Designer Wedding Bands and Engagement Rings

When most people think of designer jewelry, they think of impossibly expensive pieces and out-of-reach standards. Designer wedding bands and engagement rings, however, can be surprisingly easy to find and afford, depending on the designer and the type of ring.

What are Designer Wedding Bands and Engagement Rings?

Designer rings are any customized, individually designed pieces rather than those mass produced from a single pattern or template. While the most well-known designers are often among the priciest, such as Tiffany or Harry Winston, that notoriety is due more because of the quality of the stones and metals they use rather than the actual designing of the ring.

This does not mean that all designer rings are necessarily unique. A designer may take the time to create a new setting or band structure that is then recreated for sale in many boutiques. The key, however, is that the design is unique and thus recognizable as belonging to one designer. Another aspect of uniqueness may be in the exceptional stone quality: simple diamond solitaire engagement rings, for example, are hardly unique, but if a ring passes the rigorous standards to be accepted by a designer, then its quality and the quality of the workmanship to create the ring make it a designer piece.

With such a definition, one may think that all engagement rings are designer. In a sense, that is true. Most large chain engagement ring stores, however, such as those found in malls, are not considered designer boutiques because their rings are mass produced with less attention to overall design and quality. This does not mean that their rings are less valuable – simply that they lack the distinction of being designer pieces.

Types of Designers

Jewelry designers come in many different sizes, from well-known international monoliths such as Tiffany’s to little known individual designers with limited ranges who only create a few dozen rings a year. Large designers have earned their reputation for newsworthy creations such as designing celebrity engagement rings, providing jewelry for highly publicized events, or simply creating such expensive and outstanding work that the public takes notice. Most large designers started out as smaller scale operations, however, and only became industry giants after many years of quality work.

Small designers, on the other hand, have not yet gained widespread reputations, though their work is no less beautiful. Most small designers work either with wholesale gems they have purchased, or with stones their customers provide to set in semi mount diamond rings. They may provide a limited number of pieces to local jewelry stores to showcase their work, or their reputation is spread by word-of-mouth among couples shopping for unique, designer wedding bands and engagement rings. Small designers may also have a limited range of styles: only creating three stone engagement rings or working exclusively with titanium, for example, though most will work with several styles and the associated wedding and anniversary jewelry. The key is that the designer rings are created with a unique sense of flair and unusual style that quickly becomes a hallmark for that individual designer.

Finding a Designer Ring

Flush setting designer ring.

The easiest way to find designer wedding bands and engagement rings is to search the yellow pages or the internet. While large, international designers are easy enough to locate, small designers are less well known and may be more difficult to find. The internet makes this easier because couples can view galleries of rings online and even request personalized quotes or additional information without leaving home. Choosing a local designer allows the couple to visit them personally and inspect the quality of their work without potential photo enhancement or other unscrupulous tricks.

Many independent jewelers carry designer engagement rings as well, but always investigate the jeweler to be certain their selection is authentic. Checking with the Better Business Bureau as well as jeweler associations will determine their integrity, and when examining rings, always look for designer trademarks or other identification on the ring’s certificate as well as on the ring itself, usually inside the band.

Designer Engagement Ring Cost

Many people automatically assume that designer wedding bands and engagement rings are more expensive than off-the-rack choices. While this is true in many cases, especially when dealing with larger companies, an engagement ring’s price is determined more by the four Cs of the stone, the type of setting, the metal chosen, and the intricacy of the ring than by who designed it. It is easy to find designer rings with unique characteristics that are far less costly than larger, more elaborate choices in widespread stores.

Designer rings represent exceptional quality and individualized workmanship, characteristics that many couples strive to capture when choosing a symbol of their relationship. Whether from an international company with patented unique designs or a local artist with a flair for jewelry expression, designer engagement rings are elegant, breathtaking, and, with a little research, far more attainable than many people first assume.