How To Build Your Own Engagement Ring

Admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:43:56 +0000

Borrow From Any Look Of Your Dreams- Build YOUR Own Custom Ring

Because your engagement ring is a piece of jewelry you'll treasure for a lifetime, you'll want it to be as special as the love and commitment it represents. And if you have the engagement ring of your dreams clearly envisioned in your mind, you can bring it to life by building it yourself. You don't have to be an experienced jeweler to build an engagement ring--there are plenty of online resources to help you get the job done, or you can simply enlist the help of a local jeweler. Whichever way you decide to go about it, here are the steps you'll need to take to build an engagement ring that's as unique as you are.

Choose a Metal

The first step in building an engagement ring is to choose the metal you want your ring to be made of. If you like a traditional gold color, you may want to stick with yellow-gold. If you generally wear more silver jewelry, white gold and platinum would be better options. Many people are very sensitive to particular types of metal and if you're one of them, palladium might be the metal of choice for you as it's a nickel-free metal.

Decide on a Setting

Setting options for an engagement ring truly are endless--and if you can imagine it, there's probably a setting that will fit your design. Traditional settings such as the prong setting or bar setting are very popular--they're great for larger-sized stones and they're very strong and secure. A bezel setting is also a good choice when it comes to settings. Not only is it secure--it also helps hide minor imperfections in the stone due to the fact that it encases the stone either partially or entirely via a circular metal band. Flush and tension settings use the metal band itself for support, no prongs required, while channel and invisible settings are best used if your ring will host several smaller stones. If you want your ring to have a focal stone along with several accent stones, a variation or customized setting will probably work best for you. Settings vary in price, and the more stones you incorporate, the more you should expect to spend.

Select Your Stones

Traditionally diamonds are the stone of choice for engagement rings, but any precious gemstone can be used in your custom-built ring. Whether you choose a diamond or another treasured stone, select the size and shape that will work best with your setting choice. Princess, Emerald, and Radiant are popular square-cut diamonds--they work well with prong settings and are known to really sparkle and shine. Other popular shapes for engagement ring stones are the oval, heart, pear, and marquise. A combination of shapes can be used in a custom-built ring, especially if accent stones are part of your design.

Personalize with Unique Details

When you build your own engagement ring, you have the opportunity to incorporate unique detailing that can't be found on the rings in a jeweler's window display case. A design etched around the band, a heartfelt message engraved on the inside of the ring, or symbol used to make-up part of the metal band are just a few personal details that you can build into your one-of-a-kind engagement ring.

Building your own engagement ring is a wonderful way to express the love you share with that special someone. The building process will allow you to be as creative as you want to be so that you end up with a fairy-tale engagement ring unlike any other.

Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes about insurance quotes for InsuranceQuotes.org.

Borrow From Any Look Of Your Dreams- Build YOUR Own Custom Ring

A Guide To Purchasing The Best Engagement Rings

Admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:34:00 +0000

If you have never purchased an engagement ring before, you will very quickly find out that there is a whole lot more to it than picking out something that is shiny and pretty. It is actually fairly complicated, and there are a lot of questions you need to ask and a lot of things you need to consider before making your purchase. The most important factor, of course, is what is going to make the bride-to-be happy. Many women have some very precise ideas regarding what their engagement rings should be like, so before buying a ring it is absolutely essential to ask your fiancee about her preferences. You see, the truth is that the best engagement rings are the ones that make your ladies the happiest. But many couples enter the process of purchasing an engagement ring without any preconceived notions. In fact, many recently-engaged couples have little to no knowledge of what to look for in an engagement ring at all. That is where this guide comes in.

The following are five questions to ask when you are getting ready to purchase an engagement ring....

Diamond Engagement Ring

#1) What Is Your Budget?

Many couples can be tempted to go overboard financially when purchasing an engagement ring. That is why it is best to decide upfront what your budget is for purchasing a ring and to stick to that budget no matter what.

#2) Do You Want Something Old Or Something New?

There are a lot of choices besides just the classic diamond solitaire engagement ring. Many antique engagement rings are absolutely spectacular and can serve as a link to the past. At the other end of the spectrum, there are many cutting edge modern engagement rings that are unlike anything that has ever been produced before. So the truth is that there are lots of choices out there and lots of opportunities to pick something that will suit your particular style.

#3) What Kind Of Stone Do You Want?

An engagement ring does not have to have a diamond on it. In fact, a growing number of couples are opting for other exotic stones rather than diamonds for their engagement rings. For example, blue sapphire engagement rings are becoming very popular. So don't be afraid to incorporate other gemstones into your engagement ring, and don't be afraid if you want to leave diamonds out of your ring altogether.

#4) Do You Know Your 4 C's - Cut, Clarity, Carat, and Color?

When looking at an engagement ring, you are going to want to ask about all four of these categories. The cut of the diamond is more of a style choice, but the last three categories can have a huge impact on the value of the diamond you are choosing. The truth is that two diamonds can look remarkably similar and yet have vastly different values.

If you are not familiar with the various grades used to judge the quality of a diamond, then we recommend that you get the following excellent guide by Nancy N. Schiffer: Before You Buy an Engagement Ring: With a 4-Step Guide for Making the Right Choice (Schiffer Book).

For much more on the 4 C's, please see another article that we did on this topic: "How To Buy A Diamond".

#5) What Metal Do You Want The Band To Be Made Out Of?

Most of the focus when purchasing an engagement ring is on the gemstones. But the band is another very important consideration. The three most common choices are gold, platinum and white gold, although many couples go another direction in order to save some money.

The truth is that picking out an engagement ring can be an exhilarating experience, but you can also get burned if you do not know what you are doing. It is important to get educated and to do your homework.

For young couples that are working on a tight budget, sometimes you can still get a great ring and save money at the same time by shopping places like Ebay, Craigslist and Amazon. When you do shop online, be sure to research the seller you are considering purchasing from to make sure that they are reputable.

Having purchased an engagement ring online myself, I can honestly say that it does work and you can get a lot more ring for your money than by shopping at the jewelry retailer down at the mall.

But wherever you buy your engagement ring, always be careful and always do your research. If you protect yourself and if you are willing to put in the hard work to find just the right ring, you will have a better chance of ending up with something that you both will love for decades to come.

The Best Engagement Rings » Engagement Ring Guide

How To Build Your Own Engagement Ring

A Guide To Purchasing The Best Engagement Rings