Top Bespoke Engagement Rings of 2023
She said yes on the slopes!
As a jewellery designer, every engagement ring I create is a testament to the unique stories that bring our SAM HAM couples together. In 2023 the world of bespoke engagement rings reached new heights here at SAM HAM, with more people inquiring and creating custom pieces that reflect their personal journey. In the past few months I have had the pleasure of crafting many unique engagement rings that go beyond traditional norms, reflecting the distinctive personalities and passions of the couples who commissioned them. Let’s take a look at my top 3 bespoke engagement rings from 2023…
Simon and Kate
A Trio of Diamonds
When Simon reached out to me he had a vision in mind. It was to be a three stone ring- all the same size, and she wanted old cut diamonds.
Simon knew that Kate had been dreaming of using ‘pre-loved’ stones in order to be more environmentally friendly. I set out to find the perfect trio of traditional cut diamonds from an antique jewellery dealer, as soon as I showed them to Simon he loved them. So we got to work designing the ring.
Something that you should know about Kate; not only does she work in the arts but she also has a fine art degree (no pressure Simon!). We decided to play it safe and have Simon propose using a 3D print of his preferred design, just in case Kate wanted to make any amendments to the ring. I tacked the diamonds into the 3D print and boxed it up, through the post it went to make it’s way to Simon on time for a ‘Christmas Proposal’.
Plot twist! Simon fell in love with the design once he saw it in person and just knew it was the ring for Kate. He was 100% certain she would love it as much as he did and wanted to pop the question with the real deal. So although we missed the Christmas morning proposal, I got to work on the final ring and had it ready for early February for Simon to propose to Kate on the slopes.
Dylan and Tilly
A Dream Ring, Made Reality
I met Tilly in 2019 when I was working in Thomas Pink designing cufflinks, and she was a product developer. Tilly reached out to me in January this year, saying she enjoyed working with me and trusted me to bring her vision to life.
Stone Sourcing: Originally Tilly wanted a cushion cut yellow diamond, I got to work creating some designs. However, we quickly decided that the cushion cut wasn’t offering the impact that Tilly was looking for. Old cut cushions, while they weigh a lot, actually appear quite small. Instead we opted for an emerald cut to get the effect Tilly was dreaming of. Due to the scarcity and uniqueness of yellow diamonds they can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, thats when we started looking at H coloured diamonds. These diamonds had the beautiful yellow champagne hue.
Tilly wanted her two sons to be included in the ring. Their surname is Green so we decided to add two green tsavorite stones underneath the diamond.
Once the ring was designed it was time for Dylan to take over. Since he was still to plan his big proposal he organised the delivery date with me so it could be a surprise to Tilly. Ensued the toughest part of my job- waiting for the photos!! I love an engagement and my favourite part of the process is seeing my work bring so much joy.
John and Joanna
An Engagement Ring Makeover
When Joanna and John got engaged they went together to Hatton Garden in London to pick out a ring. Swept up in the whirlwind of love and excitement, Joanna didn’t think too much about what she wanted. Instead she chose what she thought an engagement ring was meant to look like. An elegant gold band with a trio of diamonds. However after a bit of time, she felt the ring wasn’t very her, it didn’t reflect her unique and fun personality the way she wanted it to. She decided she would remodel the ring, but she had no idea where to begin!
While scrolling through Instagram Joanna came across a photo posted by Irish influencer James Kavanagh. In this photo James was wearing a customised SAM HAM claddagh ring which led Joanna to me. Joanna and John moved back to Ireland from London so we did all of our consultations and design work online. She wanted something like a signet ring, blocky but not too massive as she is quite petite. We incorporated two J’s on the side of the band to represent her and John.
Once the ring was finished I flew to Dublin to deliver it to Joanna. I usually head to Dublin 4 times a year for consultations and drop offs (and maybe a loaf or two of my dad’s brown bread!) This is something I would love to do more of so if you’re based in Ireland don’t let that stop you from reaching out.
All three of these rings highlight the magic of creating a bespoke engagement ring, while they all came from the same designer they remain truly unique. I love to work with my clients to create their dream ring, a one of a kind just for them. It’s not hard to see why these three rings were my favourite bespoke engagement rings of 2023, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did (probably not as much as these brides to be did though!)
Congratulations and best wishes to Simon and Kate, Dylan and Tilly and John and Joanna!
Interested in creating your own custom engagement ring?
If you felt inspired by any of these stories and want to create your own engagement ring, or remodel an existing ring don’t hesitate to get in touch and see what we can design for you.