Shopping for an engagement ring can be overwhelming, especially with all the options out there. There are so many different diamonds, metals, and styles to choose from, it may be hard to find exactly what you want. If you’re looking for an engagement ring that’ll impress your partner, consider designing one yourself so you can match their personal style. At Clean Origin, we build every ring made to order so you can create a custom engagement ring in the comfort of your own home.
Custom Engagement Rings
Some people may choose to design their own custom engagement ring with a jewelry consultant where the jeweler handcrafts the ring from start to finish. This may be a great option if you have a very specific or intricate design in mind and cannot find any styles you like when shopping.
It is also an option if you want to copy the design of a family heirloom or redesign a ring you already own. People who pass down rings from generation to generation may go with this option to keep the ring in the family.
Does It Cost More to Design or Build Your Own Engagement Ring?
If you want to build a custom engagement ring, it may be extremely pricey since you’re working directly with a jeweler. Many people prefer to simply customize an engagement ring out of the many styles and options jewelry retailers offer.
However, you can still customize your ring without working directly with a custom designer. With Clean Origin, you can choose how you want your ring to look from the diamond to the metal to the design of the band.
Here we show you how you can design your own unique engagement ring at no extra cost. You can select all the specifications you want and make the shopping process a breeze. If you want to talk to an expert, sign up for a free virtual consultation to get all your questions answered before making a purchase.
Set a Budget Before You Build Your Engagement Ring
It’s important to know about how much you plan to spend on the engagement ring. This will help you determine your options for both the diamond and the setting of the ring.
If you don’t know where to even start, check out our guides on the average engagement ring cost and the cost of diamonds to get an idea of how much you feel comfortable spending on the ring.
With this budget, keep in mind that the cost of the diamond or diamonds is in addition to the cost of the band.
Many millennials and younger people are starting to break the old trend of spending an enormous amount on an engagement ring. No matter what your budget is, there are plenty of options for you to create the perfect engagement ring.
What Should You Start With?
You’ll generally want to start to build your engagement ring by choosing a setting or a diamond first. There’s no one right way to start. The best way is to ask yourself if you have an idea of what you want it to look like.
If you already know what diamond shape you want, it would be best to start with the diamond. And if you have a pretty specific style you want for the band, start with the setting.
Finally, if you have no idea where to start, it’s always good to browse engagement rings online to see what kind of styles are available. You can start browsing settings, like a halo or bezel setting, so you can see what a complete ring would look like and go from there.
Start to Build Your Engagement Ring With the Setting
There are several factors to take into consideration when shopping for the band. Does your partner prefer simple or intricate or bold styles? Would they like accents on the band?
Types of Metal
The main choices for metals are white gold, yellow gold, platinum, and rose gold. Engagement rings are meant to last forever and these metals are strong enough to last for years even after wearing them every day.
Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is the classic color of gold. It has been gaining in popularity as a color for engagement rings and is also a good option for your wedding band. It typically comes in 14 karat and 18 karat gold. A 14k gold ring will be more durable because it has less gold content than an 18k gold ring. If you like the color of gold and your partner wears a lot of gold jewelry, yellow gold may be a great choice.
White Gold
White gold is a traditional silver color. It pairs great with diamonds because the silver color makes diamonds look even more colorless and can neutralize any yellow or brown tint. Like yellow gold, it comes in 14k and 18 karat gold, with 18 karat gold having more pure gold content.
Platinum
Platinum is a very high quality metal that has a silver color. It is becoming more popular as a choice for engagement rings because of its long-lasting quality and brilliant shine. Platinum is slightly more expensive than gold, but it is definitely worth it.
Rose Gold
Rose gold is another great choice. It is real gold that has a pink tint to it which gives it a more romantic feel. It also comes in 14k and 18 karat gold. Make sure you see either 14k or 18 karat gold as an option so you know you’re getting real gold and not any metal that has a rose gold color. If you partner would love a rose gold engagement ring, select from many designs to make the ring unique to them.
Design of the Band
You have many options when choosing the style of the band. A solitaire ring is a classic ring with a center diamond and a simple band.
A pavé setting features a row of smaller diamonds set around the band. They can go all around the band or be only around the top. A halo ring features a row of smaller diamonds in a ring around the center diamond.
Other styles include a three-stone ring, a braided or twisted band, an eternity ring, or vintage inspired ring.
If you like the look of more than one diamond, you can look at styles with smaller accent stones. If you prefer a traditional center stone, solitaire or halo styles may be best.
Start With the Diamond When You Build Your Engagement Ring
The diamond may be the most important part of a diamond engagement ring. As the center stone, you want to make sure the diamond sparkles and shines. When choosing the perfect diamond to build your engagement ring with, create something truly unique to you by exploring beautiful diamonds.
Diamond Shape
There are many shapes of diamonds you can choose from. The round brilliant diamond is the most common and popular shape of diamond. It is also the most brilliant cut so it shines the brightest out of all the shapes.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look into other fancy shapes. If you like the traditional round diamond, oval or cushion cut diamonds are shapes that still maintain a look of elegance and simplicity while giving a different look. In fact, oval engagement rings are quite popular for their unique look.
The next most popular diamond is the princess cut. And although princess cut engagement rings are popular, if you like square cut diamonds you can shop for princess cut diamonds along with Asscher cut diamonds, and emerald cut diamonds. Other unique shapes include marquise cut diamonds, pear cut diamonds, and heart shaped diamonds.
With these options, you can create a one of a kind ring that matches your partner’s personality and style.
The 4 C’s of Diamonds
The 4 C’s of diamonds refer to cut, color, clarity, and carat weight. These are the factors that diamonds are graded on which determine their quality and price.
Cut
Cut refers to how well the diamond was cut and polished to the correct shape. It determines how brilliant and sparkly a diamond will be.
Color
Color refers to the absence of color, with colorless diamonds being the most rare and sought after. Most natural diamonds have a slight tint of yellow or brown color but if you get a diamond that is near colorless, you usually aren’t able to see this tint with the naked eye.
Clarity
Clarity is how many imperfections or blemishes a diamond has. Even a diamond with slight imperfections or blemishes will still appear the same when looking at it.
Carat Weight
Carat weight is the weight of the actual diamond. You’ll usually find diamonds for engagement rings in the range of 0.5 to 2 or 3 carats. Diamonds are also priced per carat so make sure you know if an advertised price is labeled as price per carat or total price.
Lab Grown Diamonds
A lab grown diamond is a real diamond that has a lot of benefits compared to mined diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are more affordable, costing 20-30% less than mined diamonds. They are also 100% conflict free diamonds so you can feel good about the jewelry you wear.
Many engagement rings contain lab grown diamonds which can lower the cost of the ring or allow you to buy a higher quality diamond for the same price as a mined diamond of lower quality.
How Do You Purchase the Ring?
Now that you’ve designed the ring of your partner’s dreams, it’s time to go ahead and place the order. With Clean Origin, it’s easy to customize all the aspects of the ring from the comfort of your own home.
Once you’ve chosen your setting and diamond to pair with it, make sure you know her ring size. Then you can place an order for your perfect ring.
Clean Origin’s rings come in discreet packaging so you can keep it a surprise. Plus, we offer free shipping, a 100 day return policy, and free resizing.
If you would like some extra help throughout the checkout process, talk to one of our diamond experts who can guide you through every step of the way and answer all your last minute questions. Now you can give your loved one a proposal with the most special engagement ring.
