How a Custom Engagement Ring Is Made — and How Long It Takes

The short answer? Custom manufacture at Anny's takes approximately 3–4 weeks from CAD sign-off, subject to design complexity and workshop capacity. Consultation, sourcing and design approval happen before that window. Design, setting and finishing happen in Frankston, with metal casting handled by a specialist Melbourne casting house. You see your design first as detailed CAD images, then as a 3D-printed wax model you can hold and try on before any metal is cast. So you approve the ring twice before it's real, and you're never guessing.

• Small changes at the 3D-print stage are usually made within the hour. We'll confirm the timing of any larger changes.
• Need it sooner? Ready to Ship pieces dispatch from our warehouse in 1–3 business days.
• Ask about an express timeframe. We'll confirm what is achievable for your design and workshop capacity.

How is a custom engagement ring made, step by step?

A custom engagement ring is made in a clear sequence — consultation, a 3D scan of your stones, CAD design, a wax model, casting (by a specialist casting house), setting, then a final size check and handover. At Anny's we tell that journey as three simple steps sitting over a precise seven-step workshop process:

Public step	Workshop steps underneath	What happens
1. Create your design	1. Consultation · 2. 3D scan · 3. CAD design	We listen, scan your stones or existing ring, then design the piece in CAD and send you images.
2. Make the wax model	4. 3D-printed showcase model	A wax model is printed from the CAD file so you can preview and approve before any metal — small changes are usually made within the hour; larger changes need a timing check.
3. Be the proud owner	5. Casting · 6. Size check + modifications · 7. Handover	A specialist casting house casts the metal; we set the stones, check the fit, then hand you the finished ring.

You can read the full sequence on the journey of a custom ring; the six sections below walk the same seven workshop steps in the six stages you actually experience.

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Step 1 — The consultation

The consultation is where we listen. We talk through your ideas, budget, timeframe and the wearer's everyday style, and work out the centre stone, metal and look together. There's no charge to explore it, and you're speaking with the people who'll actually make the ring.

Ring size comes up here too. Australia uses the letter sizing system (A–Z, with half sizes) — the same as the UK, not the US numbers. As a rough guide, women's sizes often sit around N and men's around T (indicative, not a rule); we measure the finger properly at handover, so an early estimate is all we need to begin. This is also where the grading-report conversation starts — browse our diamonds and their GIA or IGI grading reports for a head start.

Step 2 — 3D scan and CAD design

First we 3D-scan your stones or an existing ring with an Artec Micro 3D scanner, capturing them to within microns (Artec 3D) — so the design is built around real measurements rather than a guess, and there are fewer fit surprises later. Then Chris builds the ring in CAD himself, in-house: think of it as a 3D computer model we can spin around on screen and adjust — band width, setting height, prong position — before anything physical exists (Wikipedia: Computer-aided design). Built digitally and 3D-printed, the design captures, as Formlabs describes, "delicate filigrees, raised text, and detailed pavé stone settings ... with incredible sharpness" (Formlabs). You then get CAD images to review and refine — your first chance to approve the ring before any metal is cast.

Step 3 — The 3D-printed wax model

This is the step that answers your biggest fear — "what if it's wrong?" A 3D-printed wax model is a wax-filled resin model printed straight from your CAD file for clean burnout and reliable casting (Formlabs) — a true-to-design, hold-in-your-hand preview of the exact ring, same shape and proportions. You come into the workshop, slip it on, and we sort out any changes together — small changes are usually made within the hour. We'll confirm the timing of larger changes. It's the second of your two approvals before the ring is ever cast.

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Step 4 — Casting the metal

Once you've approved the wax, a specialist casting house casts your ring in your chosen metal using lost-wax casting, a time-honoured method thousands of years old (Wikipedia: Lost-wax casting): the wax pattern is encased in a plaster-like material, melted away in a kiln to leave a hollow cavity, and molten metal is poured in to take its exact shape (Cooksongold).

Anny's works in 9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold — yellow, white or rose — and platinum. We build our rings to last — a little extra thickness and metal where it matters (often around $300–$500 more) so the piece wears well rather than thinning out early. That's positioning, not a guaranteed lifespan — but it's how we'd want our own family's rings made.

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Step 5 — Setting the stones and finishing

With the metal cast, our diamond setter secures your stones and the piece is filed, polished and finished (Wikipedia: Lost-wax casting). A fine ring takes a team — setter, goldsmith and CAD designer — and at Anny's that team of around ten works together, all in-house. For the fine joins this work needs we use an Orotig EvoWhite laser welder: its weld spot can be as small as 0.15 mm, guided by a microscope, and it handles tricky metals like platinum well (Orotig) — contained enough to let a jeweller work close to set stones with confidence.

For an individual diamond, the available GIA or IGI grading report is the neutral, third-party assessment of its 4Cs — cut, colour, clarity and carat. A GIA laser inscription, where present, records the report number on the girdle and can be viewed at 10× magnification (GIA). Anny's natural diamonds are conflict-free.

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Step 6 — Size check and handover

The last workshop step is fit. We check the ring on the finger, make any final size adjustments, then hand you the finished piece — and the aftercare begins, with lifetime cleaning and polishing on every piece we make.

For pieces over $3,000, Anny's provides a complimentary Anny's-supplied written valuation, signed by Chris Ozkoch. It records replacement-value information and item details; confirm your documentation requirements with your insurer and current PDS. The National Council of Jewellery Valuers offers general information about valuations and reassessment (NCJV). Explore our custom-design and jewellery services for the full picture.

How long does a custom engagement ring take to make in Australia?

