How to Make Fashion Rings

So you love jewelry and you want to design your own fashion ring. While making a fashion ring yourself takes some training and skill, designing a ring to be made for you is less difficult. In this tutorial you will learn identify the factors to consider when working with a jeweler to create your own stunning fashion ring.

Step One: Decide on your budget. Many of the other decisions you make will be influenced by your budget.

Step Two: Decide what type of metal (or other material) you would like to use to create your ring. Sterling silver, gold and platinum are very popular for most commercial jewelry; brass, copper and bronze have lovely color for a fraction of the cost of precious metals. Finally, do not overlook plastics as a material choice. Plastic can have as much or little color as you choose and plastic is abundantly available and inexpensive.

Step Three: Decide the shape of the ring you desire. There are many, many commercial ring settings that you can purchase and insert the stones you want. If you want a specialized shape, you or your jeweler can carve it from wax and then cast in metal or mold the wax model and cast it in epoxy resin.

Step Four: Decide whether you want to add color to your ring. You can add color by adding stones, enamel, epoxy resin, glass or by drawing on metal with colored pencils. Adding gemstones will influence cost. Adding color through epoxy resin, enamel or glass will depend on the skill of the jeweler you hire to assemble your ring.

Step Five: Ask for a sketch or sample. Once you have decided on cost, ring material, color and shape you can work with your jeweler to create either a color rendering of the ring or a wax model to view before building the actual ring.

Tips & Warnings

1. Get a written estimate of costs before asking the jeweler to make up your ring.

2. Be sure the contract clearly specifies what will happen if you do not like the end result after the ring is made. Are you required to buy it? Will you lose your deposit? Who owns the stones?

Resources

GeltDesigns
List of Jewelry Making Tutorials by Topic

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