How a Custom Engagement Ring Is Made: CAD, Wax Models, Casting & the Melbourne Process
Most engagement rings are purchased without any thought given to how they were made. You choose a ring, you pay for it, it arrives in a box — and the extraordinary sequence of human skill and technical precision that produced it remains invisible, somewhere behind the glass counter.
Custom engagement rings are different. When you commission a ring from scratch, the making becomes part of the story. You are present for it, or at least aware of it — watching something move from an idea in a conversation to a three-dimensional object on a screen to a physical piece of jewellery in your hands. That process, understood properly, makes the finished ring more meaningful rather than simply more expensive.
At D and G company, we have been making custom engagement rings in Melbourne for over two decades. This is how the process works — from the first conversation to the moment the ring is ready to be proposed with.
"Every custom engagement ring made in our Melbourne studio begins the same way: with someone describing a person they love. Everything that follows is the craft's attempt to match that description."
Why the Making Matters: Craft as an Act of Care
There is a reason that handmade jewellery commands both a premium and a particular kind of affection. It is not simply that handmade objects are more expensive to produce — it is that they carry evidence of human attention in a way that mass-produced objects do not. Every decision that went into a custom engagement ring was made specifically for this stone, for this setting, for the person who will wear it.
Melbourne has always had a strong culture of craft appreciation. Our city's buyers — in food, in design, in fashion — tend to care deeply about provenance and process. The question "how was this made?" is one that Melbourne clients ask more readily than those in most other cities, and the answer, when it involves genuine skill and genuine care, consistently deepens the connection between the object and its owner.
Understanding how your ring is made also makes you a better client. You know which decisions are truly yours to make and which are determined by the physics of the material. You understand why certain changes cost more than others. And you arrive at the finished piece with a complete picture of what went into it.
Can I visit the Melbourne studio and watch part of the manufacturing process?
For many of our bespoke commissions, yes — and we actively encourage it where possible. Watching a craftsperson work in precious metal, even for a short time, gives clients a visceral understanding of what they are commissioning that no photograph or render can replicate. We can usually arrange for clients to see the wax model stage, the casting in progress, or the stone-setting at a point that suits the production schedule. Contact our Melbourne studio to discuss what is possible for your specific commission — we find these visits consistently become among the most memorable parts of the entire engagement ring experience.
The Eight Stages: From Brief to Finished Ring
The Brief: Listening Before Designing
Duration: 1–2 consultation sessions · 1–3 daysEvery custom ring begins with a conversation — and the quality of that conversation determines the quality of everything that follows. Our Melbourne jewellers spend this stage not designing but listening: to who she is, how she lives, what she has always been drawn to, what she would never wear, and what the ring needs to communicate beyond its beauty. We look at reference images together, identify the aesthetic instincts behind them, and translate those instincts into a brief that is specific enough to design from and flexible enough to allow craft decisions that serve the finished ring.
Stone Sourcing: The Heart Before the Setting
Duration: 3–10 days depending on specificationsIn a genuine bespoke process, the stone is sourced specifically for this ring — not chosen from pre-existing stock after the setting has been designed. This matters because the proportions of the mount depend on the exact dimensions of the stone, and the right stone for the design is often not the one with the best paper specifications. We present stone candidates to clients in our Melbourne studio, in natural light, so the selection is made with complete visual confidence rather than from a certificate alone.
Sketch and Concept: The Design Takes Shape on Paper
Duration: 3–5 daysBefore any software is opened, our designers work from the brief in pencil — exploring proportions, silhouettes, and details through hand-drawing. This stage is where the ring's character is established. A hand sketch communicates intention and feeling in a way that a computer render, for all its technical precision, cannot fully replicate. Clients review sketches and provide feedback that shapes the direction taken into the digital stage. Most commissions involve one or two rounds of sketch refinement before proceeding.
