I recently read an interesting fact about marriage proposals: 33% of them happen between Thanksgiving and New Years. It makes sense - you’re already going to be surrounded by family and friends for the holidays so why not celebrate your engagement too? Plus holiday bonuses, extra vacation time and the warm cozy feeling that comes with the winter holidays all help make the timing feel just right.
Did you just realize you are one of the 33%? If so, now is a great time to get your engagement ring figured out. One of the first things to know is the ring size, which is easy: we can help you with that here. The more difficult part is settling on a ring design. Finding a ring that is an extension of your personality (or your partner’s if you’re planning on this being a surprise), can be a lot of work, and it’s hard to know where to begin. Thankfully, we've got you covered. We've made it easier than ever to get the conversation started with a new Custom Ring Design form.
Why a Custom Ring is Right For You
If you’ve been looking around the interwebs for advice on finding the perfect engagement ring, I feel your pain. There’s a lot of marketing masquerading as advice that makes me cringe a little, the worst offender being the engagement ring quiz. Who the hell came up with this tactic? I realize that, on the internet, you can find answers to life’s deepest questions via the online quiz, but I just don’t see how you can hone in on an engagement ring design based upon multiple choice questions related to your favorite alcoholic drink or your dream home. In the end, they will all recommend different types of diamonds, which we all know are a sham anyway.
If you’re looking for something really meaningful, I recommend working with a jewelry artist to have a ring handmade for you. Not only do you get to skip spending way too much time in places you’d rather not (the mall, generic jewelry stores), but many people find that it’s easier and more enjoyable than they had anticipated AND they end up with a truly special and personal ring. Many websites will tell you that this is the more expensive option, but it doesn’t have to be, especially if you’ve already decided that a diamond isn’t going to be part of the ring.
Beth offers many rings that use environmentally friendly Moissanites, which are as beautiful as diamonds and are a fraction of the cost. Or, maybe you don’t want a stone at all as part of your engagement ring, then more power to you! You should get what you want, not what De Beers tells you to get. You also might have also been told that you need to make a sketch of the design you’re after. While that can be a good place to start, it’s totally unnecessary and this can be more of an obstacle than it needs to be.
Go With Your Gut
When choosing an artist to work with, you should go with one whose overall style feels right to you. You’ll know it when you see it - artists work very hard to portray their aesthetic and values. Often times, these are reflected in the design of their website or explicitly stated in their about pages. On BethCyr.com, you’ll notice that we’ve designed the website to reflect the things we care about: Nature, environmental sustainability, individuality, and we aren’t stuffy or elitist about jewelry. We want you to find jewelry that is special to you, that carries a deeper meaning than just something pretty to look at, and you won’t have to think twice about how the materials were sourced or how it was made.
After you’ve found an artist whose style feels right, check out the designs that they already offer. Often times the best way to customize a ring is to alter one or two elements of a ring that the designer already makes. Even if you go with a completely custom ring, the designer will likely employ the aesthetics that already exist in their current designs. Take a look at Beth’s photo gallery of custom designs here. Most of these designs are based off of her wedding ring and engagement ring designs that she already offers. Sometimes, people know the type of stone that they want to incorporate into a design, other times people want to combine multiple elements of different designs. These are great ways to come up with a custom ring.
Take The First Step
Then, get in touch, like, now! The turnaround time on custom designs will vary from one artist to the next. For instance, Beth’s timeline is typically 4-6 weeks, so if you’re aiming for that holiday engagement window, now is the perfect time to turn your ideas into reality. If you’re late to the game, it never hurts to ask anyway, or you can check to see if there are any ready to ship rings that fit the bill. If you're interested in finding out more information about BethCyr engagement rings, that's great! We'd love to answer any questions you have. It only takes a minute to complete the Custom Ring Design form and we'll get back to you ASAP.
Now, statistically speaking, 1 in 3 of you needs to get off your butt and get the ball rolling!
