Custom Engagement Rings vs Ready Made: Which Should You Choose?

As you prepare for your engagement, one of the most important decisions you will make is your ring selection. The options are endless and the question of custom vs. ready made engagement rings always comes up in this decision-making process.

Your engagement ring is deeply personal, so choosing the right design can feel daunting. Luckily, there are so many options available, whether you want to customize your ring entirely or build off a ready-made design. Our custom engagement rings are a personal journey, where you have control from the first sketch to the final polish. However, if you prefer simplicity, you can always browse a selection of ready-made rings. The choice is ultimately yours, but you may find yourself swayed one way or the other due to your budget, timeline, or style.

Custom vs Ready Made Engagement Rings at a Glance

There are several factors to consider when choosing between a custom or ready-made ring. To make it easier, we’ve outlined how each ring compares in price, risk, individuality, and more.

 

What Is a Custom Engagement Ring?

Your custom engagement ring can be built around a photo, a detailed vision, or simply a feeling. The beauty of this process is that you can create a meaningful piece that is authentically yours. When designing a custom engagement ring, you will partner with your jewelry designer to bring your vision to life. You will decide whether you want to build your ring entirely from scratch or heavily modify a standard design. At Marthaler Jewelers, our collaborative design process ensures you are involved in every step, so that you can watch your vision transform into reality. This is typical for most jewelers, with a series of consultations from conception to completion.

What Is a Ready-Made Engagement Ring?

If you want something sentimental without the back-and-forth of design consultations, a ready-made ring is a great option. These rings are often pre-designed and available immediately. If you fall in love with a ring in the display case, consider it yours! However, if you want to personalize your ring, it’s important to note that these designs have minimal flexibility. If your jeweler offers to customize a ready-made ring, you will usually be limited to the band size or metal type. Sometimes, you might be able to swap the center stone for a different size or get custom engraving, but that’s usually the extent of customization.

The Custom Ring Process: What to Expect

What better way to tell your love story than a ring you designed? When designing a custom engagement ring, you will influence every part of the process.

Step-by-Step Process

• Consultation: During the initial consultation, your jeweler will inquire about your preferred stone, materials, and metals. This is the time to share all of your inspiration, whether you have actual reference photos or just a general concept. You should also set a budget, so your jeweler can accurately advise your selections.

• Design: Once you finalize your concept, your jeweler will source a curated selection of stones so you can hand-select the main attraction of your ring. Then, using Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, your jeweler will create a blueprint and render the design. You will also receive a 3D-printed wax mold of the ring based on the CAD render. This way, you can better envision what your ring will actually look like, and test its size and proportions.

• Approval: If your ring meets your expectations, you can give your jeweler approval to move forward with production! If you want to make changes, don’t hesitate to share that with your designer. It’s much easier to move a digital prong than a real one. Take this time to really examine the CAD render and wax model to ensure the ring is exactly the way you want. This piece is uniquely yours, and it should be a piece you love. 

• Production: The wax model you approve is what the jeweler uses to cast the ring in your chosen metal. Then, they will hand-set the center stone and any other accents or customizations you selected during the design process. Once complete, your ring will be tested for structural integrity before the final piece is presented to you.

• Delivery: Ring delivery is unique to jewelers, but most often, you will pick up your ring directly from the store. At Marthaler Jewelers, we complete the design process in house from start to finish, and we love making calls to say your custom piece has come to life.

How Long It Takes

The time it takes to design a custom engagement ring will vary depending on the number of consultations, the ring complexity, and the jeweler's capacity for production. That said, the average turnaround time for a bespoke piece is usually 4 to 8 weeks. We’ve done this in 24 hours… but we appreciate more time! Generally, we can make a piece in two weeks once we receive final approval.

Where Things Can Go Wrong

While the design process is exciting, and you have full creative freedom, there is the possibility the ring doesn’t turn out how you hoped it would. This is why collaboration and clear communication with your jeweler throughout the process is so important. You shouldn’t be afraid to make changes, or ask to see multiple sketches before your ring moves onto rendering. You should discuss every aspect you envision in the special piece you are creating. It is also important to take special care examining the CAD render and wax mold to be sure the ring meets your expectations. It’s possible a prong placement isn’t where you imagined, or the band is a bit too snug. It’s not a perfect process! These are all things you should share with your designer, and a reason why working with a jeweler you trust is so important.

 Pros and Cons of Custom Engagement Rings

Pros

• You have complete control over the design process, so you’re able to create a ring that is uniquely yours.

• You can easily upcycle pieces you already have, or add to them to complete the design you have in mind, adding to your ring’s sentimental value.

• When consulting with your jeweler, you can set clear budget parameters and allocate it where you want, like splurging on a high-carat diamond and simplifying the metalwork.

Cons

• Given that the custom design process takes 4 to 8 weeks, this ring type isn’t ideal when working with a tight timeline.

• When creating a custom ring, you’re paying for labor and materials, so these pieces have the potential to be more costly than a ready-made alternative.

