A bespoke engagement ring isn't a luxury upgrade on a retail one. It's a different thing entirely. You don't choose between options on a tray; you describe a piece that doesn't yet exist, and we make it. From our bench at Hoveniersstraat 19 — two doors from the Antwerp diamond bourse — we've made just over 2,100 pieces this way since 2018, most of them engagement rings.

This page is the short version of how it works. For the full step-by-step, read the five-step guide from the design bench.

How it works, in five steps

  1. Brief. Tell us about the piece — what it's for, who it's for, what shape you're imagining. A four-minute form, or a paragraph in WhatsApp. Either is fine.
  2. Design. Within five working days you receive a hand-drawn sketch and a 3D render from three angles. Free, with no cap on revisions.
  3. Quote. Fixed price, broken into four lines: metal, stone, labour, shipping. Not "starting from."
  4. Make. Cast, set, polished and engraved at our bench in Antwerp. Three to seven weeks depending on complexity.
  5. Deliver. By hand at the atelier, or insured and tracked across the EU. Brink's or Malca-Amit for further afield.

The detailed walkthrough is in our story — How to commission a bespoke engagement ring.

Stones

Three routes:

  • Source one for you. Tell us the brief — round 1.5 ct, F–G colour, VS clarity, ideal-make — and we pull three to five candidate stones within the working week. Many of our centre stones come from Ajediam, our Diamond District neighbour. We walk over together. See /diamonds/ for the full picture.
  • Bring your own. We'll set it, certify the finished piece, and document the stone's provenance.
  • Re-use an heirloom stone. With care. Old cuts behave differently from modern ones — we'll tell you what's possible before any piece is taken apart.

Lab-grown is also an option. We'll be honest about what each means for resale and value over time. See /diamonds/lab-grown/.

Metals

  • 18kt yellow gold — the warmest tone, classic
  • 14kt yellow gold — slightly paler, slightly harder, more durable for daily wear
  • White gold — palladium-based, no nickel; rhodium plated for the brightest finish
  • Rose gold — copper-toned, available from soft pink to deep rose
  • Platinum — heaviest, hardest, hypoallergenic; longer turnaround (5–7 days extra)

Not sure which? We'll show you the same design in two metals during the design phase if it helps.

Example commissions

Real-photo case studies will replace these placeholders once permission is in hand.

  • The Antwerp solitaire — 1.02 ct round brilliant, F colour, VS1, in 18kt yellow gold. From a couple in Stockholm who'd been looking online for months. Delivered in seven weeks. €8,400.
  • The heirloom re-set — 0.85 ct round brilliant from a grandmother's 1960s ring, re-set in a low-profile bezel in platinum. From a client in Munich. Delivered in six weeks. €4,900 (excluding the heirloom stone).
  • The pavé halo — 1.65 ct oval centre, halo of 28 melée stones, hidden halo, custom underbasket. From a client in London. Delivered in nine weeks. €18,200.

Pricing — what to expect

A bespoke engagement ring at Antwerp Ateliers typically lands between €4,000 and €25,000. The variance is mostly the centre stone:

  • €4,000–€8,000 — solitaire on a fine band, modest centre stone (0.5–1.0 ct), basic side stones if any
  • €8,000–€15,000 — central solitaire (1.0–1.5 ct quality), more elaborate setting, small side stones
  • €15,000–€25,000 — larger centre stone (1.5–2.5 ct), pavé or halo work, more intricate handwork
  • €25,000+ — premium centre stones, complex multi-piece designs, signed pieces

These are typical ranges. Bigger or smaller is fine — we'll tell you what's realistic for the budget you have, and the quote we issue is fixed.

Timeline — what to plan around

  • First conversation → final sketch: typically 1–2 weeks
  • Final sketch → fixed quote: 24 hours
  • Quote approved → cast piece off the bench: 3–7 weeks
  • Total from brief to delivery: 6–10 weeks typical

If a particular stone has to be sourced or cut, add 2–4 weeks. If you have a hard deadline (an anniversary, a planned proposal), tell us at the start and we'll tell you immediately if it's possible.

What to do next