“I’m considering having Brian Gavin Diamonds custom design an engagement ring for me. I have some diamonds that I’ve accumulated over the years and am wondering how much does it cost to have a ring made from my diamonds? My girlfriend really wants a halo setting, and the diamond we’ve selected from Brian Gavin is a 1.65 carat round which is G-color and VS-2 clarity. We’re not certain whether we want an open prong design like the Anita Halo or the Halo setting by Brian Gavin that has more of a closed outer edge. We’re interested in 18k white gold or platinum.”
People frequently ask us what they can do with old diamonds and jewelry that they have accumulated over the years. In the first place, the style of the jewelry might not match with your current preferences or style. For example, it’s quite common for women to have a jewelry box full of jewelry that represents a younger period in their life when they preferred pieces that were lighter and smaller.
Obviously, the simplest approach seems to be something like melting it all down and creating a piece of custom jewelry that reflects your current style. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy since all of that old jewelry is likely to be made from different alloys and mixtures. With that in mind, it’s more cost-effective to trade it in for melt credit.Obviously, the simplest approach seems to be something like melting it all down and creating a piece of custom jewelry that reflects your current style. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that easy since all of that old jewelry is likely to be made from different alloys and mixtures. With that in mind, it’s more cost-effective to trade it in for melt credit.
Sometimes people really want to use their old gold for sentimental reasons and we can do that if you really want, however, it’s not really an effective approach because we need to use 50% fresh alloy in order to maintain the structural integrity of the new jewelry item and to reduce the presence of porosity. Under those circumstances, only a portion of the new piece would consist of the old jewelry and it doesn’t really make sense because it reduces the overall quality of the new creation.
Obviously, you might want to use any old diamonds or colored gems that you have lying around in a new piece of custom jewelry. One of the best ways to do that is to select a freeform design that has swirls or sweeping curves in which stones can be set easily regardless of differences in size or shape.
The custom jewelry designers from Brian Gavin Diamonds can help you design a piece of freeform style jewelry that will accommodate the majority or perhaps all of the diamonds and colored gems that you want to include in a piece of jewelry.
We can start with a napkin type sketch of what you have in mind, or provide you with some ideas after a brief consultation.
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While there are some ring designs that Brian Gavin can custom design using your diamonds, a halo setting would not be one of the designs I would recommend, unless the diamonds you have are all calibrated to be the same size, same diameter, and match perfectly for diamond color and clarity. Making a ring out of diamonds that are mixed and matched for size, cut quality, clarity and color is a recipe for disaster, especially when the design is uniform in design. Freeform style rings that consist of combinations of different sized loops and circles are better suited for combining diamonds of different sizes, shapes, and qualities. Trust me when I tell you that we use Brian Gavin Signature Melee cut diamonds for a reason. BGD Signature Melee cut diamonds (pronounced “mell-ee) are cut to the same incredible standards that larger Brian Gavin Signature round diamonds are cut to. Thus we can guarantee that the diamonds in the setting will deliver the same high volume of light return and sparkle factor as larger BGD Signature diamonds. Halo style engagement rings like the Anita Halo by Brian Gavin require extreme precision to create the perfect balance between the size of the accent diamonds and the center stone. We custom make every halo style engagement ring from scratch so that the center stone fits the ring perfectly, with just the right amount of space between the edge of the center stone and the row of accent diamonds. We use calibrated melee cut diamonds to ensure that every Brian Gavin Signature engagement ring looks its absolute best.Understand that we’re happy to try and use your diamonds to make a custom ring, but they probably aren’t suitable for use in a Brian Gavin Signature engagement ring like a halo setting unless they are calibrated in size, and precisely matched for color, clarity , and diamond cut quality. When customers have presented us with diamonds in situations similar to this in the past, their diamond holdings have consisted of small diamonds set in various rings of different designs, all being of different sizes and qualities, and to be perfectly honest, they tend not to be of much use for the level of quality that we produce. However, we are always willing to take whatever diamonds you have on hand into consideration when designing a custom jewelry creation on your behalf. It is your engagement ring after all, Brian Gavin is the custom creator of the dream that you have in mind. Please contact our customer service department for additional details.
Wondering how much does a custom ring cost? If you’re thinking about designing a custom engagement ring, you’re probably wondering how it differs from your average engagement ring shopping experience. Aside from the obvious difference of having something designed and handcrafted just for you rather than something mass produced, the primary difference is paying a little extra up front to save a lot in the long run: time and energy spent shopping, hours spent researching, and money spent replacing a bad choice. Instead you hand off all of the legwork to the professionals right off the bat.
Before we get into the cost of custom rings, I have to clarify what a truly custom ring is:
Many jewelry stores say that they “do custom” but, in reality, they actually just customize.
Customizing jewelry means changing some details of an existing design. True custom rings are designed from scratch. Custom means that your very special ring starts from a hand drawn sketch and each element is considered, engineered, hand selected, and cast just for your one-of-a-kind ring. The cost of a custom engagement ring reflects this tailored and personal experience.
