Picture this: you’re at a party, be it fancy a restaurant or a simple backyard barbeque. You are on the top of the world, because she, or he, just said yes. The ring you spent years saving for fits perfectly. Its diamond splits light into a million brilliant colours that reflects this once in a lifetime feeling perfectly. They show it off to all of your friends, but four little words from somewhere in the crowd manage to sour it all. One of your married friends say: “It’s just like mine.”
This is the worst part about mass produced engagement rings. Custom made engagement rings however, now that’s something that no-one can hold a candle to. If you’re dead set on browsing one of a kind engagement rings, then you’d have better luck in designing your own custom made wedding rings.
You might be thrilled at the prospect of crafting a pair of unique custom engagement rings for your union. But what if you have no sense of symmetry, even when it hits you on both sides of the head? Well lucky for you, Malleable has a range of professional designers that are skilled in crafting some of the best custom engagement rings Canada has to offer.
What are bespoke engagement rings?
If you are looking into custom made wedding rings, then the term “bespoke” might have come up somewhere. Bespoke jewelry is specially made from the customer’s criteria. You would normally sit down with the jeweler and talk through the process from start to finish.
When you start the designing process with Malleable, you should have an idea of what you want in advance. Customized engagement rings can grow out of examples, be they a ring your partner already owns or one you saw on the internet. Malleable can even build you customized wedding rings out of existing rings.
Do you have a ring that’s been passed down your family for generations, but it seems a little too old fashioned for your tastes? Then you can bring it up during a meeting with your jeweler. The two of you can upcycle the old rings into a set of custom engagement rings online.
The best part about Malleable’s custom diamond rings is that you can change your mind during the design phase. Malleable will send you regular updates on the design of your custom engagement rings and won’t begin the crafting process until you are absolutely sure about your design.
Advantages of a custom engagement ring
You must have thought about the cost by now. If mass made jewelry is already this expensive, then custom wedding rings must cost a fortune! The opposite is actually true.
Malleable takes your budget into consideration at the start and tells you what your limitations will be when we plan out your custom engagement ring. From there, you can plan just how much gold, diamonds and designs you want to use.
So what do you get from customized engagement rings that you don’t get from mass produced jewelry?
Uniqueness
Think back to that scenario we mentioned at the start of the article. It would be a
little awkward if your friends or family have the exact same ring on their finger. It cheapens the moment.
An engagement ring is a symbol of your love for eachother. It encapsulates your partner’s style in an eternal mixture of stone and metal. Seeing the same band on another person’s finger can be as dull as listening to a hundred samey love songs.
Quality
The quality of your custom engagement ring is in your hands. Though it might seem to be a bit stressful to have to choose matching diamonds and golds, you get to decide just how long forever lasts.
A mass produced ring might have varying quality since no one is putting effort into each individual one. When you have someone craft a ring on their own, they can ensure your one of a kind engagement rings are catered to. No matter what you choose. You’ll get what you pay for in the end.
Emotional value
You’ll find that the ring making process with Malleable is a very deep and fulfilling experience. You might not build the ring with your own two hands, but you will be present every step of the way. We’ll be sending you regular photographic updates as the ring is being put together.
What’s more is the deep connection you will make with your partner if you spend so much time peering into their personal tastes. You’d be surprised at the things you learn when you mow through someone’s jewelry box.
How to approach the design
There are a few things you need to know about how we make the best custom engagement rings Canada has to offer. The most important is that we can’t design your dream ring on our own. We need to know who the ring is for to help come put your ring together. If you need some more ideas on how to approach the design making process, here are a few tips and pitfalls you should keep in mind:
Don’t chase trends
One thing you should definitely avoid is copying modern trends in jewelry. If you want something that lasts then you need to pick something timeless. A piece that can last a lifetime or even generations can’t be as fleeting as a trend.
What do they normally wear?
Take a look at their jewelry box. What rings do you normally see them wear? Are they a fan of gold or plain metals? You should keep an eye out for their spread of gems as well. If your partner loves rubies, then a diamond ring won’t hit it off as well.
What have they looked at in the past?
Have you ever gone jewelry shopping in the past? If not then maybe it’s a good time to check one out. They might actually have a pinterest board somewhere that they’ve been saving ideas on for a few years.
What do their friends think?
If you can think of someone that knows their taste in jewelry better than you, then ask them. It might be an old friend or even their parents. Old friends are a gold mine of ideas, because they might have been planning their weddings together since they were teenagers or will know their tastes by heart.
