What "bespoke" means here
Not a slight variation on a stock band. A wedding band drawn from a brief — what you do, how you met, the constraints you live with — sketched, refined, costed, then made on our bench. The result is a band that fits the way the engagement ring fits, that sits the way your hand sits, and that nobody else has.
The other thing it means: every step is shown to you before money moves. Sketches first. Quote second. Wax model or hand-forged sample third. You see what you're getting before you've spent more than a deposit.
The five steps
The same five-step process as a bespoke engagement ring commission, shaped for the wedding band timeline.
- The brief. A short conversation — by WhatsApp, email, or in person at the atelier. We need: rough metal preference, rough width, sense of style (plain / carved / set with stones), any constraints (allergies, profession that's hard on rings, existing engagement ring style). 30–60 minutes.
- Sketches. Two to three options, hand-drawn or rendered, on the matched pair if you're commissioning two bands. Within five working days. No payment yet.
- Refinement and quote. You pick the direction, we refine the design, and we send a fixed quote — metal cost (live), labour, engraving if any, shipping. The quote is valid 14 days. Payment: 30% deposit on confirmation.
- The bench. Wax model and CAD if it helps; cast or forged, depending on the design and your preference; finished by hand. We send photographs at the cast / forged stage, and again at finished-but-pre-engraving. You can stop the process at either point.
- Engraving and delivery. Inside-the-band text or decorative motif, engraved by hand or laser. Sized, polished, photographed, packaged, shipped insured (or collected at Hoveniersstraat 19).
Metals
The bench works in five everyday metals. All of them are alloys — the headline number is the gold percentage; the rest is what gives each metal its colour and durability.
| Metal | Notes |
|---|---|
| 18kt yellow gold (Au 750) | Warm, traditional, the EU standard for fine jewellery. Slightly softer than 14kt. |
| 14kt yellow gold (Au 585) | A more durable, slightly cooler yellow. Common in the US and increasingly in EU couples that want longevity over warmth. |
| 18kt or 14kt white gold | Palladium-based alloy (no nickel). Naturally a warm grey; rhodium-plated to read as bright white. Re-plating every 2–4 years is normal. |
| 18kt or 14kt rose gold | Copper alloy. Tones available from soft pink (less copper) to deep rose (more). Pairs beautifully with warmer skin. |
| Platinum (Pt950) | Heavier, harder, more expensive per gram. The gold standard for couples who want a band that essentially never needs work. |
A common pattern: matched pair, one in 14kt yellow and one in 18kt yellow, or one platinum + one 18kt yellow. Different metals are fine — they're not in contact with each other.
Profiles
The cross-section of the band — what it feels like on your finger.
- Court (comfort fit). Rounded outside, rounded inside. The most comfortable everyday band. Default unless you ask for something else.
- D-shape. Rounded outside, flat inside. Heavier feel; the inside-flat helps a band sit stably next to an engagement ring.
- Flat. Flat outside, flat inside. Modern, architectural. Reads as a thinner band visually.
- Knife-edge. A central ridge running around the band, sharpening to a line. Catches light dramatically.
- Concave. Inverted — the outside curves inward. Unusual; gives a soft, spoon-bowl impression.
- Hand-forged uneven. Subtly hammered or planished, no two points the same. A band that looks made-by-a-person rather than turned-on-a-machine.
We can also build a chevron / contoured band that nests against a specific engagement ring's setting. Send us the engagement ring; we'll mock the curvature.
Stones, if you want them
Most wedding bands are plain. Some are set:
- Eternity — stones around the entire band. Makes resizing impossible later (the stones are the band). Choose a final size carefully.
- Half-eternity — stones on the top half. Resizable.
- Five-stone or three-stone accent — a small group of stones on the front, often a date marker (e.g. 5 stones for a 5-year anniversary).
- Hidden halo / inner-band stone — a single small diamond set inside the band, only visible when off the finger. Sentimental, invisible day-to-day.
Stone setting is led by Sara, our master setter — twenty-plus years on the bench, including pavé, micro, and old-cut work.
Pricing — typical ranges
Each commission gets a fixed quote, broken down by component. To anchor expectations:
| Style | Typical range (each) |
|---|---|
| Plain 14kt gold band | €1,200–€2,400 |
| Plain 18kt gold band | €1,800–€3,200 |
| Plain platinum band | €2,400–€3,800 |
| Hand-engraved or carved band | €2,400–€4,800 |
| Half-eternity diamond band | €3,800–€7,500 |
| Full eternity diamond band | €5,500–€12,000+ |
| Hidden-halo or sentimental stone band | +€400–€1,200 over the plain price |
Width, weight, finish, and stone choice all move the number. The fixed quote is broken down so you see exactly what's metal, what's labour, what's stones — no opaque "from".
Matching with an engagement ring
If you have an engagement ring already — ours or otherwise — we design the wedding band to sit with it. Three approaches:
- Flush-fit. Wedding band is a flat profile that meets the engagement ring's basket without a visible gap. Works for solitaires.
- Contoured. Wedding band is shaped to nest into the engagement ring's setting (around a halo, around a low gallery). Requires the engagement ring (or detailed photos and the diamond cert) on the bench.
- Chevron / V-band. Wedding band has a single dip or peak that mirrors a specific engagement-ring feature.
If your engagement ring isn't from us: send it insured, or send detailed photos with the certificate. We've matched bands to rings from BAUNAT, Cartier, Tiffany, vintage estates, and one-off bespoke pieces from other ateliers — it's a normal part of the workflow.
Timeline
Six to eight working weeks from approved sketch is the typical envelope. Faster is sometimes possible:
- 5 weeks rush — possible for plain bands without stones; +25% surcharge for the bench priority slot.
- 4 weeks rush — only for plain bands, only one cycle slot per month, +50% surcharge. Email before confirming so we can hold the slot.
- 8+ weeks — for full-eternity bands or unusual stones we need to source.
A common date constraint we work with: bands need to land 2–3 weeks before the wedding date for the engraving + the delivery + the unboxing rehearsal. We bake that into the quote.
What to do next
- Start a commission. Begin the brief on /bespoke/ — a 60-second form sets the direction.
- Visit the atelier. Hoveniersstraat 19, Antwerp. Tue–Fri 10–18h, Sat by request. Book a slot →
- WhatsApp the bench. Fastest for sketches, quick photos, finger-size questions. +32 476 76 05 77
- Read the engagement-ring guide. How to commission a bespoke engagement ring → — many of the same principles apply to bands.
By the bench at Antwerp Ateliers. Hoveniersstraat 19, two doors from the diamond bourse.