u/mstabs

Holden

• Pros: Great for gender neutral shopping, has a very welcoming and inclusive brand. Prices are affordable and their production time of 2-3 weeks is pretty fast.
• Cons: Did not feel luxurious or high tier, which I want when spending thousands on diamond rings. The rings they had for me to try were pulled out of little plastic ziploc bags which felt so...cheap? My consultant rifled through a bunch of little plastic pouches to pull rings in different styles and sizes for me which was just not a very elegant display and made feel less excited about the ring itself. She was also very sweet but clearly inexperienced in this industry -- peak Gen-Z, which was fine but didn't exactly fill me with confidence about my purchase since I didn't feel like I was getting any real expertise or advice about the diamond selection other than "that looks pretty on you." She couldn't really answer any questions or provide me with advice beyond the basic 4 C's, like with ratios, choosing intentionally warm / colored diamonds, proportion, etc. Their website is easy to use but the only things you can control are E/F/G color and VS2/VS1/VVS2 clarity without seeing the exact stone itself. Apparently, their gemologist will choose a diamond for you and send you the specs AFTER you place your order so you can go back and forth until you find a stone you like.

Ascot Diamonds

• Pros: Excellent for loose diamond selection and sourcing. I made an appointment by phone and they immediately sourced diamonds to have ready for me by the time I came in. Great expertise on customizations, diamond proportions, what's flattering for my hand specifically, and loose stones in general. I was looking for warm lab diamonds (I/J/K color) which is uncommon and I thought required a more experienced jeweler, and I left feeling confident that they'd be able to find what I was looking for if I chose to proceed.
• Cons: Never followed up with me. It was really weird because they took all the notes during my appointment and said they'd send me a follow-up email and get back to me with the quote for my ring. Never heard back. I even called the following week to ask and remind them for the follow-up email (even just to remind myself what the dimensions of the loose diamonds we were shopping for were), and radio silence. I didn't feel like having to chase down a jeweler to spend my money so I gave up and moved on.

Jean Dousset

• Pros: Breathtakingly beautiful designs. Even though they're limited, his rings are so intentionally crafted and done to the highest level of perfection. I'm always mesmerized by Jean Dousset rings even now when I see them on social media. Their diamond curation is also excellent, so whichever diamond you choose, it's guaranteed to be amazing because their "inventory" has already been shortlisted by hand by Jean Dousset.
• Cons: Customizations are extremely limited, if even allowed at all. They don't make custom rings unless they align with the Jean Dousset aesthetic, so you can't really do much other than choose what's offered with very minimal refinements. I didn't love my sales consultant who was really knowledgable, but it felt pretty impersonal (maybe because I was turned off when she sort of shut down the customizations.)

Lauren B

• Pros: Had all the technical knowledge of diamonds + a strong understanding of the custom ring designs and limitations. I got the best input on ring designs here (e.g., I hated cathedrals but they showed me different KINDS of cathedrals that I didn't know existed, and now I'm sold). I got real advice on loose diamond proportions, and my advisor helped me try different diamonds with a range of dimensions until we found the exact size where we both felt like there was a balance of presence + flattery for my hand shape. As a side note, they can even custom cut diamonds so if I wanted something very specific, they could make it happen and it wasn't terrrrrribly expensive to do (maybe a couple hundred?)
• Cons: They don't allow photography of their rings (loose diamonds are OK) so you'll have to rely on your memory for the settings you try.

Greenwich St Jewelers

• Pros: Curated collection of ring designs that are so unique and different. The rings here feel like they have more personality and are so uncommon to see (e.g., salt and pepper diamonds)..
• Cons: Expensive. It felt like they catered more to natural diamonds but they just weren't compatible with my budget at the end of the day.

My partner and I have created our own ring design because I felt strongly about not wanting a ring anyone else has. I'm working with a jeweler with an active social media presence but I feel a little protective of my design and all the effort, consideration, and details that went in and are really unique to my relationship.

While I'm aware there isn't anything truly new under the sun, I don't like the idea of my ring being posted and screenshotted by others to copy. Am I overreacting? And would it be weird for me to ask a jeweler to not share my ring design with others / on social media?