreet touch, like an engraving. Some people opt to incorporate very personal touches that pay homage to how they met or an important part of their relationship. This could result in a more stylized design with the actual structure of the ring or stone settings.

see inside a musical love story see inside a love fueled by coffee story

Choosing a custom engagement ring can sometimes mean it makes more sense to also choose a custom wedding band or custom ring guard. This is especially the case if your engagement ring has a unique shape. Wedding ring sets that fit well together are less likely to sustain damage and cause distractions during everyday wear. You may even opt to have the rings soldered together for extra convenience and protection.

Need a little inspiration? If you haven't quite settled on a custom engagement ring style, browse our selection of solitaire, three-stone, bypass, vintage-inspired, and halo engagement rings.

Once you've created the basic blueprint for your custom engagement ring, we'll start the next steps of making your vision a reality.

Step 2: Image Approval

Once the sketch has been finalized, a computer-aided design drawing of your custom ring will be developed. This photo-realistic image will allow you to get a better understanding of what your finished engagement ring will look like. Any alterations that need to be made will be completed in this step. Our designers will continue to patiently update the image until it meets your expectations. In this step, you will also select a center stone from our vast selection of loose diamonds or gemstones.

Step 3: 3D Wax Model

Nelson Coleman Jewelers works to be the best engagement ring designer, and to do so we ask for customer approval throughout every step of the custom wedding ring design process. In the third step of the design process, a 3D wax model of your design is made to be examined. This model is an accurate representation of what the final ring will look like and gives the customer the opportunity for any last changes to the ring before it is created.

Step 4: Finishing and Casting

Finally, the metal version of your custom engagement ring is created. Each gem is set by hand, and the finished piece is carefully examined to ensure that it encompasses everything that has been discussed. No detail is too small in your custom design journey. We work to bring out the shine, texture, and every single feature that you wanted. All while simultaneously working to exceed your expectations.

After this simple four-step custom engagement ring design process, you will receive the wedding ring of your dreams. Nelson Coleman Jewelers works to involve you in the entire process and get your approval from start to finish. You can learn more about designing your wedding ring on our website or schedule an appointment in-store to start making the custom engagement ring of your dreams.