The Ring Thread: Weddings, Engagements and Otherwise

[Signe]

For those that have done it, does the cost of getting a custom band made differ greatly from the price of the common designs?

You're way too young to be thinking about rings.  Or girls, even!

[Lantyssa]

Boys are okay though.

[Selby]

Yes; my recollection is that most big jewelers will charge you about double for a custom piece, although smaller shops that make the stuff themselves anyway will tend to give you a better deal.

This.  The mall\chain jewelers will charge you crazy prices for custom pieces (assuming they will even do them).  A small shop with a good jeweler who does his own work regularly will likely not charge too much more than for one of his off the shelf pieces (or will give you a deal on a nicer stone or better material).  As I recall I got a higher grade stone for about $800 less than it would have cost because of my ex's ring design she wanted.

[NiX]

You're way too young to be thinking about rings.  Or girls, even!

Not thinking about engagement or wedding rings yet. Helping a friend who has no idea what he's doing.

[Signe]

Oh good.  I hate when people grow up.  I think they do it just to make me feel older.  Personally, I think the rings that apocrypha's girlfriend made are really, really pretty.  Maybe he should check out her pics.  (of the rings, I mean)

[Krakrok]

For those that have done it, does the cost of getting a custom band made differ greatly from the price of the common designs?

Mine was $120 CAD fee to design the ring. The ring itself was about the same price as generic rings for whatever metal you wanted it in.

[ghost]

On the titanium front, my brother and his wife went for tungsten carbide.

I've put off getting a replacement ring for years because I don't do gold and don't usually like most mainstream jewelry designs.  I may have found the place to get that replacement.

[Jeff Kelly]

How about normal jewelry rings? Usually the style recommendation for men is to not wear any jewelry except a wedding band or watch but I found a few ring designs I quite like. I don't really know anything about the respective ring etiquette however?

Can I wear a normal jewelry ring on the ring finger of either hand or should I not do that to avoid any confusion? Any tips or insults you'd like to share :)?

[Signe]

Well, I know you're supposed to wear your wedding ring on a particular finger, which I guess is tradition or religion or something.  But finger etiquette?  Really?  Even if there it exists, do you really care?  It sounds silly enough to me that there are rules on what finger to put rings on and even more silly that anyone would care enough to take notice.  My opinion is wear your rings where ever they look nice to you, unless you're intent is to impress the finger police. 

I'm sorry if I insulted anyone by calling their fingers silly.  Really, terribly terribly sorry.  Srsly.  Sorry.

[Selby]

Can I wear a normal jewelry ring on the ring finger of either hand or should I not do that to avoid any confusion? Any tips or insults you'd like to share :)?

I wore an interesting amount of rings in high school on various fingers.  In an environment like that be prepared to deal with one of several names being hurled your way ;-)

I basically wore them on any finger except "the wedding ring finger."

[Lantyssa]

Don't wear a ring on the left ring finger if you visit a singles bar.  Maybe not the right, either.  That's if only wearing one.  If you go the multiple rings route it's more likely to be taken as decoration.  Otherwise knock yourself out because who cares?

[SuperPopTart]

Haemish is about to get kicked in the groin and he doesn't know why.

The only response I'll give him is "Page 1, F13".

I'll show him better then worse then better then worse..

[HaemishM]

And she did. 

[NiX]

 

[Mrbloodworth]

For those that have done it, does the cost of getting a custom band made differ greatly from the price of the common designs?

I may be biased. But a lot of the rings in this thread are just ready made blanks made by machines. Usually large name shops when they say "custom" simply edit the blank slightly, or solder on a different setting, and charge you out the ass. Some "Designers" are just placing together catalog blanks and other findings and stones.

Not really trying to plug here, but we hand carve, design and cast our stuff. There will never be another like it, unlike those based on machined parts. We still, end up cheaper in most instances. Out bands are thicker, we typically use more metal (unless the design is simply prohibitive), and we solder EVERY link in any custom chain we make. Such is the life for artists.

Custom wedding rings designed by the client. I received the sketches over the internet with detailed telephone conversation and emails.

The goal was to create a pair of rings that represent the vision of the Lady getting married: a stag and doe facing each other with a diamond between them. The over all feel was to be medieval, strong and enduring. The shanks were to be heavy and in sterling silver with a touch of gold. Being as they were to be on the finger of someone who is allergic to gold yet have the gold incorporated in the design, the gold banding is raised off the finger. The sketches were to be “as close to the original design” and still look recognizable as deer.

After the design was approved, I carved the rings by hand and cast the main shanks in sterling. Gold banding was cast separately for the man's ring while the woman's ring was adorned with gold wire. The settings are of white gold. All assembled with diamonds and blue zircons.

They are now happily married with their new rings they designed themselves, created by hand from start to finish.