Personalized Jewelry for Men and Women

By Devorah Isenberg , Thursday, July 19, 2012 3:20 AM

DIY culture is all around us. Everywhere you look, there are people sewing their own clothes, making their own furniture, and even growing their own food. And when it comes to wedding planning, DIY is the hottest trend out there—everything from the invitations to the party favors has gone Do It Yourself. But when it comes to one of the most important elements of your bridal look—the engagement ring, wedding band, and other bridal jewelry—doing it yourself is probably not a realistic option. Responding to this interest in all things custom-made and unique, bridal jewelers have begun offering more and more options for personalizing jewelry for both men and women. You can buy a classic engagement ring or wedding band from a jeweler and have it personalized to reflect something unique to you and your significant other, giving you the look and feel of custom-made jewelry without the time, effort and expense. Of course, if you have a dream engagement ring in mind, and nothing you can find off the rack suits your specific image, custom jewelry design is a more affordable and accessible option than ever.

Here are just a few of the ways you can personalize jewelry for men or women:

Ring Engraving	Surprise Diamonds	Gemstone Engagement Rings

Engrave It: In many cultures, it is traditional for the bride and groom to have their wedding rings engraved with their names and the wedding date. While that is still a beautiful and romantic option, no matter where you come from, nowadays you can opt to have any message you want engraved on your rings. You can have a secret code engraved on the outside of the ring—imagine having a secret message written in Morse code—or you can write something on the inside of the band. While your names and the date is sweet, you can opt for a personal message, a romantic quote, or even something funny (One quirky couple had their wedding bands inscribed with “Put it back on!”)

Surprise Yourself: If you don’t want to change up the overall look of the ring too much, but want to add a small symbol of your relationship, consider adding a small surprise stone somewhere on the ring. These tiny gemstones can be any color you want—choose something meaningful to you—and can be incorporated into the design or set apart on the opposite side of the ring. They can even be set on the inside of the band, where only you will know its there! This personalization idea works surprisingly well for men’s jewelry too—a men’s wedding band can look really sophisticated and cool with a small gemstone set into an otherwise simple, matte-finish band. For example, one bride and groom who both had a March birthday had small aquamarine gemstones set into the underside of their ring bands.

Switch It Up: Consider using a colored gemstone instead of the traditional diamond center stone. Although traditionalists may balk at anchoring the engagement ring with anything but a diamond, more artsy types might appreciate the cool green gleam of an emerald, the deep blue of a blue sapphire, or even the warm blush of a pink sapphire! To make the ring still feel elegant and special enough to qualify as an engagement ring, choose a top-quality stone like an emerald, sapphire or ruby, and have it set into a dazzling, diamond-embellished setting.

Custom Platinum Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings

Test Your Metals: While white gold and platinum have been the standard option in the engagement ring and wedding band business for quite a few years, brides looking to personalize their jewelry might find the touch of individualization they are looking for with a nontraditional metal. Yellow gold makes even the simplest setting look ornate and elegant, and rose gold flatters deeper skin tones and looks even more unique. Some brides are even opting for unusual metals like palladium for an intriguing modern look. When it comes to men’s jewelry, palladium, titanium and even stainless steel are all options; another great way to personalize a men’s wedding band is by using an unusual finish like matte or hammered metal.

Customize It: Finally, if you simply must have the ring of your dreams, a ring that no one else will ever have, consider custom design. For best results, compile a list of the design elements you love, and have a professional ring designer help you choose the best of these and work them into a single, cohesive design. Custom ring design is more affordable and accessible than ever—so if none of the ring personalization ideas listed above are going to work for you, consider a custom engagement ring design.