How to create a custom ring

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Create a custom ring for a personal gift that lasts a lifetime

Creating a custom ring can be easy and fun. Uniquely personal, they make sentimental gifts for loved ones, and can even be a great gift to yourself to commemorate certain milestones in your life.

There are a lot of options when it comes to customizing jewelry. The very first thing you must know before commissioning a ring like this is the person?s ring size. This can be tricky if the ring is not for you, and especially if the gift is to be a surprise. Don?t despair, however.

You might just need to get a little creative–and a little sneaky–to glean the information this project requires. Do whatever you have to so that you have some parameters to work with. Even an estimate of the ring size is better than nothing. Remember, rings can be resized, but you want to get close since sizing too much in either direction can weaken the metal and may compromise any engraving you had planned, especially if the script is to go all the way around the band.

For the Occasion

If you are creating a graduation ring, some obvious choices include showing the school?s crest, and engraving the graduation date and perhaps the graduate?s initials on the inside of the band. You will also need to choose a gemstone for the setting. This can be either a stone in the school?s prominent color, the student?s birthstone, or one simply reflecting their favorite color. Another fun and classy addition is to showcase up to two of the graduate?s prominent activities, such as clubs they were involved with, their chosen path of study, or sports they might have played.

Other occasions which call for custom made rings are anniversaries, coming of age ceremonies like bar or bat mitzvahs, confirmations, baptisms, or retirement. For any of these life moments, choose a well made ring which reflects the style and personality of the recipient. Include gemstones either specific to the occasion at hand, such as sapphire for a 45th wedding anniversary, or one which is sentimental to that person for some reason. Often you can choose symbols to be engraved or embossed upon the ring to commemorate the moment, like a cross for a confirmation, or a Star of David for a bar mitzvah.

For Posterity

Some pieces are created specifically to become family heirlooms, or something which declares the status or position of someone important.

For a mother?s or father?s ring, you can choose between one bedecked with the birthstones of each of her children, a simple band engraved with the children?s names and birth dates, or even give it a fun twist and display each child?s zodiac symbol. You can choose to combine any or all of these, depending on the setting and size of band you choose. You can do the same for grandmothers and grandfathers, though these can get quite a bit more complex if there are several grandchildren.

Other personalized rings can showcase the family crest or display a person?s monogrammed initials as the ring?s centerpiece instead of a gem. Many people have rings rendered to indicate the sorority or fraternity they belong to, or their career in public service such as police officers or firefighters.

Work with your jeweler to come up with options to fit your specifications. Be sure to choose good, strong metals such as gold, platinum, or even sterling silver, and double check each detail of your order before the jeweler starts the work to avoid any costly or time consuming corrections in the future. Match your sentiment and symbolism with your jeweler?s expertise, and this ring will be a treasure to cherish for years to come.