Bespoke: Your questions answered, What To Expect

Bespoke Engagement Ring : What To Expect

Whether you have a design in mind, or you would like some design guidance, here you will work together with Lily to create a bespoke engagement ring that is built to last generations.

Lily will typically design the piece based around your vision, and then employ the specialist skills of our London/UK based bespoke team who will manufacture the ring using 3D printing technology and hand-finishing skills that come from decades of experience.

A consultation is free of charge and can be done via email/ telephone/ digitally.

Here is an outline of what you can expect when ordering a bespoke engagement ring from us in ten steps.

FL Diamond engagement ring side B

The Ten Steps:

Step 1: Consultation

All Lily McCallin bespoke work begins with a consultation. We will ask you the following questions:

  1. Do you have a set deadline?
  1. Do you have a budget in mind?
  1. Do you have an idea of what materials you would like to use?
  1. Do you already have a vision of what you would like the ring to look like, and if so, can you send us some sketches?

We find that some customers are very clear about what they want and some prefer a little more guidance.

Step 2: Meeting

When we have reached a rough idea of your deadline, budget and materials, you will be invited for an optional initial meeting at our studio.

This is so that we can measure your ring size.
Some customers also like to visit the studio to take a look at sample materials and some of our other designs.

If you live too far away and / or you’re not able to make it to he studio for a meeting, please do not worry, as we are more than happy to further discuss your options remotely.

Step 3: Written Agreement

We will send you a written agreement via email outlining our terms. To see a sample contact, please click here.

Step 4: Initial Sketches

Lily will spend some time designing based upon the thoughts and ideas discussed in the consultation and meeting. She will then choose three of the strongest designs to develop.

J_e_initial_sketches

Step 5: Design Development

The more time spent developing the strongest three ideas, the more unique the piece will be. Once a final decision is reached, the strongest design will be chosen to take forward.

J_e_dev_sketch

Step 6: Technical Sketches

Technical sketches will take place first by hand and then in Computer Aided Design.

cad_tech_sketch

Step 7: CAD renders

The technical sketch will then be automated into a 3D render. You can then download an App for your smart phone to view the 3D render from all angles.

rhino_app_combo

At this stage we will ask you to review your bespoke piece. If you would like to make any changes, now is the time.

Step 8: Printing 

The ring will be printed into resin. In this case this ring was printed in 2 parts. The diamonds are then checked for a perfect fit.

resin_diamonds_montage2

Step 9: Casting and Finishing

At this stage a mould will be taken from the resin ring and the ring will be cast into gold. As standard, we use 100% recycled gold. If you would like Fairtrade Gold it is available upon request. For this ring we used certified Fairtrade Gold from the Sotrami mine in Peru.

Our bespoke team join the two halves together and polish the ring. A professional stone setter ensures that the diamonds are set with precision that comes from decades of experience.

In this case, The Kimberley Process, a body working to stem the flow of conflict diamonds, audited the central stone. It also comes complete with a certificate from the GIA outlining clarity, quality and other specifications.

The two outer stones are antique Edwardian ‘old cuts’. They would have been reclaimed from an antique ring and originally cut by hand.

Step 10: Hallmarking

The ring will be taken to the assay office to be hallmarked.

hallmark

Here you can see the 7 marks, including FBL (lilymccallin) our diamond pencil logo and the Fairtrade Gold Stamp. Hallmarks will vary depending on the ring. If you would like to specify any particular marks, please let us know.

FL Diamond engagemnet ring B

We pride ourselves on approachable and thorough customer service. We appreciate that this is a big purchase for most people, and so we understand the importance of getting it just right. Please do not hesitate to drop us a line if anything is unclear, we are always happy to hear queries and feedback.

One thought on “Bespoke Engagement Ring : What To Expect

  1. Elly says:

    Thank you so much, Lily for helping us to design my perfect ring!

    I absolutely love it and have had lots of lovely compliments from people wanting to know where it came from! You made the whole process very easy – especially for me (who had know idea what I was talking about or where to start!). I am particularly happy that you were able to help us create a ring that I can feel truly happy to wear, with it’s fair trade gold and ethical diamonds – I like the fact that I am also sharing in a little piece of history with the Edwardian stones.

    Love it!

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