Surprising your significant other with a custom ring has been the epitome of romantic gestures, symbolising the start of forever with your partner’s favourite aesthetics in mind. But it is also common for people to gift one another (or even to themselves) beautiful jewellery as a reward to commemorate a significant moment in their lives. Whether it be a job promotion, a birthday gift, or simply a seal of appreciation for one’s efforts and accomplishments, custom rings unveil a dear story to the wearer. Explore options with professional jewellers, such as Ling Jewellery, to select the right details for your ring while staying within budget.
“Bespoke” is another name for custom-made, a term coined in the mid-1800s England to refer to tailor-made suits and shoemaking. The term eventually made its way to other custom goods, including jewellery. Bespoke jewellery is custom-made from start to finish with the specific client in mind, most prominently with rings for special occasions like weddings and engagements. Clients can work closely with professional jewellery artisans to bring their unique ring designs to life.
With custom rings, you can add your personal touches to craft one-of-a-kind designs. From incorporating gems that resemble the colour of your partner’s eyes to engraving special dates and each other’s names on the band, you decide! Crafted by our highly skilled artisans, you can make your ring uniquely yours.
At Ling Jewellery, our bespoke ring-making process begins with a consultation session with our expert jewellers and designers to ensure we capture all the details you wish to incorporate into your ring. From the array of exquisite gemstones, precious metals, and possible design styles we offer, our designers will help you realise your design concept from start to finish, guiding you through the process and advising you on the best choices.
After finalising your ring design, our skilled artisans will begin crafting your bespoke piece, which will take about 8 to 12 weeks. We will typically specify the time needed for your custom ring—especially in the case of intricate designs—for our artisans to apply their meticulous touch and bring your ring to life.
Ling Jewellery crafts pieces with a high regard for details, craftsmanship and finesse. We offer an array of precious gemstones with different colours and qualities to be the main star of your ring. You can choose a dazzling diamond, an alluring royal blue sapphire, or gemstones according to your birth month.
Finalise your design by picking a precious metal with 18K gold (also available in white gold and rose gold) and platinum, commonly used for fine jewellery. The precious metal you choose will determine your design’s overall look and feel. Gold is associated with luxury and stays evergreen, while rose gold with warm autumn hues gives a more romantic feel to the piece of jewellery. Platinum is another durable metal that is perfect for customising rings. You can also consider two tones or a combination with different finishings to create your preferred look.
While ready-made rings are already a significant gift on their own, giving yourself or your loved ones bespoke rings intertwined with personal tales will enhance the value of the jewellery—literally and figuratively. If your partner has a soul for nature, you could consider adding floral-inspired motifs to the ring—perhaps fashioning the gemstone in a flower shape, for instance.
You could also consider the aspects of personal well-being or feng shui when customising the rings by choosing gemstones with good energy, like amethyst and jade stones, making the rings all the more meaningful as a gift.
Consider enlisting the help of professional jewellery designers and artisans to ensure your ring is designed and masterfully crafted with the highest quality. Every detail of your ring, from the size of the gemstone to the width of the ring band and the envisioned design, will be tailored to you.
Ling Jewellery can provide invaluable advice by referencing the myriad of designs and gemstones available at our showroom as you embark on your journey to custom-make your ring. You will also get to choose from a broad colour palette of precious gemstones, including diamonds, sapphires, tanzanites, spinels, and many more, as you decide on the perfect one for your piece.
Remember that the gemstone you choose has features—colour, shape, and size—that may influence your ring’s overall appearance and design. Not to worry, as our designers will review the details with you to ensure the gemstone blends harmoniously with the rest of the ring elements while remaining the star of the show.
Once the design is confirmed, breathing life into your bespoke ring may take 8 to 12 weeks, with more time needed to complete intricate designs. It is best to buffer more time during festive seasons and public holidays, so you should plan your design process around those occasions so you receive your jewellery pieces on time.