• You’re taking the risk of designing your own ring, knowing that you won’t be able to return it if it doesn’t perfectly meet your expectations.

Pros and Cons of Ready Made Engagement Rings

Pros

• Since ready-made rings come straight from the display case, they’re available immediately, making them ideal for surprise proposals.

• With a ready-made ring, you avoid the “analysis paralysis” that comes with the volume of choices you must make with a bespoke piece.

• You are able to see the actual ring on your finger before spending anything, so you know if it’s what you want.

Cons

• Usually, jewelers can’t accommodate customization without starting from scratch; It’s usually “what you see is what you get” with ready-made rings.

• Given that you’re unable to customize your design, some view ready-made rings as less unique or sentimental.

• These designs are often mass-produced, so it’s not impossible for you to see someone with the exact same ring on their hand.

Cost Comparison: Is Custom More Expensive?

When Custom Costs More

Despite what many people believe, custom rings are not always the most expensive option. When working with high-end jewelers or complex designs is when you might incur higher costs than a ready-made ring. When taking the custom route, you are usually paying for craftsmanship and materials, so the more intricacies you incorporate into your ring, the more you will pay.

When Custom Can Be Cheaper

Designing a custom engagement ring can be more affordable because you are able to bypass the brand markups that come with ready-made rings. When working with a big-box retailer, versus a direct-to-consumer jeweler like us, you may also encounter costs tied to retail operations.

What You’re Actually Paying For

Ultimately, the final cost of your custom engagement ring will depend on: 

• The time spent designing the ring, from consultation to creation. If you request more than one render or wax mold, this could contribute to higher costs, too.

• The artisan’s time and labor designing, sketching, rendering, casting, and polishing the ring.

•  The materials you chose for your bespoke ring, including diamond cut, color, clarity, and carat, as well as metal types and setting heights.

Design & Personalization

Custom Rings

With a custom engagement ring, you’re able to take creative liberty throughout the design process. You will collaborate with the jeweler to build your ring from scratch, with the final say on all design decisions. You can pull inspiration from ready-made designs, but ultimately, you can combine any setting, stone, or details you want to make the piece uniquely yours.

Ready-Made Rings

While ready-made rings simplify the decision-making process, there are limitations to how much you can personalize. Most often, you will only be able to adjust the ring size if the one in the display case is too big or small. However, some jewelers allow you to select your preferred metal and recast the ring.

Can You Customize a Ready Made Ring?

You may be surprised to learn that you can, in fact, customize a ready-made ring, and the price will fall somewhere between a custom ring and display ring. Most commonly, you can alter the center stone of a ready-made ring. Many rings of this type are sold as “semi-mounts,” meaning the metal setting is intact, but the center basket is left empty so you can choose your preferred diamond. You also have the flexibility to choose most metal types of a ready-made ring. For instance, if the ring from the case is yellow gold, but you’d prefer white gold, that’s a simple ask that can easily be accommodated. Ready-made rings can also be engraved, and this doesn’t significantly alter the structure of the design. You might choose a special date, initials, or message to give your ring a stronger sentiment.

Risk, Quality & Peace of Mind

Risks of Custom Rings

With a custom engagement ring, you will always run into the risk of whether the final piece matches what you had imagined. This is, again, why it is so important to clearly communicate your preferences, and closely examine the CAD render and wax mold before giving your approval for production. However, even if the designs perfectly align with your vision, craftsmanship variability is another factor to consider with custom designs. If you work with a jeweler who lacks significant experience with custom casting, your ring may not live up to your expectations. 

Risks of Ready-Made Rings

Unless you choose to spend a bit more and customize a ready-made ring, there is only so much you can do to make a ring from the display case feel like yours. Thus, you run the risk of settling for a less-than-perfect design. You might find a ring with the perfect band, but it only comes with an oval-cut diamond, when you’ve always envisioned an emerald-cut on your finger. Is the compromise on price worth the compromise on the design? 

How to Reduce Risk

Regardless of ring type, to reduce your risk, it is so important to review your jeweler’s portfolio, and ultimately partner with someone you trust. You can always ask to see physical examples of their past custom work, rather than digital renderings. Some jewelers also provide craftsmanship warranty, which covers manufacturing defects and structural repairs.

Which Option Is Better for You?

Choose Custom If You Want:

If you have a specific vision in mind and want your ring to tell a story, you would likely enjoy the custom ring design process. You’ll influence each part of the process to make a custom ring that is truly one-of-a-kind.

Choose Ready Made If You Want:

If you are working on a tight timeline and prefer simplicity, you would likely prefer a ready-made ring from a display case. This process requires much less decision-making and is, overall, less stressful.

Still Unsure? Ask Yourself:

If you’re still on the fence, consider:

• Do you have a clear vision for your ring, or would you rather browse?

• Do you have the time to collaborate with a designer, or do you want a simple process?

• Do you want something unique, or does individuality matter less than budget?

No matter what you decide, our team is here to help you with this momentous purchase. To learn more about your options, schedule an appointment or visit us in store anytime.