How Much is a Custom Ring?
Wondering how much does a custom ring cost? If you’re thinking about designing a custom engagement ring, you’re probably wondering how it differs from your average engagement ring shopping experience. Aside from the obvious difference of having something designed and handcrafted just for you rather than something mass produced, the primary difference is paying a little extra up front to save a lot in the long run: time and energy spent shopping, hours spent researching, and money spent replacing a bad choice. Instead you hand off all of the legwork to the professionals right off the bat.
Before we get into the cost of custom rings, I have to clarify what a truly custom ring is:
Many jewelry stores say that they “do custom” but, in reality, they actually just customize.
Customizing jewelry means changing some details of an existing design. True custom rings are designed from scratch. Custom means that your very special ring starts from a hand drawn sketch and each element is considered, engineered, hand selected, and cast just for your one-of-a-kind ring. The cost of a custom engagement ring reflects this tailored and personal experience.
Each custom ring is 100% original and results in a unique combination of costs based on rarity of stones, value of metals, and complexity of design. However, there are common elements that affect how much a ring costs. Read on to find out what price tier you’re in.
Two custom engagement rings, two different price tags.
The Brooke, $61,100
The Patricia, $15,800 by Abby Sparks Jewelry. Financing available
CUSTOM RING DESIGN COST: $6,000 – $10,0000
One of the top drivers of the cost of custom engagement rings is the rarity and size of the center stone. The diamond engagement rings we have designed at this tier have a center stone under 1.0 carat like The Jessi, or use a grey diamond like The Hannah. Rings at this level tend to have understated metalwork and simple settings.
If you want to stick in this price range, we can achieve the look of a larger overall center stone by adding a halo, playing with band width, or setting accent stones around the center stone.
The Jessi 0.34 carat diamond center stone engagement ring.
The Hannah 0.60 carat light grey diamond center stone engagement ring with rough diamond accents.
Custom diamond rings with a center stone or overall carat weight over 1.0 carat likely feature repurposed jewelry. When you incorporate family heirloom diamonds, the center stone is already taken care of which can potentially lower the overall cost of a custom ring.
The Liz repurposed diamond engagement ring.
Diamonds aren’t the only stone that can be repurposed. We’ve also designed rings that reuse other durable precious gemstones like sapphire, emerald, and ruby at this price point. A ring like The Brooke shows just how big you can go with repurposed gemstone and still stay under the $10,000 mark.
The Brooke 4.05 carat repurposed aquamarine engagement ring.
Lab grown gemstones are a great option for our clients who want a higher carat center stone without the cost of a traditional mined stone. A ring like The Jessica looks like a $15,000 ring, but with its morganite center stone it starts at $8,800.
The Jessica 2.32 carat emerald cut peachy morganite center stone engagement ring
How much is a custom engagement ring with a diamond over 1 carat? You’re going to have to move to the next tier of pricing. But you can get the look of a bigger diamond with moissanite, an ethical and budget friendly alternative that’s a fraction of the cost. The Christophany and The Chelsea are two moissanite engagement rings that most would assume are 2 carat diamonds.
The Christophany 2.2 carat moissanite engagement ring.
CUSTOM RING DESIGN COST: $10,000 – $15,000
Graduating to this tier means you’ve made it to 1 carat diamond range or higher, congrats! This is what people typically envision with an engagement ring, and what the majority of our clients propose with. Rings like The Brandi and The Jules show the average diamond size and setting detail you can get at this level.
The Brandi 1.07 ct. Cushion cut diamond with diamond melee.
The Jules 1.01 ct. oval cut diamond with milgrain detail.
Want more detail and less diamond? We’ve designed heftier settings with cut outs, accent stones, and diamonds under 1.0 carat like The Tracy and The Brittany.
The Tracy 0.90 carat diamond engagement ring with 0.23 ctw marquise cut diamond and 0.05 ctw brilliant cut diamond accents.
Rings with 1.5 carat diamonds at this tier use lab grown stones, like The Andrea, The Alexandrea, and The Lindsay. Lab grown diamonds are about fifteen percent less than mined diamonds, so clients usually go lab grown for ethical reasons or because they want a little more carat weight within their budget.
The Andrea 1.56 carat lab created diamond engagement rings.
Both rough diamonds and precious gemstones over 2.0 carats are possible at this price tier, as are larger diamond accent stones.
The Caitee 3.86 carat rough diamond with diamond accents.
The Margo 2.54 carat lab created alexandrite engagement ring with diamond accents.
CUSTOM RING DESIGN COST: $15,000 – $30,000
When you move into custom engagement rings at this price, you’re typically getting a bigger center stone, more detailed settings, and more carat weight in accent stones. You’ll see a higher prevalence of platinum, the most pricey of your metal options. Simply put, this is where the major bling begins.
The Colle 1.50 carat diamond with diamond cluster accents.
The Melissa 1.01 carat diamond engagement ring with Alexandrite swirl halo.
From complex shapes to elaborate metal work, the more complicated the design, the higher the custom ring cost. We’ve designed highly embellished rings at this tier, like The Katy, The Jessica, and The Meri.
The Katy Legend of Zelda engagement ring.
The Jessica art deco baguette halo heirloom diamond ring.
The nature inspired Meri ring.
CUSTOM RING DESIGN COST: $30,000+
Looking for 2 carat diamonds? Welcome to your tier. Engagement rings that cost over $30,000, like The Leslie and The Heather are exemplary of this tier–2 carat rocks with unique halos and accents. We have also custom designed more elaborate diamond bands with slightly smaller diamonds like The Beth.
The Leslie 2.0 carat oval diamond flower cluster engagement ring.
The Heather 2.72 carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring with art deco double halo.
The cost of custom engagement rings with large, 5.0 carat plus precious gemstones like The Julie and The Morgan are in the $30,000 – $45,000 range, and both include over 1.0 carat in diamonds in their halos.
The Morgan 5.57 sapphire engagement ring with 1.28 ctw diamond accents.
A custom engagement ring cost of over $50,000 pushes you into diamond carat weights well over the 2.0 mark. You’ll see multiple large stones with elaborate design like The Pamela with over 3.0 carats of diamonds and intricate milgrain bezel setting or The Abelson with a 3 carat oval diamond and asymmetrical setting.
The Pamela 2.25 carat diamond center stone and 0.8 ctw pear and 0.4 ctw accent diamonds.
The Abelson 3.01 carat oval diamond center stone with diamond melee.
Moving toward the $100,000 mark is your route to getting a jaw dropping diamond like The Kristin. With it’s 4.07 carat center stone and beautiful diamond pave setting, this is your price tier if you’re looking for that devastatingly gorgeous, brilliantly sparkling, can’t-miss-it type of engagement ring.
The Kristin 4.07 carat diamond engagement ring.
Priorities and budget are different for everyone, and there are endless options for engagement rings. Custom isn’t for everyone, and if she knows the exact ring she wants, then get it! We are not the click-and-buy ring on the internet or the point-and-buy ring at the jewelry store, in fact we’re kind of the opposite. We’re a valuable option for a very special group.
If you are someone who finds meaning in having something made one-of-a-kind, just for your fiancé, named after her and never replicated, then custom is for you. If you value design, intentionality, and want a ring that’s a work of art, custom is for you. If you want a durable ring engineered with precision and designed to be in your family for future generations, custom is for you. And if you have family heirloom jewelry you want to remodel into a new, sentimental design, custom is for you.
Want to start your own custom engagement ring? Give us a call. Financing available.
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