The go to guide on how to design you or your partners engagement ring by Love Fine Diamonds. Since the engagement of Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s there has been an increase of people choosing to design their own engagement ring.
Your engagement ring is an offset of you or your partner’s personality; it’s a physical representation of your wedding vows, an enduring symbol of your commitment and loyalty to each other.
It can be a daunting prospect designing your own engagement ring, however, it has to be as difficult as you think. Here’s how to design your own bespoke engagement ring with Love Fine Diamonds.
| START EARLY GET INSPIRED |
Time is precious for the majority of us. A customised engagement ring can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Which is why at Love Fine Diamonds we recommend starting your journey as early as possible, however, we will always go above and beyond for all our customers to fit their deadline.
Instagram and Pinterest is a fantastic place to start. It has an abundance of inspiration to inspire you to put more creativity into designing your own engagement ring. Create a private Instagram account or Pinterest board perhaps?
Maybe you like the band on this ring, the diamond shape on that ring or the setting on that ring; when you're creating your own bespoke design you can borrow ideas from anywhere.
Inspiration is all around you, even when you least expect it - look around you on your commute to work, does anything stand out? Check out her current jewellery is there a particular metal type she wears? What about her friends? Are they married? What did they decide upon and why?
Check out the V&A collection of jewellery on display, with over 3,000 jewels that tell the story of jewellery in Europe to Ancient Greece to the present day. It could give your design that unique edge, with its style or perhaps an unusual precious stone?
| DEFINE A BUDGET |
There is the commonly stated guideline that your budget for an engagement ring should equal around two months salary. What you may not know is that this two months salary rule was originally a marketing campaign created in the late 1940’s by an advertising firm, at the behest of the world’s largest diamond producer.
Engagement rings hold a symbolic value and they last a lifetime, but every couple is different. We don’t believe there should be any rules or guidelines. It’s important that you are comfortable with how much you are spending.
Here at Love Fine Diamonds we understand the importance of offering competitive prices and genuine value for money for our clients. Every diamond has it’s own unique characteristics and personality. The price of your ring will vary on the shape, cut, colour and clarity. Here at Love Fine Diamonds we strive to bring you both quality and value no matter what your budget is.
| RECYCLING AIRLOOMS |
A bespoke engagement ring can be a fantastic way of making use of old family heirlooms, whilst also offering your bride something new and gives the piece that added sentimental value. The key is reworking the original jewels so that they suit your bride’s lifestyle. There is nothing sadder than jewels locked in a safe, not seeing the light of day because they don’t suit the current owner's lifestyle.
Think about the stones you have and add accordingly, every diamond has it’s own characteristic, which is why presenting your partner with a new diamond is an affectionate addition and makes the piece all the more personal.
This as a service we have found has become more and more popular after the engagement of Prince Harry and Megan Markle and the use of Diana the Princess of Wales own engagement ring.
| METAL CHOICES |
Finding the right metal for an engagement ring is just as important as the diamond or gemstone it will hold. At Love Fine Diamonds all our rings are available in platinum, yellow gold, rose gold & White gold. Each metal choice has its own unique characteristics.
| PLATINUM|
Platinum is a naturally white metal with a cool lust that will showcase the brilliance and sparkle of any diamond.
It is considered to be the most precious of all metals due to its rarity and is mined much less frequently than gold. The density of this metal is much greater than gold, so the same ring will weigh significantly more in platinum than in gold.
It has an elegant sheen and will not fade or change colour over time. Due to its strength also it’s a popular choice for setting diamonds due to the strength it provides the diamond setting.
| GOLD |
Gold is a versatile metal and is a more traditional option. Gold comes in four main colours, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Red Gold and the more unique and less commonly known as Green Gold.
The purity of the metal is divided into 24 Karats. Pure gold, meaning 24 out of 24 parts are gold. Gold generally comes in either 9 or 18ct.
The remainder is made up of other metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc to provide strength, durability and most importantly it’s colour.
- Yellow Gold is a mixture of copper and silver to counterbalance each other so the metal keeps its yellow warmth.
- Red Gold has a higher percentage of copper to give it its unique red tint.
- White Gold is mixed with palladium, a member of the platinum family giving it it’s cool lust.
|YELLOW GOLD|
Yellow gold, is a traditional metal option, providing a warm yellow glow. Yellow gold is a soft metal, at Love Fine Diamonds we recommend the tarnish-resistant and durable18ct yellow gold.
If you love the warmth of yellow gold, you can opt for 9ct or 18ct ring. We recommend the tarnish-resistant and durable 18ct yellow gold. But, 9ct yellow gold is a great option for those on a budget. However it is less durable with a tendency to tarnish,
| WHITE GOLD |
A contemporary choice, white gold has a clean white tone and is ideal for those who want who want the look of platinum with the tradition and heritage associated with yellow gold.
It is also a fabulous choice when accentuating the brilliance and liveliness of your diamond.
Surprisingly, however, white gold in terms of price is on par with platinum due to the current market. White gold doesn’t rust, tarnish or corrode.
| RED GOLD |
The fashion industry has a long history with Rose Gold, which is more recent years has become a more popular choice. People are finding that the subtle, warm and rich tones of this copper alloyed gold suits different skin tones.
Due to its Fashion driven past, at Love Fine Diamonds we feel brides are concerned after a few years this metal will fall out of fashion. However more and more we see this becoming a more popular choice of metal amongst brides.
| CHOOSING YOUR DIAMOND SHAPE |
Choosing the shape of your diamond is a reflection of you or your partner's personality.
