So you’ve decided to enter a new chapter of life with someone you love. Congratulations! Getting married is one of the most important milestones in life, and your wedding rings are likely the most important jewelry purchase you will ever make. You’ll wear them daily, and they will forever be deeply personal symbols of your love and your union.
One of the ways to make getting married even more meaningful is to have your rings custom designed, just for you. There’s no better way to be sure your rings are perfectly suited for you and your spouse than to custom make wedding rings.
There are different ways to approach personalizing your wedding rings. You can start by customizing an existing design, or you can have something designed from the ground up. You might have a special stone you want to use in the design, perhaps one that came from a family heirloom.
There are several things to consider when selecting or creating your bridal jewelry. We’ll go into detail about why you should consider custom rings and the process of customizing your rings with a designer.
6 Reasons to Custom Make Wedding Rings
1. Custom make wedding rings that are one of a kind.
One-of-a-kind Champagne Diamond Shield Ring with pave diamond halo
There is something very special about owning and wearing a design that you know isn’t going to be seen anywhere else, on anyone else’s hands. Just like your chosen partner, you want your ring to also be special and uniquely suited for you. If your rings are custom made, you’ll work with a designer to create something just for you.
One-of-a-kind jewelry also carries more monetary value than designs made to be reproduced, because rarity carries a premium. While jewelry purchases are usually emotional as opposed to practical, they do also have the benefit of becoming a small asset, and jewelry can be a sound investment when quality materials, great craftsmanship, and unique design coexist.
2. Create a matching set of wedding rings.
If you prefer to have the traditional engagement ring and wedding band set, it is advantageous to create a customized set so the two will perfectly match. When shopping the ready-made market, you may find an engagement ring that you like, but the options for the matching band may not suit you—or vice versa. If you build a custom set from the ground up, this will never be an issue, because you can tailor each piece of the set to suit your taste and match back to the other.
Similarly, your partner may have surprised you with an engagement ring, which you did not personally select. It may be a family heirloom, or perhaps they picked it out from a store alone without consulting you first. Customizing your band to coordinate with the engagement ring gives you the opportunity to make your own choices, while still honoring the gift that your loved one selected for you.
Not only are you able to create a matching set of your own when you choose to custom make wedding rings, but you also have the opportunity to coordinate your ring or set with your partner’s.
3. Get the exact wedding rings you want.
A set of matching gold wedding bands
You know what you like, and you have a pretty good idea what you would like your wedding rings to look like. You could spend hours searching the web and going from store to store, shopping for the design that you’ve dreamed of. Or you could choose a designer whose work you admire, tell them exactly what you have in mind, and have them custom make wedding rings for you.
This alternative saves you the time and headache of hunting. Plus, you get what you want, and you’ll have a personalized experience along the way. As an added bonus, you’ll know that you’ve supported an artisan, possibly even in your local community.
4. Add personalized details to your wedding rings.
Adding special details to your wedding rings that are unique to you can go well beyond the simple tradition of engraving when you custom make wedding rings.
Perhaps there is a flower that is special to you or a symbol that is meaningful to you and your partner. There might be a particular stone or combination of stones that have a special meaning for you. Maybe you like stacking your rings in a certain way.
You may not be able to find a ring on the market bearing these special details. Yet all of these unique elements can easily be incorporated into your wedding ring design when you communicate your heart’s desires to a designer who will custom make your rings.
5. Combine aspects of different wedding ring designs into one.
Rings by designers Rebecca Overmann and Ruth Tomlinson—all of which can be customized
What if you’ve seen rings that have certain elements you really like, but others that don’t suit you? Maybe you love the setting from one ring and the band of another, wishing the two could be put together. The good news is that they can!
Having rings custom made for you means that you get to pick and choose which elements go into your design. Starting with an existing design or two that you want to alter or combine is a great way to get to a single design you love—one that feels uniquely yours.
