Ancient Tradition
During Hellenistic times, men formalized marriage agreements with the unique piece of custom made jewelry that has come to be known as the engagement ring by placing it on the fourth finger of his betrothed’s left hand. In ancient Rome, it was said that this particular finger contained the vena amoris – literally, the “vein of love.”

This tradition as continued to the present day, as this form of custom designed jewelry continues to be worn on what we now call the “ring finger” of the left hand, at least in North America and the U.K. In some cultures however – such as those of Poland and among orthodox Jews – custom design engagement rings are actually worn on the right hand.

It’s More Than Gold and Diamonds
Those who work in the field of custom jewelry design create a wide variety of custom design engagement rings, which can range from plain metal bands made from white, yellow or red gold, silver, or even platinum. Tradition dictates that diamond be used in such custom made jewelry, but such tradition hardly has the force of law – which is the great thing about custom jewelry design. “Custom” means you can have it your way – so if your betrothed for some reason prefers sapphires to diamonds, there’s no reason why such a piece of custom handcrafted jewelry be created!

They’re Not Just For Women Anymore
It’s a rare custom at present, but the practice is becoming increasingly common: women who at the time of an engagement, purchase custom design engagement rings for their men. In Northern Europe, it is actually quite common for both the man and the woman to wear rings during the engagement. In Spain, a woman’s choice for custom men’s jewelry when she accepts a marriage proposal is a wristwatch.

Do What You Want
Traditions are made to be broken – it’s not like the Middle Ages when the Church provided literal “engagement police.” If both want to wear custom design engagement rings that are elaborate and feature expensive gem settings or simple gold or silver bands, an online ring designer is available to provide those one or two-of-a-kind custom handcrafted jewelry pieces. After all, the best custom design engagement rings are the ones that please you and your betrothed. Find a company that will let you design your jewelry, instead of choosing from options they present, to make sure you receive exactly what you want. Also ask for samples, and remember: custom jewelry does not have to be just an engagement ring. Custom design anything for a more personal touch. In a world where you can even get personalized corporate gifts, you should definitely get a custom gift for that extra special someone. You design we create.com is one company that offers both personal, and corporate, custom gifts. The whole point is getting something personalized, and it doesn’t have to be very expensive. Custom jewelry can also be made in silver, which makes it a more accessible option available from youdesignwecreate.com than gold alternatives.