Jewelry has long since stood as rare symbols of luxury, wealth, and royalty, with precious metals and gems like gold, silver, and platinum working with emeralds, sapphires, rubies and more to create displays of power. Today, instead of being symbols of royalty, jewelry is decorative and highly sought after by common customers, and some special occasions call for exquisite jewelry, such as custom rings, personalized jewelry, wedding rings, and engagement rings in particular. Custom rings can be a great option for personal displays of fashion or for brides and grooms.
Who Buys Jewelry?
Jewelry, despite the rarity and value of gold and gems, stands as a huge and popular industry among all age groups. In fact, in any given year, an estimated 38 million Americans buy jewelry or fine watches, and among those buying diamond jewelry, just under a third of those surveyed say that they would spend $1,000 or more on a piece of jewelry. Engagement and wedding rings are particularly popular and in demand options for jewelry, and there are some recent trends surrounding this business. For example, it is typically men who buy them for their girlfriends, but how they go about it may vary. Sometimes, the men’s girlfriends will in fact have input on the ring she will receive, since 61% of men are believed to consult their intended brides before making a purchase.
An engagement ring of traditional design of gold and diamonds, as opposed to custom rings, stands as a very popular option. Some 75% of American brides receive such rings, although there are trends in different directions, too. 52% of surveyed brides said that they had interest in wearing an engagement ring with a colored stone, similar to rings that Halle Berry or Jessica Simpson once had. And among today’s brides and grooms, most of whom are Millenials (born between 1982 and 1995), buying responsibly sourced diamonds or lab grown diamonds is preferable. 80% of Millenials are neutral or have positive feelings about lab grown diamonds. But for more independent minded prospective grooms, custom rings can add personal flair to an engagement, and older buyers looking for decorative rings or pendants can take a similar route.
Custom Rings and Their Design
A customer for custom rings has a number of steps to follow, such as a man designing a custom engagement ring for his girlfriend. For one thing, he will decide on details such as the gem’s type, whether diamond, ruby, emerald, or something else, as well as the gem’s cut, or shape and pattern. The ring’s metal, such as gold, white gold, or silver will be decided upon, as well as the shape of the gem’s support. Engraved names or patterns are also an option, such as the couple’s name or the date when the man will propose with that ring.
The customer can then have a custom jeweler make a detailed sketch of custom rings according to the customer’s intentions, to make sure that no details are missed or understood. This also gives the customer a chance to see the final product and double check that it is what he wants. If the design is approved, the customer can ask about the price of the ring (based on materials and gem cut) and an estimation of when the ring will be ready, which can be important if the customer has a specific time frame for when he wants to propose. When the ring is completed, the customer will be notified and can pick it up. Decorative rings, brooches, and pendants can also be made into custom designs with a similar process, limited only by the customer’s budget and imagination.