If you plan to have custom engagement rings made for a momentous occasion, selecting the best elements for the rings can be tricky. Thankfully, professional jewellers are more than able to help you bring your idea to life, but getting there still requires careful planning. What desirable aspects do you want? How do you stick to the budget? Here are the key considerations to keep in mind before creating your desired ring.
On average, a custom engagement ring can cost at least SGD 3,000 or more, depending on your ring preferences. Modern couples have shied away from the three-month salary “rule” and opt for a more realistic budget based on the attributes they would like. You can still find ways to save without compromising quality, and your jeweller can help you with tailored recommendations. For example, you can pick affordable, lower-carat diamonds that are similarly sized to higher-carat ones.
Professional jewellers are ready to assist you in accurately measuring your ring size, or you can consider doing it at home. A simple way to find your ring size is to wrap a string around the ring finger, note where it overlaps, and then measure that length. For surprise engagements, discreetly take a photo of both your hands and compare the size of your ring fingers. You can also have the jeweller assist you. If you think you may need to resize the rings in the future, let the jeweller know as well.
18K gold and platinum are the most popular choices for engagement ring bands. Gold is a timeless classic, while platinum offers significant longevity and durability at a higher premium. If you and your partner lead very active lifestyles and are worried about damaging the rings, 18K gold and platinum are safe choices. With 18K gold, you get to choose from 18K white, rose or yellow gold, or a combination of these colours, making it a more versatile option.
If you prefer something apart from the standard engagement ring band, you can always customise it. For nature lovers, consider a vine-like band design. For designs with more than one diamond, a channel setting can create a lustrous look that emphasises each gemstone. You are only limited to your imagination (and, perhaps, budget).
The ideal diamond matches your particular preferences. Consider the 4Cs when shopping for an engagement ring.
Choose a diamond that closely resonates with you and consult an experienced jeweller when designing your ring as they will be able to provide you with invaluable insights.
Lab-grown diamonds share similar physical and chemical properties to natural diamonds and are created through methods that closely simulate natural conditions for diamond formation. Lab-grown diamonds are generally 30 to 40% more affordable than natural diamonds, making them an excellent value-oriented option. However, many couples still prefer to choose natural diamonds for their all-natural formation or other reasons. The choice is ultimately yours to make based on your preferences, budget, and other considerations like finding your desired proportions for the diamond.
That will depend on the jeweller’s policies, so ensure you ask them about it well in advance. Although, it is worth noting that most will seldom trade away their first engagement ring, or diamond, for another as it forms part of treasured memories of a momentous occasion.
Jewellers typically do not take requests to copy another ring’s design due to ethical and copyright considerations, however, they are usually happy to customise a ring design inspired by it and create something unique to you and your partner.
Before taking your ring design to a jeweller, be sure to research your options. Pay close attention to a jeweller’s customer ratings to get an idea of their general customer service and quality. It may be helpful to learn more about their general policies, their crafting experience, gemstone and jeweller certifications, ring resizing, and other relevant details. You can even visit a few jewellery boutiques to meet the jewellers in person to get to know them and find out more about what they offer. It is always important to work with a jeweller you are comfortable with.
Once you finalise the engagement ring’s design, it will typically take the jeweller between eight and twelve weeks to craft the custom engagement ring. The timeline can vary depending on the complexity of the ring’s design, and the jeweller will inform you of this during the consultation.
Secrecy is key, especially for a surprise proposal you have been planning for weeks (if not months). The jeweller will refrain from contacting you through regular means while they make the necessary arrangements for your custom ring. Let them know how they can discreetly contact you about the custom rings, such as via email.
Getting your partner’s and your ring size is not straightforward. You must obtain an accurate measurement, but several extenuating factors can influence your ring size.
Finger Shape
You might have hands with wider fingers near the base (closest to the hand), while your partner may have thicker knuckles instead. Some rings may require extra features so as not to slip off your finger.
