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The holidays are one of the most popular times of the year to propose. They are also when people realize, a little too late, that a ring does not appear overnight.
If you are planning to propose this season, here is how to work backward from the date, what to do if time is tight, and how to get her ring size without giving the whole thing away.
If you are reading this in November, you are on time, but you are not early. A custom ring takes several weeks from the first conversation to the finished piece, and the part that slows things down is rarely the bench. It is the deciding.
Start the design now, even roughly. You can sketch it out in our ring builder in a couple of minutes, and that alone saves a week of back and forth later.
Pick a shape, a setting style and a rough budget. If you are not sure what she would like, our guide to ten engagement ring styles is a good place to narrow it down. The ring builder turns those choices into a concept you can bring in with you.
This is where you see real stones in your range, side by side, under proper light. It is also where you decide between natural and lab grown, which changes how far your budget goes. Our honest comparison covers that choice.
Your ring is modeled in 3D and you see it from every angle before anything is made. You get an initial design and two rounds of revisions. Take the time to look carefully here. Changing a rendering costs nothing. Changing a finished ring means making it again.
Once you approve, the ring is cast, set by hand and polished. This stage cannot be safely rushed, and we explain why in our honest timeline. Then you come in, we check everything with you, and it goes home in your pocket.
Sometimes the date is close and the ring has not been started. That is fine. You have three honest options, and none of them involve rushing the bench.
Tell us your date at the very first meeting. We will tell you plainly whether a custom ring can be ready in time, before you pay anything.
A finished ring from our case can be sized and ready far sooner. Many couples later add a custom wedding band to make the set their own.
Choose the stone now and propose with it in a ring box. Then design the setting together. Some couples say this was the best part.
December is the busiest month of the year in any jewelry store, ours included. Booking your consultation ahead means a designer has time set aside just for you.
One exception worth knowing: bands set with stones all the way around are difficult to resize. If you are unsure of her size, a design with a plain section at the back gives you room to adjust later.
It depends on your date and the design. The honest answer comes at the first meeting, where we look at the calendar with you. If custom will not make it, we will say so and help you with one of the other options.
Very common, and usually simple to fix after the proposal. Most rings can be resized. The main exception is a band covered in stones all the way around.
Either works. Some couples design together, others want the full surprise. If it is a surprise, bring photos of jewelry she wears and anything she has saved or mentioned.
Yes, and it is the fastest way. Start in the ring builder, then book a consultation and we pick up from your design.
The couples who enjoy this part the most are the ones who started early enough to enjoy it. Begin with a design tonight, and we will take it from there.
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