How Much Does It Cost To Get A Ring Made? [On Average]

You may be thinking of getting a ring custom made. But how much does it typically cost and what are some of the main factors that influence the price? I spent some time researching to find out exactly how to prepare and budget for such an order.

So, how much does it cost to get a ring made? It typically costs between $500-$2500 to get a ring custom made, although prices can go up to or even exceed $6000. The price will vary greatly depending on a number of factors including: the style of ring required, the materials used, any gemstones included and their size, the cost of labor, the reputation of the jeweler among others. 

There are many reasons why you may want to get a bespoke ring made. It could be for a birthday, an engagement, a wedding or another significant and special occasion.

Either way, the price will largely be reflected by what, when and where you decide to order.

Beyond this you also have to take into account whether a ring is being made completely from scratch, or repurposed. Sometimes you may have the diamonds or other gemstones to hand which will of course, save you considerably.

Whether you decide to purchase a ready-made ring from a jewellery store, or a personalized and custom made ring upon your request; your choice will ultimately center around your budget and what you can realistically afford.

So, let us explore some of the different factors and how they influence the price.

This way, you will know what to budget and will be able to set your expectations accordingly.

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Custom Ring Made?

The average price range of having a custom ring made varies between $500 and $6,000. Although, to get a more specific price will depend on several factors including:

• Style
• Materials
• Gemstones
• Metals
• Colors
• Hours of work
• Remaking
• Design

And those are only part of all the details that comprise a price of a custom made ring.

Also, it is very important to make the difference between remaking a ring and creating a ring from scratch with all personalized details that you can request.  

Let’ take a closer look!

Remaking Or Recreating A Ring

The cheaper and more affordable option is to get one of your existing rings remade or recreated.

This could be a simple re-touching, a small or minor improvement or something much more substantial such as swapping the gemstone out for another one, for instance.

Equally, if you own a ring that is distorted, damaged, unworn or the wrong size, you can generally get this refashioned into a new ring.

But what can you expect to pay?

A badly damaged Palladium ring with a distorted band and gemstone will typically cost around $550, including setting and finishing details.

However, if your ring is made from Platinum, the price for repair, remaking or recreation is likely to cost up to $1300.

The price will also depend on the level of damage; such as whether gemstones need to be completely replaced or a new design is required. For this, the price can reach $1500 and higher.

Its also important that you understand the difference between remaking, recreating and resetting a ring:

• Remaking and recreating can be anything from building a new ring from existing materials to fixing larger damages such as a distorted band.
• Resetting means fixing minor damages or details, such as adjusting the size or setting the stones with a more stable base to stand on.

To set your expectations realistically, you will be looking at $500-$1000 for a ring to be remade.

For retouches, prices are typically much lower – ranging from $80 to $250.

Still, there are always other factors which will influence the price.

The main ones to always consider is the reputation of the jewelers, their location, the amount of work that needs to be done and the level of expertise and craftmanship required to pull it off.

Creating A Ring From Scratch

If you want a ring made from scratch, then there are various elements that you need to take into consideration which will largely impact the price

• The metal used for the band,
• The gemstones used in the setting,
• The design and time required,

Let us now look at each one and how they impact the price:

The most popular metals include: 14k Gold, 18KGold, Palladium and Platinum, starting from the least expensive to the most expensive.

Sometimes, a combination of metals may be necessary or even desired. For example, if there are any allergies to specific materials.

In this context, a jeweler may put gold on the outside and platinum on the inside to avoid gold being in contact with the skin while also keeping the costs somewhat lower.

Diamonds are, of course, the preferred choice of gemstones for engagements rings. They are the most expensive.

But there are other, more affordable diamond alternatives (such as Moissanite, Sapphire, Emerald and Ruby) and even synthetic lab grown diamonds too.

For the latter, they look exactly like real diamonds but their chemical composition is different. Being lab grown they are considerably cheaper. Otherwise, there is always the option for a combination of the two.

The design and amount of time required will also affect the price greatly.

The least time-consuming work is creating a simple, one-stone classic ring, such as from a replica of a photograph.

Next, will be a ring that the jeweler has some pre-existing designs of, or that are not entirely complex.

Finally, the most expensive and complicated option is a concept, usually created from a sketch. It generally involves a lot of design work with several revisions and discussions of details.

So, based on these three different factors, an average price of a custom made ring from scratch can be:

• For 14k or 18k Gold ring with a simple design – $1,500–$1,895
• For a gold ring with diamond alternatives – $1,750 – $2,100
• For a gold ring with diamonds and sketched design – $5,800 – $6,175

Have in mind that these prices are for orientation – they can change quite considerably depending on your jewler and your exact design required.

Is It Cheaper To Get A Ring Made?

It can be cheaper to get a ring made, so long as they are done so in accordance with your specified budget and your jeweler works to those requirements.

However, it does depend on the type of ring you require, and where of course you will be getting it from.

Rings “off shelves” certainly can be overpriced, and there is also a matter of licensing fees, labor costs and potential transportation which may be factored in and reflected in the price, raising them accordingly.

But, if you are after something very bespoke, all of the additional work can make it much more expensive.

How Much Does It Cost To Make A Ring If You Have The Diamonds?

It generally costs between $1000-$2000 to make a ring if you already have the diamonds. You’ll need to pay for the labor costs, any design time and the price of the metal used.

When broken down, it generally costs around $500 for design, $1,000 for the metals and a further $250-$500 for the labor time.

Although as per usual, the total cost will vary and will depend on the designer/jeweler used.

Can You Make A New Ring Out Of An Old Ring?

It is possible to make a new ring out of an old ring, but there is no guarantee that the new ring will be of the same quality if only the base materials were used.

This is because destroying a piece of jewelry usually leads to a disturbance in the quality of the metal. It is for this reason generally not recommended.

Melting is one such option to do this, but the more reputable jewelers will advise against this process.

Instead, forging an old ring with new materials/metals is generally the best option.

How Much Does It Cost To Melt A Ring And Make A New One?

The price of melting and making a new ring typically costs between $250 and $500.

Although, it depends on the ring being melted, the complexity of the design requested, the jeweler undertaking the work and how long it will typically take.

Equally, it depends on the size of the ring you want in the remake. More materials may be required and this will incur cost.

If possible, using recycled metals is the cost-effective approach here.

Finally

It is quite challenging to set a fixed price for the creation of a custom made ring. Although, between $500-$6000 is an average and fair estimate.

You have to consider that there are so many factors involved; but the good news is that you can generally control the price and get something created in accordance with your budget.

For this reason, it can be a lot cheaper to have a custom ring made.

Take for example engagement rings. According to statistics for 2020, the average cost of an engagement ring was $5000.

With a custom order, you could absolutely get an engagement ring created for as low as $1000.

If you are serious about getting a custom ring made, then be sure to do your research and due diligence ahead of time.

Look into jewelers in your area, their reputation, and reviews from other customers.

Look at what they typically do and the portfolio of their work.

If they have a specific style that you like, and want a custom ring made to look like, it may save you quite a bit on the design costs!

Nevertheless, consider what you can realistically afford and take into account the preferences of individual the ring is for.

Generally, the more complex the project, the better quality the materials, the more time it will take to do, and the better the jeweler – the more you can expect to pay.

If you do have any old rings lying around, then it may be an option to repurpose them. Its worth considering and discussing with your jeweler at the very least.