A bespoke engagement ring has no price tag the way a ring in a shop window does. The price follows from choices you make together with the goldsmith. That sounds uncertain, but it works in your favour: you can start from a fixed budget and have the ring designed around it.
What the price is made of
The metal and its weight. Gold and platinum are charged by the gram, at a rate that changes every day. A wider or thicker ring weighs more and so costs more. The alloy counts too: 18 carat gold is 75 percent pure gold, 14 carat is 58.5 percent. Platinum is denser than gold, so the same ring weighs more in platinum.
The stone. For a diamond, four properties set the price: carat weight, colour, clarity and cut. A small step down in colour or clarity is often invisible to the naked eye, but it shows in the price. A lab-grown diamond has the same composition as a natural one and costs clearly less. Coloured stones such as sapphire are priced in their own way, with colour and origin weighing heavily.
The hours. A ring that is forged, set and finished by hand takes time. A clean solitaire takes fewer hours than a ring with a halo of small stones, an engraved band, or a setting made especially for your stone.
Start from your budget
You do not need to know what a ring "should" cost. State in your request what you want to spend. A goldsmith can steer the design towards it: a slightly smaller stone in a setting that makes it look larger, 14 instead of 18 carat, a slimmer band. A good goldsmith will also tell you honestly when something is not possible within your budget.
What brings the price down
- A family stone. A diamond from a grandmother’s ring can be reset. You then pay only for the metal and the work.
- Your own gold. Old gold can often be reworked or credited. Read how in turning old gold into a new ring.
- A simpler design. Fewer small stones means less setting work.
See what goldsmiths charge
The page bespoke engagement rings shows rings goldsmiths have made before, with their price, and rings that are for sale now. That gives a fairer picture than an average.
Know roughly what you are looking for? Describe your ring, state your budget, and goldsmiths reply with a proposal and a price. Your payment is held safely until the ring is delivered.