Ask some questions before you pop the question!
If you’re not one for surprises, then just ask them directly! Imagine how fun it would be to spend a whole day mulling over details with your partner. Together you could make some truly unique engagement rings.
Or you could ask them discreetly. Drop some general questions to get to know their style better. Ask them what colours they like to wear. What jewels would they never wear? Do they have any jewelry that’s of sentimental value? If so, ask them why. Knowing the story behind a ring could give you an idea of who else to ask or how you could give it to them!
Malleable’s custom process
The best custom engagement rings Canada has to offer pale in comparison to the experience that is your relationship. So when we craft your bespoke engagement rings, Malleable will take your decisions as law throughout the process.
Consultation
The first step in the custom process is a one hour consultation that you can hold online or in person at our studio. We will discuss the exact specifications of your engagement ring, the dimensions, design and what it’s for. We will also give you a general time frame before you can collect your engagement ring. Your budget will be taken into consideration throughout this section.
We encourage you to have a design in mind for when we start this process. Perhaps grab a ring your partner already owns or one you want to imitate from the internet.
Selection
Malleable makes use of predominantly recycled metals and old stones when we make our jewelry. We believe your jewelry does not have to have a negative impact on the environment or on your ethical values.
But this doesn’t mean we don’t have a wide variety of materials to choose from! During this step we will discuss the different stone placements and styles you can choose from.
Digital design
After you made all of your choices, Malleable will take some time to put together a digital recreation of your design. Once this 3D sketch is approved we will start making your engagement ring. So during this step it is incredibly important for you to go through any and all changes you want to make.
You will also receive updates on our progress along with pictures so you can follow along.
What is sustainable jewelry?
You might have concerns that buying engagement rings nowadays is going to perpetuate a cycle of poor mining labour management, or worse, indirectly fund conflict. Mining is a risky business that has a lasting effect on the environment and in developing communities.
Now this might all seem out of left field. You were just looking for where to buy engagement rings. But everything has an effect on the environment, no matter how small. And although you can’t completely stop climate change, you can do your part to minimize the effects you and mining companies have on the world.
Malleable works with companies that are certified by the Kimberley process and Fairmined gold to ensure your engagement ring has in no way contributed to conflicts or the abuse of the environment, respectively.
The Kimberley Process
The Kimberley process is a certification scheme that enforces fair trade regulation for rough diamonds. Their main goal is to protect facets of legitimate diamond trade and prevent the sale of what are called “conflict diamonds.”
Conflict diamonds are an underhanded way in which conflict is financed. These “blood diamonds” are mainly used to undermine the spending power of a local government and to ensure a level of untraceable spending among terrorist groups.
The Kimberley Process cuts this problem off at the roots. It ensures that the mines are not involved in any facet of conflict by testing and by researching mines before certifying them as conflict free.
The Kimberley Process isn’t an international organisation since it has no permanent offices. Rather, it is run by a conglomerate of industries and participating countries. Most of its implemented strategies are based on the national legislation of the host country.
Fairmined Gold
Fairmined gold is an assurance that rare metals are sourced through fair trade and environmentally friendly business practices. Fairmined is a standard to which many small scale mines and jewelry stores all over the world are held by. It ensures that the environment they are working in is protected.
A Fairmined mine has to be small in scale to ensure it has as little impact on the
earth as possible. These mines must prove that they safely handle the chemicals they use for mining, or better yet, not use any chemicals for mining in the first place.
The mine must also prove it is helping the community it is based near. This can range from ensuring gender equality among its workers and not making use of child labour. The mine has to help its community develop in a positive manner.
Fairmined Gold is a way to ensure small mines aren’t shoved to the sidelines by larger mining companies. These certified mines receive assistance in legal matters when it comes to establishing a fair minimum asking price for their materials. Their workers are also given the rights to establish workers unions.
How Does This Affect the Final Product?
Your satisfaction is what Malleable strives towards. Your custom made wedding rings will be of the highest quality regardless of whether we make use of recycled materials or your old jewelry.
If we are working with your heirlooms or crafting you a brand new wedding band, you can rest assured that we will deliver a quality product that exceeds your expectations. All while maintaining our vision of crafting ethical and environmentally friendly jewelry.
Finally
Customized wedding rings are more than just a trend. They are a physical representation of your love for someone. A symbol that is bound to last generations. Why not make sure it is exactly what you want out of a wedding ring? Malleable is here to ensure you have the perfect engagement.
