The very idea of jewelry is an old one, and for most of history, jewelry was worn and owned by the wealthy and prominent members of a civilization. But within the last few centuries, many more people have become jewelry owners too, and in the present day, most Americans own personal jewelry of some sort or other. Some jewelry is unisex, and other types are mainly favored by women. Some jewelry is for personal decoration, but other types have more clear meanings, with engagement rings and wedding bands being prominent examples. Often, expensive watches are included in the jewelry category, which adds many more men to the list of “jewelry owners.” After all, many men pride themselves in a fancy watch, and some watches and pocket watches may be passed down father to son, the way necklaces, earrings, and brooches are passed down mother to daughter. But let’s not forget custom jewelry design, either, which allows for personalized rings and necklaces and even personalized wedding rings.
Options for Custom Engagement Jewelry
Most Americans are familiar with the standard image of an engagement ring: a diamond on a gold band. Many people indeed prefer this, but it is also acceptable to explore the world of custom jewelry design and make an engagement ring (and later wedding bands) that are more unique in design. Nearly every part of the ring’s body, from its gem and the gem’s shape, to the band’s metal and carved design, can be altered somehow. It may also be noted that buying conflict diamonds is increasingly controversial, and many younger women (often Millennials) want conflict-free diamonds that were grown in a laboratory. Around 80% of Millennials are happy or neutral about the idea of lab-grown diamonds, and those lab-grown models are often difficult to distinguish from regular ones anyway.
For custom jewelry design, there are all kinds of options. The engagement ring’s gem can be nearly anything, from the standard diamond to a ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, and more. The gem’s shape is also up for customization when it comes to custom jewelry design, since many industry-standard shapes are available. Jewelers can carve those gems into circles, hearts, squares, or even flower shapes when asked, and some shapes work better than others based on the gem’s size or the ring’s own material. Also, custom jewelry design extends to the metal itself, which can be gold, white gold, silver, or platinum. That metal body can have patterns carved into it, or even have a sentimental message or date in it. The same can be done for wedding bands. Also, take note that even the metal frame that holds the gem in the ring can have its design customized, and certain patterns may look very attractive with particular gem types.
Ordering Custom Jewelry
Many customers can approach a jeweler and ask for custom jewelry for themselves, and in other cases, men may approach a jeweler and ask for custom engagement rings to give to their girlfriends later. Either way, the customer can describe the ring’s appearance in person, and the jeweler will make a colored sketch and show it to the customer, to confirm all the details. Then, over the next few weeks, the jeweler will create the custom jewelry piece, and inform the customer when it is ready. It may then be picked up and paid for.
It is one thing for someone to order custom jewelry designs for themselves. But what about a custom engagement ring? There is actually more than one way to handle this, and some men buy and present the ring as a total surprise (especially if they buy the standard type). In other cases, the man may consult his girlfriend first before he makes a purchase, since many women have particular preferences about their jewelry, and those women may want input on what their custom engagement rings look like. In fact, around 61% of men consult their girlfriends this way. Another option is to consult the girlfriend’s sisters or friends or mother for reference, and thus surprise her with a custom ring that suits her tastes. And in some rare cases, a man might even get an engagement ring for himself. Surveys say that 29% of men would wear an engagement ring, after all.