Bespoke engagement rings are made in six stages: consultation and brief, diamond selection, CAD design and photorealistic renders, your approval, casting in precious metal, then setting, finishing and UK hallmarking. Nothing is cast until you approve the design. Caesar Diamonds completes every stage in its own Hatton Garden workshop.
Stage one: consultation and brief
The process starts with a conversation about the ring you want, the metal you prefer, the budget you are working to and any date you are working towards. Bring photographs, sketches or an existing piece if you have them; if you do not, we can work from a description. The brief is recorded in Caesar Track so later decisions can be traced back to what was agreed rather than remembered.
Stage two: choosing the diamond
We shortlist GIA-certified diamonds to your specification and show the certificates, proportions and pricing side by side, so you can see exactly what each stone offers. The 4Cs are explained in plain terms and we help you decide where to spend and where to save. If you already own a diamond, or want to use an heirloom stone, we inspect and document it and design around its real measurements. The 4Cs explained for jewellers covers the same ground from a trade perspective.
Stage three: CAD design and 3D renders
Your ring is modelled in CAD and rendered photorealistically from every angle, including how it will sit against a wedding band. At this stage the proportions, metal thickness and setting heights are fixed on screen. Revisions are unlimited at the design stage, and every version is stored on the project record. This is where a design stops being an idea and becomes something that can be manufactured accurately.
Stage four: approval before anything is cast
Nothing is cast until you approve the design. You sign off the final renders and the itemised quote, which covers the setting and the stone separately. Because approval happens in CAD, a change at this point costs nothing but time. It is also the reason the finished ring matches what you expected: the only version that gets made is the one you approved.
Stage five: casting the ring
Approved designs are cast in 18k white, yellow or rose gold, platinum or palladium using lost-wax casting in our own Hatton Garden workshop. The CAD model is printed as a pattern, invested into a mould and cast in the chosen metal, then cleaned, filed and refined by hand to the approved dimensions. No part of this is subcontracted, which is what keeps quality and lead times consistent. Bespoke engagement rings shows the metals and diamond shapes we work with.
Stage six: setting, finishing and hallmarking
A master setter cuts the seats and forms the claws, bezel or channel to your exact stone, then secures the diamond by hand. The ring is polished, plated where appropriate and hand finished to an heirloom standard. It is then inspected, assayed and hallmarked in line with UK regulations and photographed for your records, and delivered fully insured or collected by appointment.
How long a bespoke engagement ring takes
Timing depends on the design and on how quickly the right stone can be sourced, so we confirm a schedule at the consultation rather than promising a number up front. If you are working towards a proposal date, tell us at the first meeting and we will plan around it. Where a date is tight, we can often prioritise stone selection and the approval stage to protect it.
What to bring to a consultation
Bring any photographs or sketches you have collected, an idea of the budget, the ring size if you know it, and the date you are working towards. If you have a stone already, bring it. Everything else, from diamond options to CAD renders, we can work through together. Book a consultation to start.