You will want your engagement ring to look exactly how you want it and it's our job to help you come up with a design that is stunning but also going to best suit your life style.

Please browse the designs to the right hand side of this page for an education on ring designing! We will advise on all aspects of the design and help you understand the pricing of the ring and stone options so we can create something that suits you and your budget.

We advise you make an appointment for a free design consultation, please call 01256 355945 or email info@petrajewellery.com

There are essentially two main ways of setting a centre stone into a ring: 'claw set' and 'rubover' set (see picture 2).

This picture shows a four claw setting. The disadvantage of claws is that they can catch on things and might need re-tipping as they wear thin over time.

Picture reference: R1-135: Four claw 'Lucida' style

Guide price in 18ct white gold £450 + diamond, e.g. 0.25ct (4.0mm) G colour, top SI clarity at £600: total therefore £1050.

Please contact us for more guide prices in 18ct palladium rich white gold or platinum with different diamond size and quality options.

This is a full rubover setting where the metal goes all the way around the stone.

This is really secure, this is an extremely wearable design and also has no light holes cut out which can tend to get gunked up with soap and hand cream.

Picture reference: R1-187: Full rubover setting with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Please contact us for guide prices.

This is a full 'partial rubover setting where the metal doesn't go all the way around the stone; there can be a 'U' or perhaps 'V' shape created in the side of the setting. This is also a very secure way of setting a centre stone.

Picture reference: R1-78: Partial rubover setting with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Please contact us for guide prices.

This is a three claw setting so the claws have been made a little 'beefier' to ensure the stone is as secure as possible. They have a 'crescent' cross-section.

We would be reluctant to make this ring mount in anything other than platinum because it is the hardest wearing metal.

Picture reference: R1-74: Three claw setting with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Please contact us for guide prices.

This is a classic six claw setting. With more claws each claw can be a little finer as more of the surface area of the stone is covered. These claws have a round cross section.

We would be reluctant to make this ring mount in anything other than platinum because it is the hardest wearing metal.

Picture reference: R1-144: Partial rubover setting with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Please contact us for guide prices.

Here we have a cast ring mount where the shank splits and goes each side of a round stone to form the setting. One piece castings can be designed so that the metal 'flows' around the finger and stone.

This design is extremely wearable however would need shaped wedding band (which we normally stock; it looks fantastic)!

Picture reference: R1-88: Partial rubover setting with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Please contact us for guide prices.

This is a two piece ring where the head can be cast in one metal; typically a white metal and the shank in another; typically 18ct yellow gold. With a two piece ring you can choose from a selection of various styles of settings and shanks.

This design is a good example a shank that is split slightly vertically, but you could have a solid shank, for example.

Picture reference: tbc: two piece ring with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Please contact us for guide prices.

This is a totally hand-made bespoke ring mount set with the customer's inherited stones. You have the option to be very specific about your design ideas and take elements of designs you like and incorporate them into a ring that would be a one-off piece made especially for you!

Picture reference: Derek - tear-shaped sapphire & diamond cluster

Price for bespoke pieces on consultation. Please contact us.

This is also a cluster ring but a cast design with a shaped wedding band cast to fit it perfectly. We can put any stone in the middle and will advise on what will best suit your requirements.

The surrounding round brilliant cut diamonds will be a minimum quality of G colour, Vs clarity.

Picture reference: DSWC3

Price depends very much on the quality of the centre stone.

This ring is set with a princess cut diamond; probably the second most popular shape of diamond. In this design the four claws are right-angle in profile (which will wear well) and the shank is as wide as the head of the ring with the width tapering slightly as it goes around the finger.

The cost of this design will possibly be a bit more than a more traditional design because there is a lot more metal required to make it. It should however last a lifetime!

Picture reference: tbc

Other than round and princess cut (square) diamonds there are other fancy cut shapes including emerald cut (a rectangle with the corners cut off), cushion cut (square with rounded corners), oval, heart-shaped, tear drop, baguette (rectangular) and trilliant (triangular).

We would recommend you view a selection of stones as they can vary in proportions...an oval cut stone for example can be 'short and fat' or 'long and thin'; we'd aim for nice 'in-between' proportions.

Picture reference: R1-251 - Picture 11– Marquise cut ring

There are countless design options with various combinations of different shape stones, possibly a coloured gem stone in the centre, different ratios of the size of the middle stone to the side stones and so on. This partial rubover design is another very 'wearable' ring.

We often stock this ring in 18ct yellow gold with a lively ruby in the middle and it also looks stunning in white gold with a pretty pink sapphire.

Picture reference: R3-76 - Three stone ring

Wed-fit' or 'snuggle fit' are terms used referring to engagement rings where the underside of the setting is designed to enable the wedding band to tuck in underneath it.

Quite often the diameter of the centre stone will overhang the width of the ring shank and you'll therefore need a shaped wedding band (see our Shaped Wedding Rings section).

In this design however the base of the setting curves inwards to allow a straight wedding band to sit right up against it with no gaps.

Picture reference: DSR1

Sometimes we have customers who wish for a less conventional engagement ring design.

You can come in armed with pictures to give us a feel for your taste, you can do your own sketches which we can develop into a workable ring design, or you can simply be guided through the design process perhaps using the many examples of contemporary rings in our shop.

The design process can be as extensive as you require it to be. Please contact us for an example of one of our detailed Design Briefs.