Designing your engagement ring or wedding band
Designed around the two of you, not a display case.
I design each ring around the two of you — her story, her style, the way she already dresses and wears jewellery, the moment you're marking. You don't need a clear picture before we start.
In short
Most bespoke projects fall between CHF 1,200 and CHF 4,000, with no upper limit.
Lab-grown diamonds, D–E colour and VVS clarity — or natural, on request.
Usually four to six weeks; one complimentary resizing of up to three sizes.
The first consultation, in Carouge or remotely, is complimentary.
A short vocabulary for your consultation
Where to start
Look at what she already wears. Is it delicate or bold? Gold or silver-toned? Does she gravitate toward one stone, or none at all?
Photographs of her help more than people expect — photographs of her, not of jewellery: how she dresses, what she wears to work and on a Saturday. A moodboard, even a rough one saved from Instagram or Pinterest, is another good starting point.
The words that help
You don't need to arrive fluent in jewellery terms, but a few words make the conversation easier.
Solitaire — a single stone, the classic and most requested form. Clean, versatile, and the shape most people picture. The Solara Ring is a straightforward reading of it; the Twist Diamond Ring is the same idea, with the band twisting once before it closes.
Trilogy — three stones set together, often read as past, present and future. The Trilogy Ring uses three pear cuts in a line; the Laura Ring does it with three ovals sharing one cut, so they read as a single movement.
Halo — smaller stones set around a centre stone, adding light and presence. The Mona Ring carries a hidden halo, tucked beneath the oval where only the wearer knows it's there; the Aurora Pavé Ring takes the opposite route, with a double halo opening outward like petals.
Pavé — small stones set closely along the band, so light travels the length of the ring. The Paola Ring runs pavé along both arms of a crossover; on the Serpentina Ring it follows the curve of the band around the centre stone.
Bezel — a stone held in a rim of metal all the way around: a smoother, more protected edge and a good option for daily wear. The Solenne Ring sets an emerald-cut diamond this way.
Half eternity — diamonds set along the front half of a band, as on the Clémence and Eterna rings. It's the form that most often bridges an engagement ring and a wedding band.
None of these are fixed categories, and the pieces above are starting points rather than a catalogue. Most of what I make sits between them.
Choosing the stone and the metal
Lab-grown or natural?
Both. My diamond work is mostly lab-grown — the same crystal, the same chemistry as a mined stone, simply grown in a controlled environment. It means more diamond for the same budget. Natural diamonds are available whenever you prefer them. The full comparison is on the lab-grown diamonds page.
I work to D–E colour and VVS clarity across the stones I set. Certification is available on request for centre stones; smaller side stones are typically not individually certified, which is standard practice.
Which stones stand up to daily wear?
An engagement ring is worn every day, on the hand you use for everything. Diamond is the hardest of them all; sapphire and ruby come next, and both take daily wear without complaint. Emerald asks more of you: the stone is almost always included by nature, and more brittle than its hardness alone suggests. If it's that green you're after, a coloured lab-grown diamond gives you the colour with the hardness of a diamond; if you want the emerald itself, that's entirely possible, and I'll tell you what wearing it every day involves.
Topaz and amethyst resist scratching reasonably well but can chip on a knock. Opal, pearl, malachite, lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl are soft, and several are sensitive to water and perfume as well, which is why they appear in my earrings and necklaces rather than my rings. If your heart is set on a softer stone, say so and we'll design around it.
9ct or 18ct gold?
There's a widely repeated idea that 9ct is the tougher metal. It isn't reliably true: measured hardness for most 18ct alloys sits at or above 9ct, and 18ct is the more resilient of the two — 9ct tends slightly toward brittleness and can discolour over the years with perspiration, perfume and household chemicals, where 18ct stays largely unaffected. What the choice really comes down to is colour — 18ct is the richer, warmer yellow — and budget. I work mainly in 18ct for pieces worn every day; 9ct is there whenever it suits the design or the budget better.
White gold or platinum?
White gold is rhodium-plated to achieve its bright white finish, and that plating wears and needs renewing over time. Platinum is naturally white and needs no plating at all.
Your own gold
If you already own gold that's no longer worn, it can sometimes be reused directly in a new piece. Where the alloy, condition or design doesn't allow that, its value is credited toward the new project instead.
If the budget and the design don't meet
Lab-grown instead of natural
The single biggest lever: the same look, and considerably more stone for the money.
A smaller centre stone, set to carry it
A halo — or a hidden one, as on the Mona Ring — gives a stone presence that the same weight set bare wouldn't have.
A simpler setting, or 9ct gold
Much of what a ring costs is the work, not only the materials. Fewer stones along the band, or 9ct where the design suits it, both move the figure.
This comes up often, and it's the start of a conversation rather than the end of one. We work through these together until the piece and the budget agree. What I won't do is quietly cut a corner to reach a number — if a compromise would produce a piece I'm not happy to put my name to, I'll say so.
What it costs
Every project is priced individually. Most fall between CHF 1,200 and CHF 4,000, with no upper limit — the figure reflects the whole project: the stone, the metal and how complex the design is. There's no single starting price, because there's no single starting design.
Sizing
Sizing is worked out together at the consultation. If you're planning a surprise, borrow a ring she wears on that finger — one she genuinely wears, not one sitting in a drawer: there's usually a reason it's there, and very often it's the size. Every bespoke ring includes one complimentary resizing of up to three sizes after collection.
How the process works
1. Consultation — in the boutique-atelier in Carouge, or remotely.
2. Design direction — sketches and, where useful, a 3D model.
3. Gemstone sourcing — real options to choose from, not a description on paper.
4. Quote and approval — a clear price before anything begins.
5. Deposit — usually 50% to start production.
6. Making — casting, setting, polishing, hallmarking and engraving as needed.
7. Collection — final fitting, and the remaining 50%.
Most projects take four to six weeks. In the ateliers I worked in — in Switzerland, Paris and London — three to four months was the normal quote.
Living with the ring
White gold will need rhodium replating from time to time, depending on how the ring is worn; platinum needs none. Softer stones need a gentler routine, which I'll talk you through if one is part of your design.
Choosing wedding bands together
A wedding band doesn't need to match its partner exactly to belong with it: different metals, different widths, a matte finish for one and polished for the other. Diamonds or sapphires can be set into a band, or it can be left plain to wear every day beside the engagement ring. Engraving adds something only the two of you will know is there.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a bespoke engagement ring take?
Usually four to six weeks, depending on the design and any gemstone sourcing.
How much does a bespoke engagement ring cost?
Most projects fall between CHF 1,200 and CHF 4,000, with no upper limit — the stone, the metal and the design together set the figure.
Can you use my old gold?
Sometimes. It depends on the alloy, carat, condition and the new design. If it isn't suitable to reuse directly, its value is credited toward the new piece.
Can you reuse my gemstones?
Often, yes, once they've been assessed for suitability and condition.
Can I bring my own gemstone?
Yes, once it's been assessed for suitability and condition.
Do you use natural or lab-grown diamonds?
Both. Lab-grown is used most often, at D–E colour and VVS clarity; natural diamonds are available on request.
Are lab-grown diamonds real diamonds?
Yes. They have the same crystal and chemistry as a mined diamond; they are simply grown in a controlled environment rather than formed underground.
Can the ring be resized later?
Most designs can, depending on the setting and how much the size needs to change. Every bespoke ring includes one complimentary resizing of up to three sizes after collection.
Already have a stone, or inherited jewellery?
That's a different starting point, and a different guide: What can you do with inherited jewellery? The first consultation is complimentary, at the boutique-atelier, Rue Ancienne 3, 1227 Carouge — or remotely.