Designer Engagement Rings

Getting engaged is a special and exciting time, so its only natural that the ring you choose should be special too. Of course, there are many, many rings in high street jewelers to choose from, but most of them are based around the same design and ideas, and you may feel you would like something more original and different, so where do you go to find that original and different ring ?

The answer is, to look for a Designer Engagement Ring. This means a ring has been designed, more often than not, by an independent jeweller with their own business who has a style uniquely their own which is not influenced by over commercialised engagement ring designs. "Designer jewellers", as they are known, often have special training and an ability to come up with ideas and concepts that are far more original and challenging than designs you see on the high street.

What makes a designer engagement ring?

Really, it's an engagement ring bespoke made especially for you, but it can be an engagement ring made by a specific designer you like which is ready made and you can buy it straight from their shop.

A good designer jeweller can make ring around any idea or concept. For instance, you may love birds so a jeweller could make you a designer engagement ring in the form of a feather. Or perhaps you would like a ring with a meaningful inscription on the inside or the outside or maybe it can encompass a special design or meaning unique to you and/or your partner.

Designer jewellers can often source unusual stones for you to include in your engagement ring that are very different to the usual stones that you see on the high street. For instance, some designer engagement rings utilize unusual coloured diamonds – diamonds come in colours such as green, blue, pink, brown and yellow as well as white, and can look fantastic if set into an unusual setting modeled and made by a designer jeweller.

Even small stones can be made to look very exciting and striking when they are incorporated into an unusual engagement ring, so this means that even if you only have a small budget you can still have a designer engagement ring as the jeweller can usually work to your budget.

How do you find a designer jeweller to make your engagement ring?

Designer jewellers are small jewellers who usually advertise "bespoke" jewellery making, in this case, but not limited to, specially designed engagement rings. This normally means they will make jewellery for you using your own ideas. As already stated, most of these jewellers are adept at making jewellery that is more interesting and original than pieces available on the high street - this means that the jewellery they make is designer jewellery.

The best place to look is on the internet to start with using searches such as "designer engagement rings", "unusual engagement rings" or "bespoke engagement rings". If you know someone who has already had an engagement ring made for them by a designer jeweller, then a recommendation is always good. If you want to go round looking for them, then they can usually be found off the high streets on side roads or in small crafts or arts orientated centres. A word of warning - never entrust this service to someone who doesn't have some sort of "bricks and mortar" presence. If you are going round to their house, or they say they only work by email its likely they are not really committed to their business and may not come up with the goods you have asked for. You need to see previous examples of their work - the good ones will have many examples and will have proper workshops in their premises.

Usually, with good designer jewellers, you would have to make an appointment as the process of discussing your special ring can take a while, and its best to go with some idea of what you would like even though ring designers are usually quite good at eliciting this information out of you. See our design your own engagement ring page for more help with this process.

Normally, the way forward is to talk to a designer jeweller about your ideas, and see if they can help you to draw up a design either with CAD (computer aided design) or with drawings . Both of these services will normally involve a fee which is often refundable against a full commission if you choose to go ahead.

The whole process of designing and making a designer engagement ring can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks, although if special stone have to be sourced, it may take a little longer. It is however well worth the wait as you will end up with a unique, beautiful ring that you know you had a part in designing and which will provide you with enjoyment forever.