Band Width
In most cases, your choice of band should be sufficient to ensure a good fit. Just remember that the more metal surrounds your finger, the tighter it fits on your finger. Make sure to accurately size your ring finger so that the ring fits snugly on your finger.
Measuring at Home
A ring sizer is just what you need to find your ring size. This handy tool accurately captures your finger’s diameter and circumference fit to find your ring size. Use it with a ring measurement chart for an accurate reading; take note that international ring sizing uses measurement scales that vary from country to country.
However, if you are making a custom ring to surprise your partner, using a ring sizer while they sleep might ruin the surprise if they wake up and catch you in the act.
You could also try this:
If you prefer getting more accurate measurements, consider asking a professional to help you through the ring sizing process.
Diamonds continue to enjoy significant popularity thanks to their natural brilliance and symbolism of everlasting love. Being the hardest substance on Earth, a diamond’s resilience allows it to shine bright for a lifetime.
Before you set out on your diamond shopping trip, it helps to know the 4C’s beforehand. Think of the 4C’s – Cut, Colour, Clarity, and Carat – as a guideline to help you buy the right diamond. There is no right or wrong answer; what is important is picking the right diamond that you and your partner will love to have on your rings.
Coloured gemstones come with their unique qualities and characteristics. Different gemstones can exhibit a variety of colours and hues, depending on how they were formed naturally, making them stand out when designed with diamond rings. Consider speaking to a jeweller about a suitable coloured gemstone that matches your style, or perhaps to find one that is also your birthstone.
Here are several popular choices you can consider:
A highly sought-after and popular choice is sapphire. Sapphires are also very durable, ranking as one of the highest among coloured gemstones and ideal for everyday wear. Typically found in blue, you can find sapphires sparkling in a variety of colours, giving you plenty of options to choose from.
Here is a fun fact: rubies and sapphires derive from the same mineral, corundum. As sapphires do not come in red, you can call a ruby a red sapphire.
Emeralds have a radiant green hue that is truly captivating. Emeralds with medium intensity and high transparency are a must-buy since these features add great beauty to the gemstone. Before you decide on an emerald, note that it is less durable than a diamond; extra care will help keep it in excellent condition.
This lovely green gemstone is one of the rarest garnets in the world, primarily found in the Tsavo National Park that borders Kenya and Tanzania. It symbolises enduring happiness and a reminder that life is an exciting adventure. Beyond its deeper meanings, Tsavorite also possesses incredible brilliance and fewer inclusions than its gemstone cousin, emerald.
Essentially a red sapphire, as they hail from the same corundum mineral family; the ruby has long held a reputation as the stone of kings. This brilliant, blood-coloured stone is also known to protect its wearer from all sorts of perils and dangers. Rubies also have strong fluorescence that makes them seem glowing in the light, contributing to the myths of how a ruby could shine through whatever was used to wrap it up.
Occasionally confused for a ruby, a red spinel is a rare gemstone sufficiently durable for jewellery. Spinels also come in various hues, from pink to red and blue to purple – but interestingly, hardly in green or yellow. These gems gain their colour from trace elements within their structure. A highly sought-after variety is the Jedi Spinel, aptly taking its name from the Star Wars franchise for its glowing hot pinkish-red appearance
An equal amount of thought must go into the ring. Though some materials pair better with specific gemstones, careful consideration must be given to balance aesthetics and durability.
Gold is an evergreen choice for any piece of jewellery, whether yellow, white or rose gold, and is usually the preferred metal for fine jewellery houses to design unique pieces. The gold rings are commonly crafted in 14- to 18-karat gold, where trace amounts of metal alloys are imbued to strengthen the rings. 24-karat is an alluring colour choice, but it is also the softest and most malleable, making the rings easier to deform.
As one of the most durable precious metals, it is ideal for everyday wear as it retains its lustre and is not easily damaged. However, these benefits come at a literal price, as platinum is a generally costlier option for a ring and is only available in white for ring designs.
