Guide to Your Perfect Custom-Made Diamond Ring

Are you shopping for a diamond engagement ring, but not seeing the exact ring you like? Perhaps you have looked at a wide range of lab-grown diamond rings offered at retail or online, but none of them is quite what you had in mind. You may have set your heart on a special setting, but then you find out it is not offered by that particular retailer with the diamond shape and cut you also like, and in the carat weight that suits your budget. 

It can be so frustrating.

Many customers these days want to tailor-design their diamond ring, so that it is a true reflection of their own personal taste – not someone else’s. At Stefano Navi, we realize this, and we’ve taken steps to make it very easy to choose exactly what you want. Forget your frustration. You don’t have to compromise your taste by choosing a finished ring that is on offer. Customization with Stefano Navi is as simple as a series of easy decisions to help you put your own personal imprint on your ring, from start to finish. 

Let us show you how you can customize your ring every step of the way – from your chosen diamond carat weight and ideal cut to the absolute perfect setting for you.  We can bring your dream ring to life and show you, physically, what it will look like, before you buy. 

First set your overall budget, remembering to take into account the cost for the setting. 

At-home try-on kit

Not sure what shape or size engagement diamond is right for you? Our signature home try-on kit includes six of our most popular shapes, ranging in weights from 1 to 2 carats.  These engagement ring replicas come in all three colors of imitation gold: white, yellow, and rose.  Our sample try-on kit comes with Round, Oval, Emerald, Princess, Pear and Cushion cuts, so you can see which shape looks best on your finger. This will give you an important starting point in your search for the perfect ring. 

Choosing your lab grown diamond

Now that you have an idea which shape you like, it’s time to choose the quality and carat weight of your diamond. Our lab-grown diamonds are polished and then graded using the 4 C’s of carat, color, cut and clarity, just like any natural diamond. They have exactly the same physical, optical, and chemical characteristics as earth-mined diamonds and can also be certified by respectable grading institutes like GIA, HRD and IGI. Depending on your budget, you can choose the quality of your diamond from the combination of the 4Cs above. 

Settings 

Now comes the choice of setting. There are many ring settings from which to choose. 

These are the most popular: 

• Prong - holds the diamond with four or six pointed, flat, or v-shaped claws.  A very secure setting most often used with a solitaire diamond.

• Pavé - small diamonds are clustered together, giving the appearance of a continuous, uninterrupted surface of diamonds, as if the ring has been “paved” with them.

• Halo - the center gemstone is surrounded by a “halo” of smaller stones. 
• Cathedral - often seen on vintage rings, the cathedral setting mounts the stone above the shank. It is held in place by arches of precious metals, hence the name cathedral.

• Channel - the diamonds or gemstones are set in a channel or groove within the band itself.

• Bar - similar to a channel setting but the diamonds are separated around the band by thin vertical bars of precious metal, exposing them on two sides.  

• Bezel - the diamond is held in place by an entire thin rim of precious metal. Bezel settings also come in a half setting, which means that only half of the diamond is held in place. 

• Tension - the diamond is suspended by the tension of the two halves of the shank, so that it looks as if it is almost floating.

• Three-stone - three diamonds are set together, often with a larger central stone.

• Split shank - the shank, or band part of the ring splits in two, three or even four strands and meets before the center stone.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) 

So now that you have an idea which shape and setting you prefer, do you have a design idea or inspiration that you particularly like? Perhaps you’ve fallen in love with the look of a Princess cut halo diamond in a split shank double band with pave diamonds around each one?  Or do you have an heirloom ring that you would like us to re-create? Want us to echo the design of your favorite celebrity’s ring?

All you have to do is give us your sketch or inspirational picture and our jeweler will make a CAD file of your ideal design showing a 3D model of the ring, so you can see it all from all angles. The design will show the exact carat weight of the diamond, its cut, setting, even in the ring size you need. Tinker with it, change it around if you like. Try the look of another shape or cut, if you are not convinced that your original choice is the right one. We can make any alterations to help you find your ideal design, re-working a new CAD file to your exact specifications, for a truly custom look.

Replica ring

Want to see an actual replica of the ring you’ve chosen? The next step we take is to create a wax model of the ring from our CAD design. It will be a perfect replica of the final ring. We then cast the wax in the precious metal of your choice, perhaps 14k or 18k imitation yellow or rose gold, so it will look almost real.  

There you have it. Your dream ring brought to life before your eyes for you to try on – and you’ve been able to decide on each little detail along the way, so it is truly yours. 

That’s true customization.