Have you spent months searching online for the perfect engagement ring, and nothing seems to suit you? Have you considered a custom designed engagement ring?  One way to make your proposal extra special, is to design the ring yourself, or together with your partner.  If this is the route you want to take, before doing so, there are some things that you should consider.

-       First, what is your budget? You don’t want the engagement ring you design to end up costing much more than you can afford.  Imagine spending the time to create the perfect ring just to find out that you can’t have it! Research engagement rings online that fit within your cost parameters, so you have a ballpark idea of your limits for metals, stones, and size.

-       Also consider comfort.  You will be wearing this ring every day, for the rest of your life, so be sure of your ring size and choose a ring shape that will feel good on your hand.

-       Your next decision will be what type of metal to make your engagement ring out of.  If you like warm colors, a gold band would suit you well.  If you prefer something more neutral, opt for white gold or platinum, and if strength and durability is a concern, then perhaps titanium is your metal of choice.  If you are on a budget, white gold looks much like platinum, but comes with a smaller price tag.

-       Now that you have chosen your setting, consider the stones.  Do you want a large diamond?  If so, and your engagement ring budget doesn’t allow for a carat or more, you could consider sacrificing color for size.  Maybe you want a simple look, and diamond clarity is more important than its size, so you chose a smaller stone.

-       How many stones would you like?  Do you prefer simplicity, or do you want your engagement ring to make a statement with a large grouping of gems?  If price is a concern, then maybe you consider incorporating colored gemstones along with the diamond, or maybe you don’t use a diamond at all.

-       Now decide what type of cut your stones will have, this has a lot to do with the look of the engagement ring.  Do some research; some of the most popular cuts for engagement rings are round, pear, emerald, princess, and oval.

-       Finally, think about how you would like to arrange your stones.  Look through wedding magazines, or search online for ideas.  Cut out pictures of the engagement rings that have features you like.

Most importantly, take your time and look through the engagement rings that engagementrings.org has to offer to get an idea for your custom engagement ring.