Each custom ring is 100% original and results in a unique combination of costs based on rarity of stones, value of metals, and complexity of design. However, there are common elements that affect how much a ring costs. Read on to find out what price tier you’re in.
Two custom engagement rings, two different price tags.
One of the top drivers of the cost of custom engagement rings is the rarity and size of the center stone. The diamond engagement rings we have designed at this tier have a center stone under 1.0 carat like The Jessi, or use a grey diamond like The Hannah. Rings at this level tend to have understated metalwork and simple settings.
If you want to stick in this price range, we can achieve the look of a larger overall center stone by adding a halo, playing with band width, or setting accent stones around the center stone.
Custom diamond rings with a center stone or overall carat weight over 1.0 carat likely feature repurposed jewelry. When you incorporate family heirloom diamonds, the center stone is already taken care of which can potentially lower the overall cost of a custom ring.
Diamonds aren’t the only stone that can be repurposed. We’ve also designed rings that reuse other durable precious gemstones like sapphire, emerald, and ruby at this price point. A ring like The Brooke shows just how big you can go with repurposed gemstone and still stay under the $10,000 mark.
Lab grown gemstones are a great option for our clients who want a higher carat center stone without the cost of a traditional mined stone. A ring like The Jessica looks like a $15,000 ring, but with its morganite center stone it starts at $8,800.
How much is a custom engagement ring with a diamond over 1 carat? You’re going to have to move to the next tier of pricing. But you can get the look of a bigger diamond with moissanite, an ethical and budget friendly alternative that’s a fraction of the cost. The Christophany and The Chelsea are two moissanite engagement rings that most would assume are 2 carat diamonds.
Graduating to this tier means you’ve made it to 1 carat diamond range or higher, congrats! This is what people typically envision with an engagement ring, and what the majority of our clients propose with. Rings like The Brandi and The Jules show the average diamond size and setting detail you can get at this level.
Want more detail and less diamond? We’ve designed heftier settings with cut outs, accent stones, and diamonds under 1.0 carat like The Tracy and The Brittany.
The Tracy 0.90 carat diamond engagement ring with 0.23 ctw marquise cut diamond and 0.05 ctw brilliant cut diamond accents.
Rings with 1.5 carat diamonds at this tier use lab grown stones, like The Andrea, The Alexandrea, and The Lindsay. Lab grown diamonds are about fifteen percent less than mined diamonds, so clients usually go lab grown for ethical reasons or because they want a little more carat weight within their budget.
Both rough diamonds and precious gemstones over 2.0 carats are possible at this price tier, as are larger diamond accent stones.
When you move into custom engagement rings at this price, you’re typically getting a bigger center stone, more detailed settings, and more carat weight in accent stones. You’ll see a higher prevalence of platinum, the most pricey of your metal options. Simply put, this is where the major bling begins.
From complex shapes to elaborate metal work, the more complicated the design, the higher the custom ring cost. We’ve designed highly embellished rings at this tier, like The Katy, The Jessica, and The Meri.
Looking for 2 carat diamonds? Welcome to your tier. Engagement rings that cost over $30,000, like The Leslie and The Heather are exemplary of this tier–2 carat rocks with unique halos and accents. We have also custom designed more elaborate diamond bands with slightly smaller diamonds like The Beth.
The cost of custom engagement rings with large, 5.0 carat plus precious gemstones like The Julie and The Morgan are in the $30,000 – $45,000 range, and both include over 1.0 carat in diamonds in their halos.
A custom engagement ring cost of over $50,000 pushes you into diamond carat weights well over the 2.0 mark. You’ll see multiple large stones with elaborate design like The Pamela with over 3.0 carats of diamonds and intricate milgrain bezel setting or The Abelson with a 3 carat oval diamond and asymmetrical setting.
Moving toward the $100,000 mark is your route to getting a jaw dropping diamond like The Kristin. With it’s 4.07 carat center stone and beautiful diamond pave setting, this is your price tier if you’re looking for that devastatingly gorgeous, brilliantly sparkling, can’t-miss-it type of engagement ring.
Priorities and budget are different for everyone, and there are endless options for engagement rings. Custom isn’t for everyone, and if she knows the exact ring she wants, then get it! We are not the click-and-buy ring on the internet or the point-and-buy ring at the jewelry store, in fact we’re kind of the opposite. We’re a valuable option for a very special group.
If you are someone who finds meaning in having something made one-of-a-kind, just for your fiancé, named after her and never replicated, then custom is for you. If you value design, intentionality, and want a ring that’s a work of art, custom is for you. If you want a durable ring engineered with precision and designed to be in your family for future generations, custom is for you. And if you have family heirloom jewelry you want to remodel into a new, sentimental design, custom is for you.
Want to start your own custom engagement ring? Give us a call. Financing available.
Sarah Kiley is Abby Spark Jewelry’s Marketing and SEO Manager.