From CAD sign-off, custom manufacture takes approximately 3–4 weeks, subject to design complexity and workshop capacity. The consultation, 3D scan and CAD design happen before that production window; then the wax-model visit, casting, setting, finishing and final size check follow. We'll explain any complexity, sourcing or workshop-capacity factor that changes the timing before you proceed. Anny's was Established in 1990 in Frankston — our story explains the in-house family workshop behind the process.

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In a hurry? Ready to Ship pieces dispatch from our warehouse in 1–3 business days. Ask about an express custom timeframe; we'll confirm what is achievable for your design, sourcing and workshop capacity before you rely on a date.

What can stretch the 3–4-week production window? A few honest things — and we'll tell you upfront if your design pushes the calendar out:

• Design complexity. Heavy pavé, fine filigree and intricate settings add bench steps a plain solitaire doesn't need.
• Stone sourcing. A rare, large or specific coloured centre stone can take longer to find than a readily available diamond.
• Approval speed. Each round of feedback adds days, so quick replies on the CAD images and wax model keep things moving.
• Peak season. Proposal-heavy periods and end-of-year can lengthen the workshop queue.

Will it be ready in time for the proposal? Tell us your proposal date at the first consultation. We'll confirm what is achievable for your design, sourcing and workshop schedule. Starting roughly 6–8 weeks before the proposal gives unhurried headroom for the consultation, your design approval and any stone sourcing — a little sooner if you've set your heart on a rare or coloured centre stone, or something intricate.

In the city? Our Collins Street showroom (email us before visiting; wait for our email confirmation) is for engagement- and wedding-ring consultations, with a little fact-finding by email first so your visit gets straight to the point. Our Collins Street showroom takes repairs from existing Anny's clients only. Email us first and wait for our confirmation before visiting. Frankston handles all services, including walk-ins, repairs, valuations, engraving, remodelling and a look at the workshop. Email us whenever you're ready, or visit our Frankston workshop in person.

How much does a custom engagement ring cost, and is custom slower or dearer?

Custom isn't automatically dearer or slower. From CAD sign-off, manufacture is approximately 3–4 weeks, subject to design complexity and workshop capacity. As a budget guide, lab-grown-diamond rings sit around AUD $3,000–$6,000 and natural-diamond rings around AUD $8,000–$30,000, depending on the centre stone, metal and design. For the full picture, see our dedicated cost guide.

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Browse Anny's engagement rings when you're ready to start picturing your own.

Custom vs ready-made — which is right for you?

Neither is "better" — it depends on what you need. A custom ring is built around your own choices — hand-pick the centre stone, then metal, setting style, band width and detail are all yours, refined over your two approvals. From CAD sign-off, manufacture is approximately 3–4 weeks, subject to design complexity and workshop capacity. A piece from our Ready to Ship range is already finished, with the stone set, at the marked price. It dispatches from our warehouse in 1–3 business days; this is dispatch timing, not a delivery estimate.

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If you already love a finished design and want it today, ready-made is the easy answer. If you want a say in the stone, the metal or the setting — or you're working with an heirloom stone — custom is where Anny's does its best work, and it's rarely the slower or dearer option people assume it is.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my own diamond or an heirloom stone in a custom ring?

Yes, and it's some of our favourite work. We 3D-scan your loose stone or existing ring first, so the new design is built around its real dimensions (Artec 3D). Chris approaches a remodelling job "like a puzzle" — and you still approve the wax model before any of your stones or metal are committed.

Will the wax model match the finished ring exactly?

Almost — it's a faithful preview, not a to-the-micron clone. A little normal casting shrinkage happens when wax becomes metal, which is why you approve shape and proportions at the wax stage (see Step 3) rather than after casting.

What is included with the valuation, and when should I re-value?

The Anny's-supplied written valuation on pieces over $3,000 (see Step 6) records replacement-value information and item details. Confirm the documentation your insurer requires under your current PDS. Metal and stone prices can move, so reassessment may be useful; the NCJV provides general guidance on valuations and reassessment (NCJV).

What if I've left it late — can a custom ring be rushed?

Ask about an express timeframe. We'll confirm what is achievable for your design, sourcing and workshop capacity before you rely on a date. If a custom build is too tight, Ready to Ship pieces dispatch from our warehouse in 1–3 business days; delivery time is additional.

How many design revisions do I get on a custom ring?

You refine the design at two points before any metal is cast — the CAD images, then the wax model, where small changes are usually made within the hour. We'll confirm the timing of larger changes. Nothing goes to the casting house until you're genuinely happy. On payment, a custom commission requires an 80% deposit at CAD sign-off, with the remaining 20% due on completion or collection.

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Ready to start? Email us about your custom ring, or visit our Frankston workshop (walk-ins welcome) or our Melbourne showroom (email us before visiting; wait for our email confirmation) for an engagement- or wedding-ring consultation, then have a browse of Anny's engagement rings. Frankston handles all other services. We'll talk through the stone, the metal and the design in plain English — and the same team will set and finish your ring. You Imagine. We Create.

About the author

Written by Chris Ozkoch, who does Anny's in-house CAD and 3D-design work and signs Anny's-supplied written valuations. Reviewed by Harry Ozkoch, Master Jeweller — a diamond setter since the age of 16 and the JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards People's Choice winner (2019) for "A Drop Of Love". Anny's Manufacturing Jewellers was Established in 1990 in Frankston, Victoria.

Last updated: 30 August 2026 · Written by Chris Ozkoch · Reviewed by Harry Ozkoch, Master Jeweller.