A growing trend in wedding jewelry which is becoming very popular with newly engaged couples and those thinking of becoming engaged – design your own wedding ring! Every relationship is unique, and many couples want their engagement or wedding rings to reflect their uniqueness as individuals and as a couple. Here are the pros and cons if you’re considering designing your own ring:
Pros
- One of a kind – designing your own ring means that no one else has a ring quite like yours. It’s a lot of fun to show off that ring, too, since most people are impressed by unique designs – especially fiancées!
- Use unusual stones, metals, or settings – if you’re bored by the idea of wearing plain old diamonds, then designing your own wedding ring is probably a better choice for you. You can express your personality (or your understanding of your fianceé’s) with an unusual colored stone, like alexandrite or watermelon tourmaline, or exotic worked metal like mokume gane (wood grain metal – a Japanese metal design). Another popular choice right now for colored stones is lab-created diamonds, which are available in eye-catching unique colors (in addition to white), and offer the reassurance that their manufacture was eco-friendly and conflict-free.
- Use stones or metals from other rings – some engaged couples have old wedding rings from their parents or grandparents, (or, dare I say, an old flame?) with considerable sentimental or economic value, but they don’t like the old-fashioned design. The metal from the old rings can be melted down and recast into a new design set with the old stones.
- So romantic! – not only do some places help you design your own engagement or wedding ring, they’ll even help you make it! Nothing says “I love you” more than spending the time designing the ring yourself!
Cons
- Expense – Jewelers are highly trained and skilled artists whose services are priced accordingly. Most custom jewelry work will cost more than an equivalent mass-produced piece. Very good rare stones often cost just as much, if not more, than diamonds of similar size and quality.
- Repair or replacement issues– custom pieces of jewelry, depending on their design, may be difficult to repair or replace. Insurance costs will probably also reflect the higher replacement cost of a custom ring versus an off-the-shelf version.
- Some “design your own” offers may not be unique – many times a jewelry store that offers you the option of “designing your own ring” is in fact just giving you a slightly larger range of options than the rings you see on display. For example, they might offer a choice of 5 different pre-made settings, available in, say, white or yellow gold. What you end up with is a ring that you may have paid a custom rate for, but that in truth looks just like a mass produced design. Be sure to check the options before buying.
There are certainly many factors to consider if you’re thinking, “I want to design my own engagement ring.” It’s best to start the process with a lot of research and to develop a good idea of what sort of design, metal, and stones you want, so you can easily sort through your options once you are actually talking to a jeweler or using a popular online ring designer. You may have to be flexible in your budgeting for the ring, too. It’s a worthwhile investment, though, if you want a gorgeous and unique expression of your love that is also a work of art!
