While browsing jewelry stores for an engagement ring, do you think everything looks exactly the same? If you want something as unique as your love and packed with personal significance — or if you have the stone, but not the setting — consider having her (and/or his!) engagement ring custom designed. Here's how to do it.
Get a Clue
Inspect the jewelry that she or he wears to get a sense of your beloved's ring personality. Decide if you want the ring to incorporate an element of cultural significance or to have a certain sensibility (to look Asian or antique, for instance) to help narrow your quest. Also be sure to scope out rings people are wearing at work or as you go about your daily life; when you see one you like, ask who designed it or where it was purchased.
Next, prowl jewelry stores and galleries to really home in on what you like -- or hate, which can be an easier place to start. Take notes and make sketches of elements that catch your eye -- an "invisible" tension setting, different shades of gold, or multicolored gems -- and research designers whose work you admire.





