Custom engagement rings — how do you begin choosing?
A marriage proposal comes from love and is a moment of excitement in deciding to share a life together. The engagement ring chosen for it remains long after that moment — a piece worn for years, carrying the memory and meaning of the proposal.
Choosing it therefore involves more than a beautiful stone or an impressive design. It means considering the person who will wear it: their taste, lifestyle, comfort and how the ring will sit alongside jewelry they already love.
Custom design brings these considerations together to create a ring that suits its recipient and your story.
Start with the person who will wear the ring
Before choosing a stone, look at the jewelry your partner wears today.
Do they prefer delicate jewelry or pieces with presence? Yellow, white or rose gold? Simple lines or many details? Do they wear rings every day or prefer jewelry for special occasions?
Photos of favorite pieces can help us understand the direction. You do not need a finished design before the consultation — a few preferences and things you know would not suit them are enough to begin.
A diamond or a colored gemstone?
A diamond is a familiar choice for an engagement ring, but it is not a requirement.
The strong association between diamonds and marriage proposals was established in large part by the successful advertising campaign of De Beers, the company that led the diamond syndicate, with its 1947 slogan “A Diamond Is Forever.” Popular culture later strengthened this image, including the song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” performed by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Diamond engagement rings existed before that campaign, but advertising helped make them a choice that seems almost automatic. There is no reason your engagement ring cannot instead feature a colored gemstone you love.
Color can be an important part of the design: a favorite shade, a stone with personal meaning or simply a gem that catches your eye and feels right.
The choice must also suit its use. A ring worn daily requires consideration of the stone’s durability, condition and setting. Not every stone suits every ring equally well.
During the consultation, we connect your preferences with gemological considerations and planning the goldsmithing work.
Do not choose by weight alone
A stone’s weight matters, but does not tell you on its own how it will look in a ring.
Carat is the unit of weight for gemstones: one carat equals 0.2 grams.
Even stones of the same type and weight may differ in dimensions, shape, cut and appearance. Look at the stone itself and its proportions within the design.
A larger stone is not necessarily a better fit. Sometimes a smaller stone with a color or cut you love creates exactly the ring you wanted.
Beauty and comfort should work together
The setting height, band width, metal thickness and relationship between the central stone and side stones affect both appearance and comfort.
Tell us about its intended use: work with the hands, physical activity and wearing habits. These considerations can then inform the design from the start.
If a wedding band will eventually be worn alongside the engagement ring, consider how they will fit together during the design stage.
Choosing the gold
We work mainly in 14-karat and 18-karat gold, in a color and composition suited to the design.
The choice involves the desired appearance, requirements of the work and budget. The difference in karat has a financial impact and should be considered alongside the stone and the extent of the goldsmithing work.
When choosing exceptionally high-quality stones, 18-karat gold is sometimes preferred as part of the piece’s luxurious character.
We explain the options and develop a combination that suits the ring you want to create.
Set a budget at the beginning
A clear budget helps us suggest suitable options.
The ring’s price depends on the stone, its quality and weight, the gold, the amount of metal, design complexity, setting and finishing work.
Ring size also affects the price: in the same design, a larger size generally requires more gold. Size should therefore be considered in both planning and the quotation.
Together, we can consider where you most want to invest: the central stone, its quality, the design or specific details. Decisions can then be made with an understanding of the result and cost.
What if the proposal is a surprise?
To keep the proposal a secret, you can attend the consultation alone with inspiration photos and information about the recipient’s preferences.
A ring worn on the intended finger can help us determine the size. A ring from another finger does not necessarily indicate the required size.
In most cases, a ring can be made larger or smaller after the proposal. For a ring made by us, adjusting the size is part of our service if it does not fit quite right. If the construction or setting limits resizing, we will explain this during planning.
You may also choose to design the ring together. This is a personal decision, and either approach can be a lovely part of the process.
Have a proposal date? Tell us in advance
If the ring is needed for a particular date, mention it when arranging the consultation.
Our usual delivery time is three weeks to one month after the design and order are finalized. Finding a special stone or undertaking complex goldsmithing may require more time.
Planning early allows us to check that the available time suits the work and agree on expectations from the beginning.
From consultation to sketch, and sketch to ring
During the design consultation, we get to know the idea, examine stones and metals and begin developing the ring.
Rafael, our artisan goldsmith, develops the design in a hand-drawn sketch. At this stage, we can refine the proportions and details together until we reach an agreed design.
Once the design is approved and production begins, changes are generally no longer possible. Rafael then turns what we planned together into a finished ring.
Book a design consultation — NIS 300
The design consultation is arranged in advance and lasts up to one hour. Its fee is deducted from the order price when you proceed with making the ring.