Custom Designed Engagement Rings Rock!

by Guest Blogger, D-D Flannery

I have a really neat idea for you that is totally impressive.  So if you are about to "pop the question," read on!

There is so much pressure today to find the perfect diamond and setting for your girlfriend who is (hopefully) about to become your fiancee. There is also is a ton of competition. The worry about whether or not you've picked out an engagement ring that your soon to be fiancee will like can also be very stressful.

I recently got engaged - a week before Thanksgiving. We were on vacation in Key West and my fiance asked me to marry him on the beach at sunset. It was perfect. I had a great man in front of me holding a beautiful diamond ring. 

The story gets even better. After his proposal, my fiance then informed me that the setting was temporary and together we could work with Dave (who usually writes this blog) on the custom design of my ring. The fact that I could have the ring designed exactly the way I want it to look was so exciting to me.

Dave worked with me on the design and then rendered it on his Cam system. The picture below is the rendering from the Cad/Cam system.

Dave created several designs for me capturing exactly the style that I am looking for in an engagement ring. He also guided me through the process helping me to better understand what works best from a jewelry design standpoint.

Something that I think is also very neat about the "design your own engagement ring" idea is that we never went ring shopping.  My fiance was able to gather enough information about the diamond cut that I preferred and shared it with Dave, so the engagement proposal was a total surprise to me!

If you do decide to take your girlfriend ring shopping, note that the quality and size conversation will come up. Trust me, It ALWAYS does. Warning! Don't let your gal talk you into going for a bigger diamond and skimping out on the quality.

Truth is, some of us women get caught up in "thinking big"  idea, not fully understanding what it is we are sacrificing. The QUALITY of the diamond or precious stone does matter! It makes a huge difference, so take my advice and make SURE you are working with a reputable jeweler on this purchase who can guide you in the right direction! [no, Dave did not ask me to say this...]

Later, my fiance informed me that he couldn't have pulled off the surprise without Dave and Jody's help from behind the scenes. I cannot stress enough that it is definitely worth seeking out a jeweler who knows his/her stuff, but can also listen to exactly what you want.

Now you can see why I think custom designed engagement rings rock!