Do you have an upcoming wedding or are you planning for an engagement? This is a time that calls for a very special ring and more and more people are now designing their own engagement rings. This adds an extra special touch to an already very important ring.

Several online jewelry stores now allow you to design your own engagement ring. Choose your online jeweler carefully, and you'll be able to design your perfect ring based on a variety of factors, such as budget, type of metal, and stone size and shape.

Before you can design your own engagement ring, there are some very important things you must know. Here’s a checklist to get you started:

1. What is your budget? Engagement rings can grow quite expensive in price so it’s important that you know what your budget is, or at least a good idea of a budget range, before you get started. This will help you stick within your budget when choosing the perfect ring for you. Once you know your budget, don’t allow yourself to go considerably over what you know you can afford.

2. Learn the 4 C's. The next step is to learn all that you can about diamonds. When designing your own engagement ring, you will be asked to choose from your color, cut, clarity and carat. Before you can make proper choices, you need to know what these are and how they affect the overall look of your ring. The best online jewelers will have lots of information to help guide you through the process.

3. Choose your setting. Next you will need to consider your setting. There are many different styles. Some are designed for a simple solitaire and some with accent stones and more. This is also the time to choose the type of metal you will have for your ring. Popular choices for engagement rings are gold, white gold and platinum.

4. Shape of your stone. You will also want to decide the shape of your stone. Popular cuts are Princess, round, pear shape, etc. If you will have accent diamonds or stones on your ring, you will choose them as well.

Designing your own engagement ring is also much more affordable than it would have been in the past. More and more jewelers are offering this option to their customers and for close to the same pricing as a pre-made engagement ring. Plus, you have control over your budget as you build the ring yourself. This means you can get the exact ring you want without shopping all over town (or even all over the country) trying to find the perfect one.

An engagement ring is one of the most important pieces of jewelry you can ever purchase and by designing your own, you can make it even more personal.

When you follow these tips and ideas, it will help you with designing your own engagement ring which can be something extra special that you will keep with you for the rest of your life. You may even choose to hand it down as a family heirloom.

Author's Bio: 

Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons.com where you can get more information in the article Design My Own Engagement Ring. You can also read her recommendation for online jewelers here.