Wedding rings have come a long way from the standard classic gold band. Certainly, a gold band provides a simple elegance, but perhaps you are looking for something a little more personal.
Bespoke weddings rings are a fantastic way of adding extra character and personality to your marriage celebrations. A valued, considered piece of wedding jewelry can be passed onto your future children.
Your ring can be modeled on something that you both love –like a favorite movie, book or hobby – or based on a certain moment or place. Once you’ve decided your theme, the next step is to think about how you can incorporate it into a ring. If you’re unable to decide on a theme, then bounce ideas off friends and family.
Advance Planning
Planning your bespoke ring is an exciting process to undergo, so don’t rush it! Production can take time so ensure you know how long it will take to ensure it’s ready for your big day. Depending on what you’re after and the materials you wish to use, you might want to check what precious metals and gems are available from your jeweler in advance and discuss with them the time-frames prior to fixing your wedding date.
The best jewelers often have many clients and sometimes, during certain times of the year and depending on the popularity of the jeweler, a waiting list.
Discuss Your Budget
Bespoke wedding rings need not be an expensive option. Speak to your jeweler about your budget so that they can suggest how you can incorporate your personality into the wedding ring without breaking your bank balance and overall wedding budget.
Everything from the size of the gemstone– be it sapphires, rubies or the more classic diamonds – to the amount of precious metal you wish to use in the design will have an impact on the design.
Ethical Considerations
In the murky world of conflict diamonds and environmentally damaging mines, bespoke wedding rings can help you know exactly where your wedding ring comes from. You can opt for one of the handful of ethical jewelers that offers precious metals and gemstones that have been ethically sourced in a transparent manner. This ensures that your ring doesn’t come exploit the people who make your ring or the environment.
Designing a Ring
You don’t need to be a creative genius to design a ring. If you like, you can create some rough sketches. You can ask a good jeweler to assist you with the design by having either a face-to-face or telephone consultation.
Once you’ve had the initial conversations and sketches designed, most good jewelers these days utilize CAD or Computer Aided Design technology. This creates a computer model of your ring that allows you to visualize and agree upon the final version of a ring to a point where you’re entirely happy with the design.
Once your final design has been signed off on then the jeweler will create a 3D wax model that the precious metal gold casting will be based on. The final steps are then taken care of by the jeweler: the ring is mounted, which is when the different components of the ring are assembled and then the finished mount is sent away for hallmarking prior to your chosen gems being set.
Engraving
Many couples choose to have their rings engraved. This is usually the last task for the jeweler that takes place during the final polishing. If you do opt for wedding engraving, remember that it’s going to be on the ring for generations to come so choose the words carefully. Ensure you type out the engraving you’d like for your jeweler to avoid any misspelled words.
Once your bespoke wedding rings are ready then there’s nothing stopping you from strutting down the aisle.