CAD Design: Three Dimensions, Perfect Precision
Duration: 3–7 daysComputer-aided design (CAD) is where the sketch becomes an engineering document. Every dimension of the ring is specified to fractions of a millimetre: the exact height of the prongs, the precise width of the band at any point, the depth of any engraving or milgrain detail, the geometry of the setting relative to the stone's actual measurements. The CAD file is the instruction set for everything that follows — and its accuracy directly determines the accuracy of the finished ring. Clients receive photorealistic renders from the CAD model, which allow them to see the ring from every angle before any material is cut or cast.
Wax Model: The First Physical Form
Duration: 1–2 daysThe CAD file is used to 3D-print a wax model of the ring — a physical object that can be held, worn, and evaluated before a single gram of precious metal is used. This stage is one of the most underappreciated in the process, and one of the most valuable. A wax model reveals whether the ring's proportions work on an actual hand in a way that even the most sophisticated render cannot predict. Clients who try the wax model on their partner's hand (or their own, for sizing reference) are consistently glad they did. Adjustments at wax stage cost a fraction of what they would cost after casting.
Casting: Precious Metal Takes the Ring's Form
Duration: 1–2 daysOnce the wax model is approved, it is invested in a plaster-like casting material called investment. The assembly is then heated to a high temperature, which burns out the wax (lost-wax casting — a technique unchanged in its fundamentals since the ancient world) and leaves a cavity in the shape of the ring. Molten precious metal — gold, platinum, or any specified alloy — is forced into this cavity under pressure and allowed to cool. The result is a raw casting of the ring, which requires significant finishing work but already contains the essential geometry of the design.
Finishing: From Raw Casting to Jewellery
Duration: 2–5 daysThe raw casting is the beginning of the finished ring, not the end. At this stage, our Melbourne craftspeople perform a sequence of processes — filing, grinding, polishing, and where applicable, texturing — that take the rough surface of a casting and transform it into a piece of jewellery. This is where matte surfaces are achieved, milgrain is applied by hand, high-polish areas are brought to a mirror finish, and any hand-engraving is executed. The difference in quality between careful finishing and cursory finishing is dramatic, and it is here that the experience and attention of the craftsperson become most visible in the finished piece.
Stone Setting: The Final and Most Critical Stage
Duration: 1–3 days depending on complexityStone setting is the stage at which the ring becomes what it was always meant to be — and it is also the most technically demanding. The setter works under magnification, using gravers (engraving tools) to manipulate the metal of the mounting around each stone until it is held securely, at precisely the right height, with the prongs or bezel presenting the stone exactly as the design intended. A centre stone in a claw setting sits a fraction of a millimetre differently than one in a bezel — and that fraction is the difference between a ring that is right and one that is merely fine. After setting, the ring is inspected, cleaned, and prepared for final photography and delivery.
What is the difference between hand-fabricated and cast engagement rings — and does it matter?
Hand-fabricated rings are made entirely by shaping metal by hand — cutting, forging, and soldering — without casting from a mould. Cast rings use the lost-wax process described above. Both methods produce exceptional results in the right hands, and the distinction is less important than the skill and care of the craftsperson executing either approach. Hand fabrication is typically used for simpler designs where the process is faster by hand, or for specific design elements that benefit from direct metalwork. Casting is better suited to complex geometries that would be extremely difficult to achieve by hand. Our Melbourne studio uses both methods, selecting the appropriate approach for each specific design.
CAD vs Hand Carving: Two Approaches to the Same End
Precision, render previews, and repeatability
CAD allows every dimension to be specified and verified before any physical material is involved. Clients see the ring in three dimensions before the wax model is printed. Changes are made in software, not in wax. The process is faster for complex geometries and produces consistent results. Almost all contemporary bespoke studios use CAD for a significant portion of their commissions.
The traditional approach, still irreplaceable for certain designs
Some of Melbourne's most experienced jewellers still carve wax models entirely by hand — a process that allows a fluidity and organic quality that CAD sometimes struggles to replicate. Certain vintage-inspired designs, particularly those with flowing organic forms or unusual proportions, benefit from a hand-carved wax where the craftsperson can respond to the material intuitively. We use both approaches at Diamond Gold, selecting the method that best serves each design brief.