We are now getting to the fun part. With so many designs available, you will no doubt feel spoiled for choice or even a little overwhelmed when you can hardly decide what is best for your ring.
The shape of your gemstone can make a huge difference in your ring’s appearance. Some cuts help accentuate the gemstone’s beauty, letting it shine and sparkle brightly. Other cuts are more subdued, so the focus is on your slender hands. Picking the proper cut ensures your ring can make a statement when you wear it.
Here are some of the more popular options for your consideration.
Round: The classic round cut is a good pick for simplicity with brilliance.
Emerald: Featuring a rectangular step cut ideal for a more understated appeal.
Princess: This cut suits those who want to design an edgier piece.
Pear: For that elongated look with curved accents that are perfect for vintage styles
Heart: This cut is perfect for the hopeless romantic in you.
Oval: Essentially an elongated round cut, but with extra sparkle.
The ring’s setting can make a huge difference in how your ring looks, working in tandem with the gemstone’s cut to create a wondrous sight. You will have plenty of choices for setting the gemstone, but all originate from one of three basic settings.
This setting, also called the prong, lives up to its name. The gemstone is held in place by claws or prongs along the sides or corners. You may commonly see four- or six-clawed rings since they highlight the gemstone’s beauty while showing off its brilliance with the setting’s clean, open look.
A jeweller surrounds the central gemstone with a metal trim for this setting. The bezel setting is ideal if you want to protect more of your gemstone or hide inclusions or flaws in the gemstone while giving a classic yet sturdy feel to the ring. The surrounding trim does make the gemstone look smaller, but you can set the gemstone higher on the band to counteract that.
Halo settings rely on smaller gemstones to surround the main gemstone and accentuate the ring’s overall sparkle, bringing out the main gemstone’s beauty with a contrast in colour. The smaller gemstones on the halo can be diamonds or other coloured gemstones.
Since these three basic settings come in different variations, the ideal pick depends on what you and your partner want in your ring. A simple solitaire is suitable if you do not want your ring to be opulent. For a more brilliant look, you could opt for a channel setting with gemstones running down the centre of the band. If you want to add accent stones to your ring, a cluster setting with an asymmetrical pattern might do the trick. The possibilities are limitless.
A unique band design can add even more splendour to the entire ring and make it exclusively yours. Take the V-band, for example. Instead of a traditional round ring shape, one part of the ring tapers into a V-shape, with additional reinforcement to secure the gemstone in place.
Your imagination is the only limitation to your desired band design. The more complex a ring’s design is, the longer it will take a jeweller to complete it. But given enough time, it will be worth the wait.
Now that your ring has taken shape, why not add a few more finishing touches to complete its overall appearance?
Filigree involves intricate metalwork made from precious metals, shaping it into thin veins to create an elaborate design. Once a design is confirmed, the filigree is soldered onto the ring’s surface. Many custom rings add a filigree to give it a nostalgic, vintage design. Extra care must be taken with filigree rings, considering how thin the details can get. The space on a ring is limited, and it will be wise not to overcomplicate the filigree on the ring design.
Milgrain is a jewellery-detailing technique that involves adding tiny metal beads to create an ornate, textured border. It is an inexpensive finishing touch that can add more detail to a ring or add accents that help to contrast and bring out the gemstone on the ring. The milgrain technique typically adds a vintage touch to your ring.
Alternatively, why not engrave a personalised message onto your custom rings? Engravings happen at the end of the custom ring-making process, giving you and your partner time to think about what to engrave. Laser engraving is the fastest and most efficient way to get your message onto the rings. There is usually a limit to how many characters you can engrave onto your ring to be seen legibly.
At Ling Jewellery, our artisans are ready to help you craft a beautiful, one-of-a-kind custom engagement ring that uniquely represents the loving relationship you share with your partner. Contact us today, and let us convey your love for one another through the beauty of our bespoke engagement rings.
111 Somerset Road
#03-28 TripleOne Somerset
Singapore 238164
* By Appointment Only
* Closed on Public Holidays
