Bespoke Engagement Rings NZ
Design your own bespoke engagement ring by working with our in-house designers and jewellers to create a custom design that is uniquely yours. All this at the same price as something off the shelf.
Your engagement ring should be a symbol of your unique relationship between you and your partner. So we find it strange that lots of couples accept buying an engagement ring off the shelf where one of your friends may have exactly the same ring.
So the difference between a simple “yes” and never wanting to take your engagement ring off ever again comes down to having a say in your jewellery design and get exactly what your engagement ring will look like. And that may be designing something from scratch or adding your own twist to a classic engagement ring with our one-on-one design consultation.
And when you work with Four Words, you don’t even need to worry about the quality of the diamond, gemstone or craftsmanship. We take care of all of that for you by picking the best diamonds that the eye can see. And for the cherry on top, you won’t need to worry about having the same engagement ring as you!
This article will guide you through all the things you need to consider when designing your own custom engagement ring.
Choose Your Engagement Ring Era
Are you looking for something classic but unique? An art deco fan? Or a modernist? Whatever your era, start by collecting rings that you like on Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest. And take note of the centre stone shape. A large percentage of diamond engagement rings — even in the last three years are round brilliant cuts. So one way you can easily create a unique engagement ring is to choose a different cut stone. They include:
The classic but unique cut diamonds:
Oval cut: Trending right now especially. Add a twist with a hidden halo.
Pear cut: Go full bezel or toi et moi for a throwback to the art deco era.
Emerald cut: Subtle, less shiny, but elegant.
Cushion cut: If an oval and an emerald had a baby. Super cute.
The modern cuts:
Kite: Main character energy vibes.
Hexagonal: Popular in green emerald and blue sapphire.
Asscher cut: I have no idea why this cut isn’t more popular?
Trapezoid: Legit wild.
Still a round cut fan? We gotchu. You can dress it up with adding more stones via a halo, adding a bit of colour, or doing something interesting with your ring — such as a twisted double band.
One, Two, Three, or More Stones?
Traditional engagement rings typically have one centre stone. But even as far back to the days of Napolean Bonaparte and the moi et toi, adding more stones can add a bit more sparkle and pizzazz to your bespoke engagement ring.
Simple solitaire
Solitaire engagement rings can be dressed up with unique cuts, colours and accents on the band. Think about how your ring can be part of a larger fine jewellery piece or diamond set.
The style can turn up when it comes to the wedding ring as well.
Toi et Moi
The best toi et moi engagement rings we have seen are those that play with different colours, gemstones, and most importantly, shapes.
Multi-stone
Some of the best engagement rings we have done use multiple colours and gemstones in truly unique ways.
Diamonds are cool. But so are gemstones
Try out different colours
Coloured stones are seeing a renaissance, especially as couples swipe left the traditional simple solitaire princess or round brilliant cut in a yellow gold band. And if you are looking for a specific colour, lab grown diamonds may not actually be your best bet. Some gemstones like sapphires, moissanites and spinels can actually look better than their coloured diamond counterparts.
Champagnes still trump
The best way to get that champaign colour is with a moissanite. And they look brilliant in Asscher or Oval.
Emeralds for greens
If you are looking for a deep green coloured stone, then emeralds or green sapphires are the way to go. And if you really want to stand out and be the envy of your friends, try out interesting cuts in full bezel.
Sapphires for blues
If you are looking for your custom design engagement ring to feature blues, a sapphire engagement ring may just fit the bill. You could further customise it by adding other gemstones for a more colourful finish. There is nothing stopping you from your bespoke design working with different gemstones in a single piece of jewellery.
Spinels slap for subtle colours
If you want to control the exact opacity of coloured stones, then spinels may just be your gemstone. Their colours are phenomenal and some of the bespoke designs below that we have done in the past year are case and point.
Get creative with the details
You can go all out with your custom engagement ring by adding details to your band, or your wedding ring.
Pave, or channel set diamonds add a bit more bling, and hidden halos add a touch of class, especially to a bridal set.
Choose your band colour and metal
Whatever your design, yellow gold is safe and classic. But if you are looking for an ice cool finish, then white gold or platinum may be a better option (we recommend platinum over white gold because white gold tarnishes over time). Rose gold is also an option if you are looking for a warmer finish.
Whatever you choose, your gemstone colours and band colour need to work together, and it can have a massive impact on your engagement or wedding ring’s appearance.
Ready to design your own custom bespoke engagement ring?
Whether you know exactly what you want to design, or have no idea, designing your engagement ring at Four Words is an amazing experience. You will work with our designers and jewellers to get exactly what you want.
Step 1: Speak to your designer
Book a 45-minute session with your design consultant – either online or in person.We'll get to know you and your partner, answer questions, and understand your vision & budget to draft a design brief. This brief, including price estimates and a process overview, will also be sent after your consultation. We'll cover topics like lab grown vs natural gemstones, budgeting, finance, and timelines.
Step 2: Concept Designs
After confirming your initial brief and pathway, we'll start developing concept designs for you.Each design will highlight various elements and features. We’ll then work together on any feedback and revisions until we narrow down to concept to take to the next phase.This process can take up to 1-4 weeks depending on the number of revisions you make.
Revisions
We can modify/add/remove different elements as you like, even do a fresh set of designs if you're not resonating with any of them. We try to make each design different from the other so feel free to mix and match elements from different designs! You can also request as many revisions as you like - the only limit is if you have a deadline.
Design Deposit
If you decide to start from scratch (Path 1), we'll also ask for a $350 deposit. This is to allocate time to develop your unique designs.This deposit is fully refundable if you're not 100% happy, and is rebated against the final cost, so you're not paying anything extra. A risk-free process.
Step 3: Final Designs & Sourcing
Once we have agreed on the design, we'll request an 80% deposit to source the main diamonds and gemstones.
If you choose to Recreate a design, we'll start here.
This phase takes approximately 3 - 7 days.
Diamond & Gemstone Sourcing
All our stones are 100% ethical and conflict-free. You can read more about our quality standard here.
When selecting diamonds we physically inspect and quality-check them before sending for your approval.
If we are not happy with the quality, we may also upgrade you for free or custom-cut the stone for you.
Crafting & Delivery
It takes 6-8 weeks for us to craft your custom piece.
Need it sooner than this? Let us know and we’ll likely be able to accommodate.
When your ring is ready you can either collect it from our studio or opt for discreet, secure delivery to a designated address.
If you’re travelling overseas, we offer GST-free purchases. Talk with your design consultant about this option.
Want to get started on creating a custom bespoke engagement ring? Reach out to start the process.