6. Repurpose a family heirloom into a wedding ring that suits you perfectly.
One of the most common requests we have for custom wedding rings is to reimagine a piece of jewelry that has been handed down in someone’s family.
Oftentimes the bride (or groom) will have a piece of jewelry that is close to their heart because of the loved one who previously owned it, but the aesthetic may not suit their personal style. In this case, a great solution is to take the stones from the existing heirloom and incorporate them in a new, more personalized design.
Repurposing a family heirloom gives you the opportunity to show off your own style and your loved one’s treasured jewelry simultaneously.
The Process of Customizing Your Wedding Rings
After considering many of the benefits of customizing your wedding rings, you probably want to know what to expect from start to finish. While every designer and artisan has their own unique process, the basic steps tend to be similar enough from one designer to the next.
Below we’ll explain the steps to custom make wedding rings at Marion Cage and share details and photos from one of our custom projects.
Step 1: Initial Consultation on Customizing Your Wedding Rings
The first step of customizing your rings is to have a conversation with our team. This is your opportunity to outline all of your desires and requirements.
You might bring in photos of designs that have elements you like. If you have an existing piece or stone you want to utilize, you could show it to us. You might also browse our store inventory for inspiration, telling us what you like about certain pieces that grab your attention.
We ask questions that help us to better understand what you have in mind. If you have a budget, let us know up front. The more information you give us, the better we can serve you.
During this meeting, we measure your finger for ring size and verbalize some initial ideas. At this point, we also advise if there are any design fees for us to move forward.
Recently, a customer came in with a somewhat bulky and very traditional family heirloom ring with a five-carat diamond. His fiancée wanted something less traditional and showy, with a contemporary design to match her personal style.
Step 2: Sketches of Your Custom Wedding Ring Designs
Our design process usually starts with a series of hand sketches. From there, we continue to refine the design, making alterations as necessary until we arrive at a final concept drawing that is approved.
Below are some of the initial sketches that we did for our customer, Bryson, and his fianceé, Desi. Drawing on the feel of several of the pieces that he had purchased for Desi in the past, notably our talon pendant and talon studs, Marion incorporated a similar aesthetic to create a design to showcase the stone and reflect Desi’s style.
Because of the size of the diamond, Desi asked about the possibility of two rings—one incorporating the larger stone and another smaller ring for everyday. Marion proposed a set of “jackets”—smaller bands that could be worn both on their own or with the larger ring.
Step 3: 3-D Modeling and Pre-Production of Your Custom Rings
Once we have your approval on a final hand sketch, we determine the best way of making the design. Depending upon the design, we may be able to begin fabricating the piece directly from the hand sketch.
More often, as was the case for Bryson, we see fit to model the design digitally using 3-D software. This allows us, and the customer, to see what it would look like from every possible angle. We can even print a plastic model for the customer to try on! We are able to make edits and print it again until we are satisfied with the design.
There were several compelling reasons for using 3-D software to complete the design of Desi’s rings:
- Using 3-D scanning, we obtained an accurate scan of the diamond, which enabled us to literally sculpt the setting around the stone.
- 3-D modeling software lends itself well to creating highly sculptural and organic forms, such as those we used in the design of Desi’s ring.
- 3-D modeling enabled us to make a very precise and snug fit between the ring and the jackets.
Check out the 360-degree view 3-D rendering video below!
Step 4: Final Production of Your Custom Wedding Rings
Once finalized, the 3-D model is sent to our casting partners, who print the model in a castable wax. The wax is then used to cast the designs in metal by the lost wax process.
Next, the raw castings go to our expert jewelers, where the stones are set before finally being polished to perfection.
Here are photos of Desi’s final fabulous rings!
Contact Us to Custom Make Your Wedding Rings
Having wedding rings custom made is an exciting, personalized experience that helps ensure you say, “I do,” with the perfect rings for you and your partner.
To custom make wedding rings with Marion Cage, contact us at the studio today to set up your consultation.