How a Bespoke Ring is Made: From CAD Design to Finished Piece | Silux London

How long does it take to make a ring? The making itself — casting, setting, finishing — is typically days. What takes time is everything before the metal is touched: conversations, drawings, a digital model, a printed prototype, and the hundreds of decisions that accumulate into something that has never existed before.

I’ve designed and produced bespoke jewellery from my studio in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter for years, and I’ve written about the technical principles at length in my book, The CAD/CAM Jeweller Volume 1. What follows is an honest, detailed account of how a bespoke ring is actually made — including the technical details most jewellers are reluctant to explain.

The Seven Stages at a Glance

Stage 1: The Consultation

Every commission begins with a conversation, and its quality determines everything that follows. I ask not just about stone preferences and metal colours, but about lifestyle: how the ring will be worn, alongside what other pieces, whether the wearer works with their hands. A band that’s elegant at a dinner table may be impractical in a workshop.

Jewellery has always been a language — from the Victorian mourning brooch to the Art Deco ring that proclaimed a new kind of independence. A bespoke engagement ring carries the weight of a relationship’s beginning. That’s not a small brief.

Stage 2: Design & Sketching

I begin with pencil and paper. This might seem anachronistic for a studio using sophisticated CAD software, but sketching remains the fastest way to explore proportion, silhouette, and balance. I typically produce several thumbnails in the first session, exploring different approaches before settling on a direction.

Sketching also forces commitment. In the digital environment, it’s tempting to refine indefinitely. A sketch is an honest record of a decision. When I show you three sketches and you point to one without hesitation, that instinctive response tells me more than any detailed discussion.

Stage 3: CAD Modelling

Computer-Aided Design has transformed fine jewellery. My primary environment is Rhinoceros 3D, a NURBS-based software that produces mathematically accurate curved surfaces — the industry standard for jewellery because it avoids the polygon limitations of mesh-based modelling.

The CAD model isn’t a pretty picture — it’s a precise engineering document. Every dimension compensates for what comes after:

One of the most valuable aspects of CAD: I can show you your ring in 18ct yellow gold with a blue sapphire, switch to platinum with a white diamond, adjust the shank width by 0.5mm — all in the same consultation. What would have required multiple physical wax prototypes can be explored in minutes.

Stage 4: 3D-Printed Prototype

Using SLA or MJP 3D printing, I produce a physical prototype with surface detail resolution of 0.05–0.1mm — fine enough to show millgrain beading and filigree. You can hold the piece, check proportions against your hand, and confirm the design reads as intended in three dimensions.

Stage 5: Lost Wax Casting

Lost wax casting has been fundamentally unchanged since ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The modern version is more precise, but the principle is identical: a wax model is invested in plaster, burned out at 550–730°C, and molten metal is forced into the resulting cavity.

I primarily use centrifugal casting at 300–3,000 RPM for fine details, and vacuum suction casting for clean surfaces with minimal porosity (especially beneficial for sterling silver, which absorbs gases during melting).

The spruing — designing the channels through which metal enters the mould — is both science and skill. The primary sprue (~3mm diameter) attaches to the thickest section, ensuring metal flows outward into fine details rather than solidifying at the entry point. Sharp angles create turbulence and porosity, so all transitions are filleted smooth.

Stage 6: Stone Setting

Setting is one of the most skilled disciplines in fine jewellery. The setter must secure the stone firmly without cracking it, achieving a finish where the metal appears to have grown around the stone naturally. For claw-set centre stones, each claw is carefully bent over the crown facets with even pressure. The tips are filed to consistent size and inspected from every angle.

For pavé and grain settings, the setter drills individual seats, places stones, and raises tiny metal beads using a graver. A heavily pavé-set piece may involve hundreds of individual operations for a single surface.

Stage 7: Finishing & Hallmarking

Filing removes casting marks. Progressive sanding with increasingly fine abrasives, then polishing using compound on a rotating buff — navigating around stones without touching them. Some designs combine polished and brushed surfaces for depth and contrast.

Before delivery: magnification inspection, ultrasonic cleaning, every claw tested for security, ring sized and interior polished. If the piece meets the weight threshold, it goes to the Birmingham Assay Office for hallmarking — that official stamp guaranteeing metal purity.

Why Bespoke Takes Thought, Not Just Time

Ready to see this process in action? I’d be glad to walk you through it at my Birmingham studio. Not sure about costs? I’ve written an honest guide to pricing too. And if the terminology feels unfamiliar, start with our guide to the language of jewellery — it’ll make every conversation with a jeweller more productive.