Every diamond is unique; each has its own precious gemmological characteristics. The price of your ring will vary on the shape, cut, colour and clarity. To find out more visit our website.
However at the moment choosing the right diamond shapes. Read on to find out more about each shape.
| BRILLIANT CUT |
The round brilliant cut diamond is perhaps the most popular choice. Due to its complex form, developed over 100’s of years this particular cut gives off a more glistening superior reflection of light to other fancy shaped diamonds. Although this stone is the most popular of choice due to the rarity of the stone, the carat price is higher in comparison to other shaped stones.
| OVAL CUT |
Merging the sparkle of a round brilliant cut, with the design of a marquise with a similar glistening reflection of light. The oval cut makes a perfect choice for a centre stone for a lady to highlight her long slender fingers. Also due to the elongated shape, the Oval cut provides the illusions of being larger than it is.
| PEAR SHAPE |
The pear-shaped diamond is a fusion of the round brilliant cut and the marquise, with a tapered point and circular end also referred to as the teardrop. With 58 facets this stone exhibits a glistening reflection of light. The elongated shape makes a flattering choice on long fingers whilst giving the illusion of being a much bigger stone. Due to the more complex shape of the pear-shaped diamond, the symmetry of the stone is very important.
| EMERALD CUT |
The emerald cut diamond has a unique look in comparison to other stones due to the step cuts of its pavilion and its large flat surface. The emerald cut stone emphasises its clarity rather than it’s sparkle, an elegant and timeless diamond cut.
| CUSHION CUT |
Much like a pillow, the classic cushion cut has been around for almost 200 years and in the early 1900’s was the most popular diamond shape – described as the more vintage looking brilliant cut diamond. With 58 facets cut into the square or rectangle shape, it provides a chunkier light reflection.
| MARQUISE SHAPE |
The marquise makes a perfect solitaire surround by smaller diamonds as a halo or on the shoulders to emphasise the size of the stone. With the largest surfaces of all diamonds, the marquise is a fantastic choice when displaying the clarity of the stone, popular mostly with engagement rings and a fantastic way of showing off a ladies long and slender fingers.
| ASSCHER CUT |
Alike the emerald cut diamond the asscher cut diamond has step cuts of its pavilion and its large flat surface however in a square shape with cropped corners therefore creating a more light reflective brilliance than the emerald cut.
| HEART SHAPE |
A symbol of love and affection for its obvious heart shaped appearance. Not the most popular choice perhaps however a solitaire engagement ring is the perfect design to accentuate the diamonds shape. When selecting a heart shaped diamond the symmetry of the diamond is essential.
| PRINCESS CUT |
Perhaps the most popular of fancy shape diamonds, especially for engagement rings. Alike the round brilliant cut diamond the princess cut diamonds glistening superior reflection of light to other fancy shaped diamonds. First created in 1980, the princess cut diamond became a more popular choice due to its modern symmetrical shape and stunning sparkle.
| TAKE THE FIRST STEP |
Take a selection of ideas to your jeweller to see what your options are? Draw up your designs; tell your jeweller your favourite elements of the designs you’ve seen. Simply discuss see what’s possible and come up with something that will look amazing!
Think about her lifestyle having your ring channel set is perfect for women who are always on the go and constantly knocking and bumping there ring.
Of course, her style is the main determinator – does she like minimalism or something more traditional, white diamonds, or sapphires and emeralds, or even a coloured diamond? Here at Love Fine Diamonds, our design consultancy ensures that every ring designed to truly reflect the beholder.
Contact us today to schedule your design consultancy with one of our master craftsmen.
| THINK ABOUT IT |
At Love Fine Diamonds, we need around 2-3 weeks to create a bespoke design. We are a family of jewellers bringing time-honoured traditions of craftsmanship and quality to London’s famous jewellery district, Hatton Garden.
With skills that have been passed through the generations, we are committed to offering a bespoke engagement service, meticulously handcrafting each piece to endure a lifetime.
Priding our selves on our unique contemporary designs, exclusive to Love Fine Diamonds, using only flawless high-quality GIA certified sourced under the Kimberly process, preventing the trafficking of conflict-free diamonds.
We strive to go above and beyond for all our clients merging quality with value.
There have been times when clients have needed the ring sooner, and we haven’t missed a deadline yet.
Solitaire brilliant cut
Channel set Diamond Shoulder
Marquise Diamond Halo
| ADDING THAT PERSONAL TOUCH |
Give your engagement or eternity ring that added sentimental value to commemorate the occasion. At Love Fine Diamonds we offer an in-house complimentary engraving service on all engagement and wedding rings to your specification.
To give your engagement ring that added sentimental value to commemorate the occasion, at Love Fine Diamonds we offer an in-house complimentary engraving service on all engagement and wedding rings to your specification.
| Assurance |
We can easily help when there is a specific design you have in mind. Our in-house design team uses the very latest in design technology to create cost-effective one-off pieces. We believe each piece we design should be a true reflection of the wearer - if you don't like it you don't pay for it
The professional cleaning of your engagement ring is recommended as often as once a year. To help you bring your rings back to showroom standard at Love Fine Diamonds we offer a lifetime complimentary polishing service and inspection.
Fusing exquisite, natural diamonds with our own contemporary designs, at Love Fine Diamonds we will only source flawless high-quality GIA certified diamonds sourced under the Kimberly process, preventing the trafficking of conflict-free diamonds.
Take the first step and book an appointment to visit our Hatton Garden studio to speak to one of our master craftsmen.
| OUR FAVOURITE CHOICES AT LOVE FINE DIAMONDS |
