Custom Non-Traditional Engagement Rings
Engagement Rings Made Locally in Hamilton Ontario
A symbol of your love, your engagement ring should be as unique and special as your relationship. With our custom engagement ring offerings, we invite you to embark on a journey of co-creation, where your love story is brought to life through intentional design and expert craftsmanship. Led by our classically trained goldsmith Caranina, she will work closely with you to create your non-traditional engagement ring that perfectly embodies your vision and captures the essence of your love. Let us help you create a ring that tells your story and celebrates the magic of your connection.
What kinds of engagement rings do we design?
Solitaire engagement rings featuring a unique sapphire or moissanite. We love cat claw settings and chunky bezels. Alternative stone engagement rings are always an interesting choice.
Designs with multi stone layouts of sapphires. We’re down to keep it monochromatic or use lots of colour (sapphires come in all colours if you didn’t already know).
Incorporating family gold or diamonds into your engagement ring. Sentimental touches are always so special.
Blobby, textural, molten rings.
Non-traditional engagement rings.
With our nine years of designing jewellery, Caranina has put together a selection of questions you may have, or some things to consider to give you more confidence in this process you may want to embark on with us.
FAQs for designing your own engagement ring
I don’t want a diamond, what other alternative stones would you recommend?
We always recommend sapphires as our first go to option for gemstone engagement rings. They are super hard (a 9 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, diamonds are a 10 for reference), which bodes well for everyday wear. They also come in a massive arrange of colours (basically all colours) so you can really get creative with your design.
When thinking about alternative stones for your engagement ring, do some online research about pros and cons of different stones so you have some things to mull over as you mentally ponder your engagement ring options.
We would not recommend opal, pearl, morganite, or any stones with a hardness of 7.5 and under.
Can I bring old gold and stones for my custom engagement ring?
Yes you can! All of your old jewellery will be analyzed in person and we will assess what’s usable and what will go into your engagement ring that you vision. This is all discussed on a case by case basis.
So what happens if I want to design an engagement ring with Caranina?
Fill out our comprehensive form and she will get back to you! If things align for everyone, you will be able to book an appointment to come meet Caranina at her jewellery studio and discuss more details in person etc. From here, she is able to begin working on creating your ring by hand or via 3D modelling software. You will receive photos and video of any design aspects you need to approve of before your ring goes into metal fabrication and gemstone setting. All in all, the process can take 8-16 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design work. When the ring is ready, you’ll come back in for the final reveal and take the ring along with you!
How much money should I spend on an engagement ring?
First and foremost, you should be spending an amount of money that’s comfortable to you. Custom jewellery, let alone proposing to someone, is a big investment and it’s not something to be taken lightly. You should not be going into debt for an engagement ring. Spend what you can afford.
The “traditional” phrase of “you should spend 2 months salary on an engagement ring” was a marketing tactic started in the 1980s by DeBeers who had a monopoly in the jewellery industry at the time, heavily influencing the diamond market and manipulating people into spending a lot of money on engagement rings.
You can get a great ring for $2000. You can also get a great ring vintage for less than that. Don’t feel as though there is a minimum spend you need to make. Focus on what your partner likes and what will bring meaning to them.