Guide To Designing Your Own Engagement Ring: Stelios Jewellers

When people talk about designing their own engagement ring from scratch, they usually mean two different things.

Some want complete creative freedom: a blank page and an open brief. Others want input on the details but not the responsibility of deciding everything.

Both are what we do, and both create a ring built for a lifetime. This article walks through how our design process actually works at the Stelios studio on Scarborough Beach Road in Mt Hawthorn, from the conversation that starts it through to the finished piece being delivered.

Our director, Stelios Palioudakis, began his apprenticeship in Perth in his late teens and was named a finalist in the Australian Jewellery Awards in 2006, before taking over the studio the following year. Most of the team trained alongside him or came up through similar workshops around the state. This matters because every diamond engagement ring that leaves us has been designed, crafted, set, and polished with precision in the same building, by the same people, from first sketch to final delivery.

If you already have ideas and want to sketch before calling, our custom engagement rings builder lets you explore and browse before you commit.

This article is the longer explanation of what happens once you walk in the door or join us on a video call.

Why People Commission A Bespoke Ring

Couples arrive at bespoke for different reasons, all shaped by personal preferences. Some could not find what they wanted after six months of showroom visits. Some are working with a stone already in the family. Some want a design their partner dropped a hint about years ago, without realising it was a hint. One common thread: the ring being bought is not interchangeable with one sitting in a case somewhere else, which makes bespoke the natural purchase for anyone who wants a unique design of their own.

A few of the most frequent motivations:

• A partner’s style is too specific for the standard catalogue. A rose-cut elongated oval in rose gold with no side stones does not sit on most display trays.
• An existing diamond needs a home. A grandmother’s stone, an inherited ring from a friend, a diamond bought overseas.
• You want to work with a less common gemstone, such as an Australian blue-green sapphire from the Inverell fields in New South Wales.
• You want to know every detail of how the ring was made, for complete peace of mind and to personalise it to your relationship.
• You want a ring that matches the life your partner actually lives, not a standard design adjusted to fit.

The cost is often lower than buyers expect. Because you pay for materials and bench hours rather than a brand margin, a custom piece tends to come in at or below the price of a comparable ready-to-wear purchase.

How The Design Actually Runs

There is no single template, but the underlying shape looks like this, step by step.

The brief comes first. We meet in the studio or over video and spend an hour on what your partner already wears and prefers, what you have seen and liked, what you have seen and not liked, and what budget feels comfortable. This is the most important stage. Skipping through it produces rings that need redesigning in the CAD phase.

Stone selection is next. Every diamond we show has independent lab certification covering cut, colour, clarity and carat weight. For coloured gemstones, we explain origin, treatment history, and what to look for. If you have a stone of your own, we work from that forward.

A 3D CAD model comes once the brief is clear. You see the ring from every angle, at scale, on a hand, with the stone rendered at its actual proportions. This is where we highlight any design details that still need refining. Changes here cost nothing. Changes after this point cost more.

Once the CAD is right, we print or mill a prototype in silver or resin. This is the ring in your hand, minus the real diamond. You live with it for a day or two. Partners who will be surprised by the proposal still need sizing at some point, and the prototype is where we build that safety net.

The approved design goes to casting, setting, polish, and hallmarking. Most pieces are ready in four to six weeks. Firm proposal dates are built into the schedule from the first meeting, so nothing ever gets rushed at the end of a piece you will wear into the future.

What You Can Customise

Almost everything, from a classic solitaire to a unique design entirely your own. The most common options span shape, precious metals, setting, stones and engraving:

• Shape and cut. Round brilliant, oval, cushion, princess, emerald, pear, marquise, rose cut, old mine cut.
• Metal. 18-carat yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum. We work with 9 and 14-carat too, though we will talk you out of them for a ring worn daily across decades. Other precious metals like palladium are available on request, and we can match the metal to your partner’s existing jewellery.
• Setting. Claw, bezel, half-bezel, tension, halo, pave, cathedral, chevron, east-west mounts, and any combination of these.
• Stones. Natural and lab grown diamonds, sapphires in every colour, emerald, ruby, tsavorite, spinel, tourmaline, opal, and Australian-mined stones where they fit the brief.
• Engraving. Dates, initials, coordinates, phrases in any language, or nothing at all. A surprising number of clients ask for the coordinates of where they first met.

A Recent Build From Start To Finish

A couple from Melbourne came to us last year. The groom had grown up in Subiaco and wanted the ring made near where he was raised, before a proposal on Rottnest Island. We ran the project remotely.

The brief was precise: a 1.2-carat oval natural diamond, bezel set in 18-carat yellow gold, no side stones, with a short Greek phrase inside the band to reflect their shared heritage. The CAD took two revisions, mostly around band thickness and the angle of the bezel collar. We posted the silver prototype to their Fitzroy apartment, adjusted the width by half a millimetre after the try-on, and cast the final piece the following fortnight.

The ring was delivered to our Perth studio two days before they flew west. They collected it together after the proposal, which is unusual but not unheard of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can We Start Without Knowing What We Want?

Yes. A large proportion of our bespoke clients arrive with only a ring size and a budget. The design, and your vision for it, emerges through the conversation, the reference images, and the process of ruling out what does not match your preferences.

How Long Does A Bespoke Design Take?

Four to six weeks from first meeting to delivery. Pieces with multiple stones or mixed-metal construction can take eight. We plan around your proposal date, not ours.

Is Bespoke More Expensive?

Not usually. The stone and the metal set most of the price. Because we skip the brand markup, a custom designed engagement ring often comes in below a comparable ready-to-wear piece from a branded jeweller.

Can We Use A Stone We Already Own?

Yes. Family diamonds, loose stones sourced elsewhere, old rings to be melted down. Independent certification is needed for any diamond before we set it.

Will We See The Ring Before It Is Finished?

Twice. First as a full 3D render on screen, and again as a silver or resin physical prototype. Most changes happen at one of those two stages, not after casting.

Can Both Of Us Design The Ring Together?

Absolutely. Second marriages, expected proposals, anniversary upgrades, and any occasion where both partners want a shared experience all tend toward collaborative design. We adjust the consultation flow to suit the dynamic.

Start A Conversation

If you want to begin or If you want inspiration check out our custom ring builder as well them come and visit us. The studio sits in the heart of Mt Hawthorn, walking distance from the cafes on the Oxford Street strip. You can also book a video consultation from anywhere in Australia or around the world. Bring whatever you have: sketches, images, a stone, a song, or an empty hand.