What happens when you make the decision to go out and buy your perfect engagement ring and then find out that you cannot find the exact design that you want?
Well, if you come and visit us at Daniel Christopher Jewellery this really is no problem.
Whilst we have a collection of rings that are available to view in store and on our website, if you would like us to help you create a ring using our bespoke service, we are more than happy to help.
A bespoke design can be fairly simple in terms of creating a ring using elements of design from other rings, or simply by customising an existing design.
Or it can be a little more complex when going for something more unique.
So if a bespoke ring design route is right for you, what can you expect from us?
As always, this differs from person to person as to how exactly these things work. We can assure you that no matter what your requirements, we can guide you through the process with ease.
For the most part a customer will come in with a specific or vague design in mind.
Choosing your centre stone is a whole other process and we have dedicated a separate article for How to choose your perfect diamond. We suggest focusing on the ring design part first before moving on to the type of centre stone preferred. This is because the type of stone may change as the design changes. Rest assured, we will guide you through both the design and the diamond choice so that you get exactly the bespoke ring that you want.
So how does one design a bespoke ring?
First Step: CAD Design
Deciding on a design can be tricky and time consuming at times. We find that the best way to make sure that you are getting the right design is by using a CAD designer (Computer Aided Design). We have a wonderful specialist jewellery CAD designer at Daniel Christopher Jewellery able to create the most beautiful intricate designs.
CAD design creates an image of your ring for you to see before we manufacture the ring, keeping your costs down. This way you can look at the image and say, ‘yes, that’s exactly what I want’ or ‘I like this but actually can we change the band from being straight to tapered’ etc. Using a CAD design ensures that your bespoke ring is absolutely perfect for you.
The CAD design process can be tricky and time consuming because how you imagine your ring may be different from how we understand what you're looking for, or how the CAD designer and the goldsmith interpret the brief. Several back-and-forth communications via email or phone may be required so that we can make changes to your design until it's exactly right.
In rare occasions, the design you have in mind may not translate into being made into a practical and lasting piece of jewellery that can be worn everyday.
As an example, a few people have asked us to make an extremely thin band for their ring, because they may have seen a picture of a ring with a very fine delicate band. Whilst these rings look fantastic in a photo, the reality is they are not made to last. These kinds of rings are not made to be worn everyday and the last thing that any of us want is for your ring to break because the band is too thin. In these occasions, we recommended a thicker band for these customers, and other design changes that could make the ring look visually more delicate, without having to compromise on the quality and longevity of the ring.
We make our bands a minimum of 2mm wide, but you can taper the band to give the illusion that it is much thinner. Anything thinner than 2mm band in an engagement ring probably won’t be substantial enough to stand the test of time.
Something else to bear in mind when looking at a CAD design of your ring is the size of the image you are being presented with. If you look at some of the pictures in this article of previous rings we have made, you will notice that the CAD image is of course a blown up image of the design. What can appear as a huge part of the ring, (ie. the size of a claw or thickness of a band), is in fact tiny in reality.
To put this into perspective, we will usually give you a technical sketch of the ring and another technical image with the measurements shown. These are all things to bear in mind when having a bespoke ring manufactured.
We will always do our best to work around your time frame, but due to the complicated nature of the bespoke design process, this is not always possible. As a rule, we would set aside six weeks for the ring to be made, or to be more specific, three weeks from signing off on the CAD design to your ring being made up.
So what happens after you have signed off on the CAD image?
Second Step: Casting The Ring
Next we get the print files from the CAD designer and then these print files get sent onto the casting company.
The casting company then prints the 3D image using a 3D printer and a mold of the ring is created from this print. This is then used to have the metal cast from the mold. Depending on the design you have chosen, it may be cast from one mold or from two or three, depending on how complicated the ring is, and how many pieces it is made up of.
Third Step: Hallmarking
We then get sent the rough casting. Once we have received this rough casting, the first thing we usually choose to get done is having the metal hallmarked. This is a legal requirement for every piece of jewellery made in the UK and you can read more about it here.
Fourth Step: Assembling The Ring
After the metal has been hallmarked, we will write up a job sheet, or production sheet and the rough casting along with the job sheet goes downstairs to our onsite workshop to the goldsmith.
The goldsmith will then clean up the rough casting and assemble the pieces, so that the ring becomes one piece.
Fifth Step: Setting The Stones
The complete ring is then given to the diamond setter, who will set your chosen stones into the ring. Sometimes the ring will be given back to the goldsmith after setting has been completed in order to add any finishing touches.
Sixth Step: Polishing The Ring
After all setting and finishing touches have been completed, the ring goes into polishing. This removes any remaining roughness and makes the metal look shiny and bright. Finally the ring goes into our sonic cleaner and then gets steamed to remove any remaining impurities.
Final Step: Quality Control
It is at the point that the ring will be ready to come back upstairs to us in the shop and go through quality control. We have a rigorous quality control process in place to make sure that nothing has been missed out.
Once we are all happy that the ring is complete, we mark it off as ready on our system and you will receive an email saying your ring is ready for collection.
You can then come to collect the ring, fall in love with it and everyone is happy!!!
If you have questions about any part of the bespoke design process, please call or email us and we will be more than happy to talk you through it!
Comment on this article