She is amazing. After one date, you told your best friend “I’m going to marry that girl someday” and you reflect on that moment from time to time. It wasn’t just that she was pretty (gorgeous actually) or funny or smart or charming...it was that she was the one. Your perfect girl. And now as you start to plan a proposal and ask her to be yours forever, you want to find “the” perfect engagement ring. The one that symbolizes just how you feel about her, something unique, bespoke, one of a kind. A custom designed engagement ring is just the answer. But is it too hard? Do you need to be a jewelry designer? Is it more expensive? You have a million questions, we have a few simple reasons why you should consider the custom route. Hopefully it will clear up a few misconceptions and give you inspiration to consider a custom design for your loved one.

1. It will truly be a one of a kind piece

A custom engagement ring is the perfect way to express your only love. There is nothing more special than an engagement ring that you designed for your significant other, that has never been worn or even tried on by another person in the whole wide world. It is also the most romantic “heirloom” in the making. At some point, you will tell the story to your child and pass the ring down to them and they will do the same with their child. Truly a piece of jewelry that symbolizes your family history!

2. You can add as many personal touches as you want to

One of the things I personally adore about custom designed engagement rings is the ability to add details, touches & birthstones to a ring design. Far from being mass-produced, you can let your imagination run free and explore ways to make this a unique ring to her.

Paul, a 27 year old graphic designer, visited us with a design firmly in mind: a rose gold diamond engagement ring, custom-made with a cushion cut lab grown diamond. His inspiration was a lotus flower, her favorite botanical. The design was complete with several tiny sapphires scattered throughout the petals. Allison was absolutely blown away that Paul took the time to craft something so unique.

The beauty of a custom piece is you can truly get the ring of your dreams. Your main task will be conveying to your jeweler all the details you envision and breathing life into this bespoke ring.

This Tacori engagement ring was customized to have brilliant pink sapphires in the hidden halo & the Tacori touch at the bottom of the foundation.

3. You can choose all the details

Mass-produced engagement rings are just that: pre-designed ring styles to appeal to lots of people, made with a predetermined diamond quality and showcased at cookie cutter jewelry stores. These are not your people! You desire to be involved every step of the way. You want to choose not only yellow gold, but have the option of luscious 18K gold for rich tone, or 14K for added strength. You want to be involved in hand selecting a center diamond: carefully considering the perfect carat of center stone, whether to purchase a natural or lab grown diamond and whether or not to incorporate gemstones. Custom design allows you to be as involved as you desire.

Be sure to lean in to your jewelers expertise, knowledge and experience. While you may have the vision and elements you wish to have in a ring setting, we have the structural background to ensure that piece is crafted with longevity and endurance in mind.

4. It shows the depth of your commitment

From a sentimental, romantic, beloved point of view, the effort you invest to create a custom engagement ring for your fiancé can be seen as something that goes above and beyond the ‘usual’ levels of commitment. Your loved one will no doubt be drawn to their engagement ring, not only because of the promise but because of the depth of your devotion to it’s creation.

Brad & Layla had been dating for 8 years when he walked into our jewelry store. He wasn’t nervous, or intimidated or even hesitant. He didn’t know exactly what he wanted but he knew this: he was going to design her engagement ring from scratch. We worked together to create a simple white gold diamond solitaire, with hand carving to symbolize the life they had built together. Brad finished off his custom design with his and her birthstones flush set on the inside of the band. Layla laughed and cried all at once when she realized that he had this ring designed just for her.

5. Custom doesn’t mean more expensive

You read that right! Just because you want to create bespoke custom jewelry doesn't mean it’s going to cost more than something out of the showcase. The main factors in the price of your custom engagement ring will always be the carat weight of the center diamond, and whether you want extra diamonds in the form of things like pavé or side stones. Even designers like Tacori or Noam Carver do not charge extra to customize their designs to incorporate your personal touch.

If you have a budget in mind, at Perrara we absolutely respect that. Our main goal will be to help you achieve the ring of your dreams while keeping you on track budget wise. It’s what we do and we do it really well!

In Summary:

A custom designed engagement ring, and later wedding rings, can be such a joy to design and create. At Perrara, we promise to listen, lean in and help you experience a glimpse into the future: the day you slip that bespoke, one of a kind, dream engagement ring onto her finger. The day she realizes it was all for her.

With Love, Perrara

Author: Lisa Maloney, Proprietor