Clients ask us what a custom ring costs, and the honest answer is that it depends on four numbers that move independently. Here is how those numbers land on a typical $1,600 order from our workshop.
The split on a real job
| Line | Typical share | On a $1,600 ring |
|---|---|---|
| Center stone | 25% to 45% | $400 to $720 |
| Metal | 12% to 20% | $190 to $320 |
| Setting and bench labour | 20% to 30% | $320 to $480 |
| Finishing, CAD and QC | 10% to 15% | $160 to $240 |
| Certificate, box, insured shipping | 4% to 6% | $64 to $96 |
The stone is the only line that swings that widely, and it is the only line where spending more buys something you can see from across a room.
Where the money hides by weight
Metal is priced by gram, and grams are invisible. A size 7 band at 2mm wide and 1.8mm thick weighs about 3.4 grams in 14k gold. Bump the width to 2.5mm and deepen the profile and you are at 4.6 grams. That is a third more gold for a change most clients cannot see on the hand, and at current gold prices it is roughly $80 to $110 on the invoice.
Platinum is denser. The same band in platinum weighs close to 5.6 grams and costs roughly two and a half times the 14k gold figure. It also takes an extra bench day because platinum polishes differently, at higher temperature with different compounds. We are glad to build in platinum. We just want clients to know the ring will feel heavier and the week will be longer.
Where to spend
- Center stone cut quality. A well-cut stone of modest size outperforms a duller, larger one. Always.
- Setting security. Six prongs over four on an active hand, a V-prong on a pear point. This is not decoration.
- Shank thickness at the base. Going from 1.4mm to 1.8mm costs a little metal and buys years of wear before a resize is needed.
Where to save
- Metal color and karat. 14k white gold and 18k white gold look nearly identical once both are rhodium plated. The 18k costs more and scratches sooner.
- Hidden detail under the gallery. Fancy filigree on the underside is invisible in daily wear. Nobody has ever noticed ours except the person who cleans the ring.
- Accent stones on the shoulders. Dropping eight accent stones saves $150 or more and barely changes the silhouette.
- Size. A 6.5mm round instead of 7.5mm can take $300 off the stone line for a difference you would only spot side by side.
What we will not do to hit a budget
We will not set a stone in a head that is too light for it, and we will not sell a hollow shank to hit a price. Two clients last year asked us to shave the band to 1.2mm to save money. We built both at 1.5mm and explained why, and one of them came back two years later thanking us after a friend's thinner band had bent.
Ask any shop for the four lines separately. A quote that is one number with no breakdown is a quote you cannot audit, and you should assume the cheapest line has been cut to protect the margin.