FAQ

What is an engagement ring?

Traditionally engagement rings are gifted when you ask your loved one to marry them. We do find nowadays though that people have their own ideas as to when and how to give an engagement ring. One thing that seems undisputed is that it’s a clear symbol of love and commitment to someone else.

What should an engagement ring look like?

For some people it’s important that your engagement ring clearly looks like a traditional ‘engagement ring’ and that’s probably a solitaire which is a single diamonds set in a simple ring design. There are so many other ideas and options that are really popular at the moment though; cluster rings, triliogy rings, contemporary rubover settings… have a look at our engagement ring portfolio for examples of all of these.

How do I get the right design?

A really good start point is to understand your (or her) style - we look at what she already wears and if she wears very little jewellery then we can also take a steer from clothes, handbags, even interior design. Your engagement ring should be something you’re going to love to wear for a lifetime so it’s really important it suits you from both a design and technical perspective.

If you want to create a ring as a surprise then you can show us photos or simply describe it to us and look at examples in the shop.

You can always gift just the design sketches and/ or some stones too and invite your loved one in for their very own personal design experience. We can create a Champagne Design Experience for them too.

What stones should be in engagement ring?

You can have any stone of your choice in your engagement ring, the majority of designs we are asked to make are set with diamonds because they are the most hard wearing of all gem stones and also probably because they are so pure white in colour so they go with everything.

We will always advise you on quality, practicality and colours and show you examples too so there a plenty of alternatives to diamonds if you want to explore options.

Can you use my stones?

We can, sometimes people bring in inherited stones from old pieces of jewellery for example. We still feel we have a duty of care to advise on suitability and quality but we have no problem using your stones and setting them in to a new ring. Sometimes we provide new stones to complement yours too.

How much should I spend on an engagement ring?

There are plenty of comments on the internet about spending a month or two month’s wages on an engagement ring… we tend to aim to provide you with an idea of what it will cost to make the design you like, sometimes in a choice of metals and then we can provide a selection of stones to suit your budget. These might vary a bit in size and quality so we can help you decide what your priorities are and what you’re comfortable spending.

It’s true, people often increase their budget once they understand what they are investing in and how certain metal, design and stone choices long term are more economic.

We genuinely don’t mind what you spend, as long as it’s right for you.

How long does it take to make?

Depending on what detail it can take on average between 5-7 weeks If you need it made sooner let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

If I pick a stone at Petra's, will it be set into my new ring?

Yes, we love to give you the opportunity to handle some loose stones and talk you through the properties and what distinguishes each stone. If you find a stone that you love, we can set that stone aside to go into your new bespoke ring.

Do I need to get my ring insured?

It always depends on what your insurance company requires for your policy but we always recommend, for peace of mind, that a special piece of jewellery such as an engagement ring should be insured. We can povide an insurance valuation for £45 on a ring we make which can then be given to your insurance company.