To get the most out of Special Orders and Custom Designs do this...
Start by looking at the finished Rings and Jewelry in the Jewelry Cases at your local Jewelry Stores. Try them on. See which ones are closest to your "Dream Ring". Find one that feels right and looks right on your hand. Take a good look at the width of the Ring and the height of the Ring. See how the weight of the Ring feels! You don't want a Ring that feels too heavy or flops around.
Try to find the closest Ring you can to what you have in mind. Once you find that Ring, that's where the designing begins.
Use that Ring as the starting point in your Special Order quest. Tell the Jeweler the things you like about that Ring and the things you don't like. Show them from the other Rings in their cases, what you want added, subtracted or altered. Explaining to them in detail will save you a lot of time and money later.
The best way to Special Order or Custom Design a Ring is to have a wax carved first. Have them carve out your design in a wax that will later get cast into the real ring. Viewing this carved wax and trying it on will give you a better idea if you and the Jeweler are on the same page.
Viewing the wax, you'll be able to see things like the height of the Ring, the width of the Ring and the entire layout and design. It's a fascinating process that I highly recommend.
But where you go to have this Special Order made is a different story. The key is finding the Jeweler that does a LOT of Custom Designs. Independent Jewelers are your best bet, because they usually have a Jeweler on the premises that will do the work and make any changes you need. It's much easier to convey ideas to the actual people doing the work, versus the places that send the job out to another company in another state. Good luck there!
Make sure you find out that if you don't totally like the wax they carve, that they'll carve you a new wax or make the changes needed to the first one. Because once the Ring is finished, it's pretty impossible to say "Could you lower the entire mounting 2 mm?" Things like that are a nightmare!
While Special Orders are very cool (you get a one of a kind Ring), they are very scary and unpredictable. When you see a Jeweler in hopes of custom designing your own Ring, ask them if they do a lot of them and if they feel comfortable with them. If a Jeweler hesitates or seems iffy about Special Orders, or where to even begin.. Don't do it! Find another Jeweler!
Keep in mind, the more prepared you are going in, the better your Ring will look in the end. If you go in having absolutely no idea what you want, chances are, you're not going to be happy with the results.
Cut out Rings you like in magazines. Look on the Internet for Ring Designs. Shop around. Find things that you like and want and address these issues with the Jeweler!
Knowing what you're in for and how to do it, is the best way to turn a Customed Designed Nightmare into a Ring that's an Awesome Masterpiece! Good luck!
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