The Melbourne Difference: Why Where Your Ring Is Made Matters
Melbourne's custom jewellery scene has a character that is genuinely distinct from Sydney, Brisbane, or any offshore production model. The city's manufacturing culture — deeply connected to its design schools, its independent studio tradition, and its client base that prizes craft over brand — has produced a community of jewellers whose work bears comparison with the best anywhere in the world.
When your custom engagement ring is made in Melbourne rather than offshore or in a centralised factory, several things are true that matter to the finished piece. The craftspeople who make it are accountable and accessible — you can sit across the table from them, ask questions, and see the environment in which your ring is being produced. The chain between your brief and the finished object is short, which means every intention is preserved rather than diluted through multiple intermediaries.
It also means that adjustments — during the process and after — are handled by people who know the ring. If the size needs changing after delivery, the team that sets the stones also handles the ring resizing cost and process, with full understanding of the design they are working with. That continuity of care is something that offshore production cannot provide.
For those exploring the full range of engagement ring styles available through our Melbourne studio — from the most minimal solitaires to elaborate fancy coloured diamond ring settings — the same Melbourne-based process applies to every commission.
One of the most commonly asked questions from Melbourne clients at the beginning of a custom commission is: "how will I know if it is going to look right?" The wax model stage exists precisely to answer this question before any irreversible decisions have been made. We encourage every client to try the wax model on — ideally on her actual hand, which requires some careful planning if the ring is a surprise — and to take photographs in natural Melbourne daylight. The wax reveals the ring's true proportions in a way that renders on a screen, however accurate, cannot fully replicate.
What Custom Design Costs — and How to Think About That
The assumption that bespoke always costs significantly more than ready-made is not always accurate — and understanding where the costs actually arise helps calibrate expectations before the first conversation.
The stone is typically the largest single cost in any engagement ring, custom or otherwise. A custom design fee covers the design time, the CAD work, the wax model, and the craftsperson's time in manufacturing — but these are generally a smaller proportion of the total than the stone itself. For couples who want a custom ring but are working within a carefully considered budget, focusing on the stone decision (carat weight, cut quality, natural vs lab-grown) often creates more room than trying to reduce the craftsmanship elements.
At Diamond Gold, our range of economical engagement rings gives a sense of what is achievable at different price points — and our jewellers will always be transparent about whether a specific custom brief is better served by bespoke design or by a carefully chosen piece from our collection.
For those committed to the custom path, the invitation is open to build own engagement ring with our Melbourne team from the ground up. We will walk you through the full process — from stone sourcing to wax approval to the finished piece — and make sure every decision along the way is yours to make with full information.
Can a custom engagement ring be made to include a family heirloom stone?
Yes — and this is one of the most meaningful commissions we regularly undertake in our Melbourne studio. Resetting a family stone into a new custom setting preserves the sentimental value of the stone while giving it a design that is entirely of the present. The process begins with a professional assessment of the stone — its dimensions, condition, and any existing damage — which determines what settings are appropriate. Some very old stones have delicate girdles that limit the setting options; others are robust enough to accommodate almost any design. We treat family stone commissions with particular care, understanding that the stone cannot be replaced if something goes wrong — which is why our craftspeople bring their most experienced hands to these specific commissions.
Beyond the Engagement Ring: Custom Craft for Every Occasion
The same Melbourne process described in this guide applies to every custom jewellery commission our studio undertakes — wedding bands, anniversary pieces, and the gents ring that often becomes an afterthought until the proposal is already done.
Our gents wedding rings are designed with the same rigour and made with the same craft as the engagement rings that precede them. A custom men's band — whether a simple polished gold with a specific profile, a platinum with brushed texture, or a diamond-accented design with personal engraving — goes through exactly the same CAD, wax, casting, and finishing stages as the most elaborate ladies ring we produce.
The engagement ring is the beginning of the story. The wedding band is the next chapter. And at Diamond Gold's Melbourne studio, both deserve to be made with the same intention.
Commission Your Ring at Diamond Gold Melbourne
Eight stages. Melbourne-made. Entirely yours. Book a consultation with our bespoke team and begin the process.
Begin Your Commission Visit Diamond Gold Melbourne