There are endless engagement ring options out there but if you want something 100% unique why not design your own engagement ring? Many jewellers and jewellery designers offer this service, with a variety of options to suit most budgets. The possibilities are limitless when designing your own so it's important to do a little research beforehand and know what style of design you, or your partner prefers. This ring will be worn for life, so take your time and get it right! To help you along the way, we've gathered some helpful hints and tips.

How To: Design Your Own Engagement Ring

• Firstly, unless you are an experienced designer or 100% confident that your partner will adore your design, designing a custom engagement ring should really be a two person job. You can always propose with a token ring, then get your other half involved in the process.
• Choose a trustworthy ring designer. Someone who will listen to your brief but offer advice and can work within your budget. Ask to see samples of rings they've designed before, some jewellery designers will have a specific style, so you may need to look around for something with the aesthetic you're looking for. The best place to start? Check out our recommended Irish jewellers.
• If you have a certain budget in mind, let your jeweller know, and ask them if it's realistic for the kind of ring you want.
• Talk to your jeweller about the timeline and process for the design. This is important if you want your ring in time for a specific occasion. It's also good to know if you can make tweaks to the design along the way, (and how many) and at what point the design is finalised.

• Take advantage of the fact you can use unusual (sometimes more budget-friendly) metals or stones that are often not in a standard jewellery shop selection. For example, our own Sue got a gorgeous bespoke engagement ring with a green sapphire and palladium, so it was more cost-efficient than a platinum diamond ring.
• Consider unusual stones with meaning (your birthstone or something you both really love), or combinations that you really like. Visit our A-Z of gemstones for inspiration.
• You can sometimes reuse a stone from a parent or grandparents ring in a new design. This is a particularly good idea if you find yourself inheriting a ring which wasn't to your taste or didn't fit.

• Bring a mood board or Pinterest board of images you like. This way the designer can help you figure out what it is that you actually like even if you can't articulate it in words.
• Don't be afraid to bring sketches, no matter how terrible they are.
• Some jewellery designers will create 3D printed samples, sample setting or CAD drawings, others cluster the stones on perspex plates so you can hold them over your finger. These are particularly helpful if you're not a visual person, and want to see how the ring will look on your hand.
• Consider each element of how you want your ring to look and feel. Questions to consider are: what shape do you prefer? What width would you like your ring? What metal do you like the look of? What type of stones do you like? (Think about colour, shape and the number and combinations of stones.)
• Sometimes designs just aren't feasible. Your ring needs to be stable and made in a shape that can support the stone properly without being constantly catching or being knocked, so you may need more claws than you'd originally thought to hold the stone for example, or opt for a flatter design.
• Be open to the designer's feedback on your design if you have something very specific in mind.
• Make sure you can get an insurance or valuation certificate from the designer afterwards.

• Try out different band thickness that suit the size of your fingers, small adjustments like that can make all the difference. Think about proportion or stone/band and hand size.
• Think about how a wedding ring will fit with your engagement ring if you're getting an unusual shape or profile to the ring. You want to make sure you like it as much once a wedding ring is added, if you're having one.
• Personalise it. When you're designing from scratch, there's more opportunity to add a message, symbol or other custom personalisations to the inside of the ring.
• If you'd like your engagement ring and wedding band to match it's important to consider the cost of your chosen metal in a wedding band when choosing your engagement ring metal.

Persuaded to design your own?

Get in touch with one of our recommended jewellery suppliers.

Feature image: Ring by Marrow Fine