{"id":25084,"date":"2016-05-02T09:00:32","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=25084"},"modified":"2018-05-30T16:24:07","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T20:24:07","slug":"how-i-made-the-ring-that-made-her-say-yes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/how-i-made-the-ring-that-made-her-say-yes","title":{"rendered":"How I Made the Ring That Made Her Say Yes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every wedding starts with a proposal, and mine is no different. My story starts with an engagement ring. The 3D printed engagement ring I designed for my wife, Jen.<\/p>\n

\"custom<\/a>

Jen’s engagement ring!<\/p><\/div>\n

I\u2019m Dan, BTW, and you\u2019ll be hearing a lot from me these next three weeks as we talk about weddings because I designed and 3D printed several things for my wedding in March. Yes, I did that because I work at Shapeways and have access to amazing technology and talented people, but also because I wanted my wedding to have custom touches, to be meaningful for my family and friends and not just a commercialized, cookie cutter event. I could have gone the DIY route, but why pull out the hammer and saw when I could simply design something, upload the file and have it made professionally instead?<\/span><\/p>\n

For the uninitiated it may sound hard to design a ring, but it\u2019s more time intensive than difficult. It took four months start to finish. More time than shopping for a ring, sure, but the result was something completely personal and it cost at least 50% less than if I\u2019d bought it retail from a major name brand, even with the design and jeweler fees and the multiple prototypes. This is how I did it.<\/p>\n

Find an Experienced 3D Designer with Shapeways<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I didn\u2019t design the ring by myself. I knew I needed an experienced 3D designer, someone who had created settings before. Scott Denton<\/a>, one of Shapeways\u2019 <\/a>Designers<\/a>, came highly recommended. I liked his aesthetic, that he\u2019s based in New York, and is super chill. He made the process easy.<\/p>\n

Be clear about the design you want<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Jen made the design process easy too. She had a Pinterest board filled with engagement rings she liked. All I had to do was look through them to start compiling design themes; she liked clean simple styles, and also ones with antique engraved elements.<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a>

Jens Wedding Pinterest Board<\/p><\/div>\n

But I didn\u2019t just want the ring to be beautiful, I wanted it to be functional, something comfortable that fit her lifestyle. She\u2019s a dentist and constantly taking gloves on and off all day, so the setting couldn\u2019t be big or too high. And her hands are small–a 3 ring size–so the design needed to be proportional.<\/p>\n

Discuss Your Design With a Reputable Jeweler<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While Scott or I could have attempted to set the stone ourselves, given the importance and cost of this ring, I wanted a professional to ensure the setting would last. Through personal recommendations, I found an experienced jeweler. He and I discussed the kind of ring I had in mind, and he gave a lot of great feedback on the kind of stone and setting I\u2019d need. I recommend finding a professional for this and having a long conversation both to ensure they have the skills needed and that you\u2019re designing your ring with the best setting in mind.<\/p>\n

Buy a Stone<\/h2>\n

After considering my design and the conversations I had the jeweler, I settled on a stone size based on looking at diamonds in New York City’s diamond district. It\u2019s pretty tricky to get a sense of how proportions will work by looking at pictures and renders so it\u2019s helpful to take a look in person if you can, even if it\u2019s a regular jewelry shop. I ended up buying the diamond wholesale in New York City but if there isn’t a wholesaler near you, there are some good online options, like Blue Nile.<\/p>\n

\"3D<\/a>

Prototypes of the engagement ring<\/p><\/div>\n

Iterate Your Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I spelled out my design ideas for Scott, sharing a few of Jen\u2019s pins, and I also got him the exact dimensions of the diamond I\u2019d bought along with her ring size. He came back with a rough sketch and we iterated the design from there, swapping sketches till we landed on the right design and it could be built out as a 3D file.<\/p>\n

Prototype Your Ring<\/b><\/h2>\n

We prototyped it first in Frosted Ultra Detail (FUD), one of Shapeways\u2019 plastics, and realized the ring was too thin. The engravings also weren\u2019t coming out as planned, even though they\u2019d look great in the renderings. We thickened and beveled everything then printed in FUD again. Happy with that version, we tested it out in silver before doing the final print in platinum and having the jeweler set the stone.<\/p>\n

\"Dan_jewelerring\"<\/a>

The jeweler setting the stone<\/p><\/div>\n

PROPOSE!!\ud83c\udf89\ud83c\udf89\ud83c\udf89<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The whole proposal was a surprise, including the ring, my renting out and decorating a lounge, inviting Jen\u2019s close friends and family, and taking her there under the guise of our going to a friend\u2019s Memorial Day BBQ. I was pretty sure the ring would be a good fit, but wasn\u2019t 100% sure, and it wasn\u2019t like I could return it, so was naturally nervous. But the fit was perfect, and she loved it! She talked about it nonstop and even ran up to strangers to show them how it was 3D printed. Oh, and she said yes, but you knew that already.<\/p>\n

\"Dan<\/a>

SHE SAID YES!<\/p><\/div>\n

Want more proposal stories? Read about Matthew and Mindy\u2019s 3D printed wedding proposal.<\/a><\/p>\n

3D printing with Shapeways let you create the special gift for an even-more special person.<\/p>\n

MAKE IT YOUR OWN<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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