How long does a bespoke engagement ring take in South Africa?

Question

Accepted Answer

Three to six weeks at a reputable South African workshop. The sequence is: an initial brief and budget appointment, stone selection (one to two weeks later), CAD or wax review (one to two weeks after that), and final handover. A standard solitaire commission runs closer to three weeks; a more complex pavé or three-stone setting runs closer to six. The bespoke commission is the alternative to the retail floor for a buyer who wants the design controlled to their brief. The South African market timeline runs three to six weeks from sign-off to handover, with about four appointments structured around the workshop’s production schedule. Appointment one: the brief. Carat band, colour, clarity, cut, setting style, metal choice, finger size. The buyer leaves with a budget envelope and a pair of working samples to consider. Appointment two: stone selection. The workshop has identified candidate stones, usually three, and the buyer chooses one against the GIA report. Appointment three: design review. The setting has progressed to a CAD render or a wax model; the buyer signs off on proportions, prong style, and any pavé detail. Appointment four: handover, with the finished ring photographed, weighed, and documented. I documented one such commission day-by-day in Bespoke in Bedfordview: a four-week commission, documented. The wider workshop landscape is laid out in Where Johannesburg’s diamond money actually goes.