Product Education
How to Order a Custom Ring
Ordering a custom ring is more approachable than it sounds. You don't need to know jewelry terms or have every detail figured out. You just need a starting point, and we'll help with the rest.
How does ordering a custom ring work?
At Olive Ave, ordering a custom ring happens in five steps:
- Gather your inspiration and decide whether you're designing something new or customizing one of our rings.
- Submit your custom design form with your size, metal, stone, budget, and ideas.
- Review digital renderings of your design and request changes until it feels right.
- Approve your design and pay your custom invoice, which starts production.
- Receive your ring, shipped and insured with FedEx.
The design phase averages 2 to 4 weeks, and production for custom pieces takes 4 to 6 weeks. Below, we'll walk through what happens at each step and what's helpful to have ready.
Step 1: Gather inspiration and choose your starting point
Start by collecting what you're drawn to. Screenshots, saved pins, photos of a family ring, or a sketch on a napkin all count. You don't need a finished design. A few images and a sense of what you love (and what you don't) give our team plenty to work with.
If you're not sure where to look, our guide to finding custom design inspiration has ideas, and our gallery of past custom designs shows rings we've made for other couples, sorted by shape.
Then decide which path fits you best:
- Customize an Olive Ave ring. You love one of our engagement rings but want to change something, like the band width, the accent stones, or a hidden detail.
- Design your own ring. You have an idea that isn't in our collection yet, and we'll build it from the ground up.
If you're shopping for a surprise proposal, this is a good time to quietly figure out ring size. Our ring size guide walks through a few ways to do it.
Step 2: Submit your custom design form
When you're ready, fill out our custom design form. It asks for the details that shape your ring:
- Finger size
- Metal type
- Center stone shape, size, and type
- Accent stone type
- Your budget
- Your design details and inspiration, with the option to attach images
If a field stumps you, that's completely normal. Share what you know and leave notes about what you're unsure of. Choosing between a lab diamond, natural diamond, moissanite, or gemstone, for example, is something we're happy to talk through with you. Our guides on lab-grown vs. natural diamonds and moissanite vs. diamond vs. gemstone are a helpful place to start.
After we review your form, a member of our team will reach out to get the process started.
Prefer to talk it through in person? You can book an appointment at our Mesa, AZ or American Fork, UT showroom, or meet with us virtually.
Step 3: Review your digital renderings
This is where your idea starts to look like a ring. Our design team creates digital renderings of your design and emails them to you to review.
Take your time with them. Look at the proportions, the profile from the side, and how the center stone sits. If something isn't quite right, tell us. We'll revise the renderings and send them back, and we repeat this until the design feels like yours.
This back-and-forth is the custom design phase, and it averages 2 to 4 weeks depending on how many rounds of changes you'd like.
Step 4: Approve your design and pay your custom invoice
Once you approve the final design, we send you a custom invoice to complete your order. Production starts after your invoice is paid.
A few things are good to know at this step:
- Custom pieces are final sale. Because your ring is made for you, it can't be returned or exchanged under our standard 30-day policy. That's one reason the rendering step matters so much.
- Diamonds aren't reserved until your order is paid. If you've fallen for a specific stone, paying your invoice is what holds it.
- Financing is available. When you choose Shop Pay at checkout, you can split your purchase into flexible installment payments.
Step 5: Production and delivery
Every Olive Ave piece is made to order, and custom pieces take 4 to 6 weeks in production. Our in-house goldsmiths bring your approved design to life.
When your ring is finished, we ship it insured with FedEx, and a signature is required at delivery. If you're keeping a proposal secret, you can have your package held at a FedEx location for pickup instead of delivered to your door.
Every piece also comes with our 60-Day Limited Warranty, which starts on delivery and includes resizing within two sizes, repairs like bent prongs, and a professional cleaning and inspection.
If you have a proposal date or wedding in mind, let us know on your form. Starting a little earlier gives you room to enjoy the design process without feeling rushed. If your timeline is tight, reach out us to us at hello@oliveavejewelry.com and we are happy to do our best to help.
What affects the cost of a custom ring?
The biggest factors are the same ones that shape any ring: your center stone, your metal, and the details of the design. A lab diamond, natural diamond, and moissanite of a similar look can sit at very different price points. Solid 14k gold is our standard, and 18k gold is available as an upgrade. More accent stones and more intricate metalwork add to the cost as well.
That's why the form asks for your budget. Sharing it up front helps us design toward a ring you love at a number that feels comfortable, so you aren't falling for a rendering that doesn't fit your plans.
What counts as a custom ring at Olive Ave?
A custom order is any piece we make or change specifically for you. That includes:
- Engraving
- Modifications to an existing Olive Ave design
- Setting an heirloom or family stone
- A completely new design
Picking a center stone for one of our rings on the website is not a custom order. You can do that directly on the product page.
Start your custom ring with Olive Ave
Our founders have been in the jewelry industry for over 40 years, and every custom piece we make is crafted to order by our in-house goldsmiths. Whether you're starting from a single screenshot or a family stone, we'd love to help you design a ring that feels like your love story.
When you're ready, start your custom design and tell us about the ring you're picturing. If you'd rather talk first, book a showroom or virtual appointment, or learn more about our custom design process.
