Your engagement ring captures both the spirit of your relationship and your personal taste. The most significant piece of jewellery you may ever choose, this is a ring you and your partner need to love now and forever. Your engagement ring tells a story of the love you share, and symbolises your intention to commit to a life together. This makes an engagement ring a more considered purchase than most. Your ring is a piece of jewellery you wear every day and one you’ll treasure for a lifetime. It should fit your lifestyle and be easy to wear on a daily basis. Your ring needs to be both beautiful and practical, and feel individual to you.
Planning and choosing a perfect-for-you engagement ring needn’t be daunting. By considering the following steps, you can find a unique engagement ring to reflect your life and love for the years to come…
To begin: What Do You Like?
It's a great idea to do a bit of research and to start thinking about which rings you really love. You can create a Pinterest board, or just get a rough idea of what you are drawn to. Is it a classic diamond solitaire - or do you prefer a more chunky style? Do you favour the soft sparkle of an old cut diamond, are you drawn to a particular colour of stone - or do you long for a classic sparkling diamond ring? We can make pieces in your choice of metal or gem - whether coloured or diamond, so we are really happy to discuss which styles and gemstones you are dreaming of.
Consider a budget…
Most couples choose to invest in fine jewellery for their engagement and wedding rings, knowing these are lasting pieces of jewellery they will enjoy for a lifetime.
Defining how much you want to spend from the start can help us to identify your best ring design options. By setting a budget and an ideal style you can narrow your search to a range of possible choices. For a bespoke commission, Flora will use your budget as a framework to make material and design proposals. She'll be able to advise if your dream ring is affordable with a diamond centre, or if a coloured gemstone might enable you to achieve your ideal style or size.
If your budget is flexible, let us know. Flora is always happy to explore and propose options in different price brackets.
Your unique engagement ring: made-for-you, or signature collection?
One of the first decisions you'll need to make is whether to choose a bespoke engagement ring or classic ready to wear option. A bespoke ring is a one-of-a-kind piece which is designed specifically for you, while our signature collection offers a range of exclusive designs to choose from.
Going bespoke gives you the opportunity to create a completely unique piece, perhaps one that includes personal or symbolic details. This will also be the route if you want to incorporate heirloom gemstones or diamonds. Bespoke pieces can be a little more expensive than choosing an existing signature design and the process of working together on an entirely individual design generally takes longer - but we offer customisations on existing and previous design, so feel free to talk to us about your desired options. You can see a selection of our previous bespoke designs here.
For couples who want a truly unique engagement ring, bespoke is the way to go, but our signature collections feature classic designs which will stand the test of time - and these designs can still be made personal. We are happy to customise an existing design through metal colour, stone selection, engraving or a slight design tweak.
The bespoke consultation
If you choose to explore a fully bespoke engagement ring, Flora will offer a consultation in which you will talk over your choices.
A consultation will always begin with you. Flora will explore your lifestyle and personal taste, and explore the designs, styles, and stones you love. If you have ideas already, or existing pieces you’d like to reference, now will be the time to share them.
It’s a personal and thorough process, in which Flora will glean all the information she needs about you and/or your partner (secret proposals are just as fun as choosing a ring together!) If there are specific details you would like reflected in your ring, such as memories, quotes, favourite places etc, Flora will propose how these could be incorporated into a design.
Flora works with couples across the globe to create unique engagement rings, so if you can’t get into Flora’s Goldsmiths Centre studio in London, she’ll be delighted to offer you the full consultation experience via Zoom or email.
Your bespoke Flora Bhattachary will be individually designed and hand-crafted, a process which naturally takes a little time. It's also worth noting that our bespoke and customised rings are non-returnable, so once we supply you with renders, it's worth consulting with friends and family to make sure that you are really happy with the final design before we start making.
If you have a deadline for your engagement, it is very important to plan ahead. Custom commissions take a minimum of 6 weeks to complete and fully bespoke designs can take up to 12 weeks depending on complexity. If you're cutting it a little fine, Flora’s ready to wear designs are available much quicker, sometimes in as little as 2-4 days.
Diamonds, coloured gemstones, or both?
These days, an engagement ring doesn’t have to mean a simple diamond solitaire. The possibilities for your engagement ring design are endless, from a minimalist piece with a little unique detail to a showstopper of a bridal set.
Part of the choice you make is whether or not you want an all-diamond engagement ring or if you fancy adding colour with precious our semi-precious gemstones.
During your consultation, Flora will explore the options for both. She will advise which gemstones and setting might be most suitable for your lifestyle or chosen design, and can illustrate the cost difference between them. If you have particular meaning you'd like to infuse your ring with coloured gemstones are a beautiful way to do so, whether with a birthstone or a gem with specific properties or symbolism.
Although coloured gemstones have increased in popularity in recent years, they are still less common than white diamond-set engagement rings. So choosing a unique precious gemstone centre is a beautiful way to add a subtle, individual touch to your engagement ring. You can find more detail on selecting the perfect gemstone here.
Finally - look to the future…
Although your engagement might be the most important thing on your mind, it’s always useful to look ahead and consider how your engagement ring will fit with a wedding band.
If you plan to wear both rings together, you may prefer a ring that will fit seamlessly with a straight gold band. This can usually be achieved with a smaller or higher set head - Flora is always happy to advise. Alternatively, some engagement rings will never fit with a straight band, such as large clusters and multi-stones, or those set very low on the finger. For these styles, we offer a custom-made shaped wedding band. Particularly when choosing a unique or bespoke engagement ring, it's always a good idea to plan ahead and consider the gold band options in advance.
If you have a wedding ring already chosen - for instance, an heirloom piece - please get in touch or share this during your consultation. Flora will help you select or create a unique engagement ring that will fit seamlessly with your wedding band.
Your Secret's Safe
And lastly - if you are planning a secret proposal - don't worry about sizing! If you're unsure of the correct size, we are happy to make your ring in our standard sizing which we'll adjust for free after the big surprise.
Ready to choose the ring of a lifetime?
Browse Flora’s signature collections here, or book a bespoke appointment here.
