How Are Engagement Rings Made? A BTS Look at Our Process

With a focus on aesthetics, meticulous attention to detail and impeccable quality—every CUSHLA WHITING ring undergoes an end-to-end creation process that is imaginative, rigorous and mindfully crafted. We are committed to using responsibly sourced metals and stones, and all production happens locally in Australia. 

We begin in a space that is free, wildly creative and imbued with story. These are the foundations to create your dream design. However, once your design has been approved, and the most exquisite and meaningful stone or diamond has been selected, we progress to the production phase, where precision and order reign. 

Whether your ring follows a handmade or CAD design process mostly depends on the design, size and intricacy of your ring. As a guide, finer designs and curvier profiles are best handmade. The CAD process also involves substantive hand-crafting––with our CUSHLA WHITING jewellers finishing and assembling many components by hand. 

Here’s a look at our production process, from start to finish.

CONFIRMING DESIGN AND GEMSTONE/S (SOURCING)
Before the crafting process can begin, our production team will confirm the specifications of the design and our gem team will take a 3D profile of your gemstones. If a gemstone is being sourced for your ring, we will need to wait for this to arrive to ensure that we have the most detailed and accurate measurements before beginning the next stages.

Depending on the design, style and gemstones you have selected, your ring will then either be crafted by a combination of CAD technology and handcrafting; or it will be completely handmade. 

Our more complex designs are usually crafted using a combination of the latest CAD technologies, then hand assembled, set and finished by our master craftspeople as this allows for a greater degree of accuracy for such intricate pieces. 

The production phase of our bespoke process generally takes 8-10 weeks.   

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THE COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN (CAD) PROCESS

CREATING CAD MODEL
Creating the CAD model is the first stage of production, and gives you the opportunity to view an image of a 3D mock-up of your chosen design before physical production begins. The 3D scans of your gemstones are imported into the CAD program so the final image you see is specific to your gems selections. We email these images to you so you can check them at a time convenient to you. 

CASTING
Once you have approved the CAD model, the design will then be cast in your chosen metal. At CW, we partner with local Australian casting house’s who are committed to using responsibly sourced precious metals and eco-friendly manufacturing technologies. Casting occasionally involves printing a resin model of the ring from the 3D file. This is attached to a ‘tree’ and then placed into a heat proof cylinder in a kiln type environment. Molten metal is forced into the cylinder burning out and taking the shape of the resin, thus ‘casting’ the ring.  

ASSEMBLE AND SOLDER
Once your casting is complete and has passed a quality control, the casting is then handed over to our Master Jeweller who comes armed with over 35 years of experience and carefully ‘cleans up’ the components and assembles them together. The ring is frequently cast in multiple parts and then assembled so the jeweller can achieve the highest quality polish and finish.

SETTING
Once the casting has been ‘cleaned up’, the ring is quality checked by our team again (to ensure the assembled ring mount is perfect, to specification and ready to be set); it is then given to our Master Setter. This is a very important and technical part of the process. Setting involves carefully shaping and manipulating the metal so that it securely holds the gems. The process involves substantial force to craft the metal in such a way as to ensure the gemstone is secured, while not applying so much pressure as to damage the stone. It’s a very fine balance that takes extensive knowledge and an experienced hand to perfect.

FINAL POLISH
After setting, your piece will go through another quality control before finally having its final polish and clean to ensure it is in perfect condition.

QUALITY CONTROL (QC)
Your ring is then quality checked (yes again!) by not one, but two of our Production Managers.  Providing customers with only the best quality is a top priority for us.

FINISHED
Your beautiful piece will be carefully packaged in one of our signature ring boxes, and is now ready for collection or postage.

PACKAGING
Once your ring has been completed, it will be nestled into one of our signature ring boxes and placed in a carry bag. Also included in your bag you will find: your final invoice receipt, care and cleaning instructions and any gemstone certification (if applicable).

THE HAND MADE PROCESS

DESIGN DETAILS
The finalised details and specifications for your ring are given to our Master Jeweller, who will then begin crafting your piece by hand.

CREATING THE COMPONENTS
The jeweller will begin the crafting process by carefully melting the gold (or platinum depending on your metal choices) into a workable metal bar and/or wire which is then used to begin crafting the basic shapes required for your piece. A combination of machinery and hand forging is used to bend and shape the metal into each individual component. The stone settings and band are crafted separately to fit the specifications of each stone and the ring. 

ASSEMBLE AND SOLDER
Once the jewellers have created each individual component specifically for your design, they carefully assemble the components together. By crafting the ring in multiple parts it allows them to create precise settings for each unique gemstone and achieve the highest quality polish and finish on each component. 

SETTING
Once assembled, your handmade piece is quality checked by our team again (to ensure the assembled ring mount is perfect, to specification and ready to be set) and is then given to our Master Setter. This is a very important and technical part of the process. Setting involves carefully shaping and manipulating the metal so that it securely holds the gems. The process involves  substantial force to craft the metal in such a way as to ensure the gemstone is secured, while not applying so much pressure as to damage the stone. It’s a very fine balance that takes extensive knowledge and an experienced hand to perfect.

FINAL POLISH
After setting, your piece will go through another quality control before finally having its final polish and clean to ensure it is in perfect condition.

QUALITY CONTROL
Your ring is then quality checked (yes again!) by not one, but two of our Production Team.  Providing customers with only the best quality is a top priority for us.

FINISHED
Your beautiful piece will be carefully packaged in one of our signature ring boxes, and is now ready for collection or postage.

QUALITY CONTROL
Did you know our rings are quality checked at four different stages throughout production?

Here’s a look at what we’re inspecting at each stage:

• After CASTING: Measurements, imperfections, ring size, overall quality
• After CLEAN UP: Imperfections, symmetry, ring size
• After SETTING: Symmetry, stone check 
• After FINAL POLISH (final quality control): highest possible polish, symmetry, size, overall quality, and that it’s ready for presentation! 

PACKAGING
Once your ring has been completed, it will be nestled into one of our signature ring boxes and placed in a carry bag. Also included in your bag you will find: your final invoice receipt, care and cleaning instructions and any gemstone certification (if applicable).

If your ring is being posted to you, it will be wrapped in discreet and environmentally friendly packaging. 

EXPEDITED PRODUCTION
Need your ring sooner than our usual production can offer? Sometimes we can provide an expedited timeline. Chat to one of our consultants today to see if this may be possible for you.

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*PLEASE NOTE: Our bespoke rings require an absolute minimum of three weeks to create. Due to the production process, some designs may not be possible to expedite.