Custom Jewelry Process

Custom work is more than half of what we make. Most rings that leave our Fullerton bench were never in a catalog — they started as a screenshot, a half-formed idea, a "can you make something like this?"

Yes. That's the whole business.

Tell us what you're picturing and what you want to spend. We design to your budget, revise the CAD with you until it's right — no limit on adjustments — then build it: IGI-certified lab grown diamond, 14K solid gold. Family-owned in Fullerton since 1988.

Start Your Ring →

Custom lab grown diamond engagement ring by North and South Jewelry

The Ring Doesn't Start Finished

Every custom ring here starts as a CAD render — a precise 3D drawing of your exact ring, viewable from every angle, revised until you approve it. Nothing goes into production on a guess. Here's what that actually looks like, three real orders in a row.

CAD render of Joshua Loza custom engagement ring

Finished custom engagement ring — Joshua Loza order

The design she was picturing — before it existed.

"Brandon really took the time to inform us and understand what my now fiance wanted and helped customize a ring that was exactly her vision."

CAD render of Chris Lewis custom engagement ring

Finished custom engagement ring — Chris Lewis order

Start to finish: the conversation, the render, the ring.

"The craftsmanship is incredible — the ring turned out even better than I imagined."

CAD render of Adrionna Hernandez custom engagement ring

Finished custom engagement ring — Adrionna Hernandez order

A custom engagement ring with an initial detail hidden in the setting — and she came back for the bands.

"They made my dream ring come to life and even helped my fiance customize it with my soon to be initials!"

The CAD is where you get to change your mind for free. Move a prong, lower the profile, hide a detail in the gallery — on screen, it's a revision. On a finished ring, it's a remake. That's why we don't limit adjustments, and why nothing gets cast until you've told us it's right. Switching the design itself — a solitaire to a three-stone, say — starts a new build rather than a revision, but everything short of that stays open until you're sure.

How a Custom Ring Actually Happens

Custom ring consultation at North and South Jewelry

Step One

The Conversation

You bring the idea and the budget. We bring everything we know.

Send a screenshot, a sketch, or just a shape and a budget — that's enough to start. We'll come back with real options: what works, what to watch for, and the things worth deciding now that most people only find out about later.

The profile of your setting, for instance — how high or low the diamond sits — quietly decides whether a wedding band will ever sit flush against it. Nobody thinks about the second ring while designing the first. We do.

Some conversations take a day. Others take three weeks of back-and-forth while you decide. Both are normal.

CAD design render for custom engagement ring

Step Two

The CAD Design

Nothing gets made until you've approved exactly what will be made.

We build your ring in CAD — every angle, every stone — with unlimited free revisions. Many clients keep a classic silhouette up top and hide the personal details underneath: tulip prongs, an etched gallery, a detail only she'll notice.

You can adjust the CAD as many times as you want, at no cost, because approving a render you're not sure about defeats the point of custom. Switching the design itself — a solitaire to a three-stone, say — starts a new build rather than a revision, but everything short of that stays open until you're sure.

Step Three

The Build

An IGI-certified diamond, 14K solid gold, built to the render you approved.

Production starts only after your approval. Your center stone is an IGI-certified lab grown diamond — graded on the same cut, color, and clarity standards as any mined stone, certified independently, chosen for your specific ring rather than pulled from a case. The setting is cast in 14K solid gold and finished by hand: stones set, prongs shaped, surfaces polished at the bench.

Completed custom engagement ring ready to ship

Step Four

The Finish

Checked before it ships, backed after it arrives.

Before anything ships, the ring goes through a final quality check against your approved CAD — stone security, finish, sizing. Most rings are completed and shipped within two to three weeks of CAD approval; complex builds and heavy revision rounds can run longer, and we'll tell you if yours will.

One free resizing is included with every ring — and if any small accent diamond comes loose in the first year, we replace it at no cost. Both are written policies, not favors.

What Comes With Every Custom Ring

IGI certification on every center stone

Every lab grown diamond we set is independently graded by IGI — the same cut, color, clarity, and carat standards used for mined diamonds. Your certificate ships with your ring.

One free resizing, included

Nobody's expected to get the size right the first time. It only needs to almost fit for the big moment. If it's not quite there after, don't worry — we'll make it right.

First-year accent stone replacement

If a small accent diamond comes loose within the first year, we replace it free. The center stone is checked and secured before shipping; the small stones are covered after.

Financing through Affirm

Split your ring into payments — you'll see your exact terms before anything is charged.

170+ Couples Recommend Us

Every one of them left a five-star review on Google.

Custom Ring Questions, Answered Straight

How long does a custom engagement ring take?

Most custom rings are finished and shipped within two to three weeks of your CAD approval. The design phase before that moves at your pace — some clients approve the first render, others refine it over several rounds.

How much does a custom lab grown engagement ring cost?

You set the budget in the first conversation, and we design the ring to it — not the other way around. Lab grown diamonds cost a fraction of mined stones at the same size and grade, which is what makes custom work possible at budgets where it used to be off the table.

Are lab grown diamonds real diamonds?

Yes — same carbon, same crystal structure, same brilliance, graded on the same IGI standards as mined stones. The only difference is where the diamond was grown, which is also why the price is different.

What if I don't really know what I want yet?

That's the most common starting point, and the conversation is built for it. Send whatever you have — a screenshot, a shape, a budget — and we'll come back with directions instead of a blank form.

Do I have to visit the store?

No — the entire process runs remotely through messages and CAD renders, and we ship nationwide. If you're near Fullerton, you're always welcome at the counter, but most custom clients never set foot in it.

What if the finished ring doesn't fit?

One free resizing is included with every ring, so a sizing miss costs you nothing. Most settings resize cleanly because a plain section of the shank can be cut and rejoined without disturbing the stones.

Can I put a hidden detail in the ring?

Yes — hidden details are half of what makes custom worth doing. Etched galleries, tulip prongs, initials worked into the setting: customization that lives on the profile and underside, where only the wearer knows to look.

Start Your Ring

You don't need a finished idea. You need a starting point — and this form is two minutes long. Tell us what you're picturing, what you'd like to spend, and when you need it. A real person reads every inquiry and replies usually the same business day, sometimes the next.

"She's so accommodating to every need you may have and is so flexible. I've purchased so many pieces from her in a short amount of time and I always keep coming back."
— Cindy L., Google review (repeat customer)

"It fits perfectly and the bling factor is phenomenal! So many compliments on it already and it hasn't even been 24 hours."
— Klyn1224, Google review

Custom engagement rings made by North and South Jewelry

Every ring in this photo started as a message.

Start Yours →