Most jewellers in Australia won't tell you what a custom engagement ring actually costs. They'll say "it depends," then quote you a starting price that has more in common with retail markup than actual craftsmanship. So I'm going to do the opposite. I'm going to tell you exactly what you can expect to pay, anchored to our signature design and the real numbers we quote every day.
This is written from our Brisbane workshop. Every ring we make is set with lab-grown diamonds, certified by IGI or GIA, and the prices below are in AUD and reflect what we actually sell rings for.
The short answer
Our signature solitaire with hidden halo design, the Alicia Round, starts at $3,980 for a 1ct lab-grown diamond in 18ct gold and goes up to $13,400 for a 5ct D-colour VVS2-clarity stone in platinum. The most popular configurations sit between $4,600 and $7,400.
Custom designs that build on our signature, adding pavé bands, three-stone configurations, more elaborate setting work, or unusual diamond cuts, start where our standard designs leave off and go up from there.
Our most expensive ring to date was $25,000 for a 10ct Emerald cut lab-grown diamond in a fully bespoke setting.Zac Ireland, Head Designer
Our signature design: the Alicia Round price ladder
The Alicia Round is a classic four-claw solitaire with a hidden halo of small diamonds beneath the centre stone. It's our most-commissioned design, available in 18ct yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, and platinum. Here's what it costs by carat size, all set with a lab-grown diamond at our entry grade (E colour, VS1 clarity):
| Carat | 18ct Gold (AUD) | Platinum (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.00ct | $3,980 | $4,180 |
| 1.50ct | $4,600 | $4,800 |
| 2.00ct | $5,400 | $5,600 |
| 3.00ct | $6,400 | $6,600 |
| 4.00ct | $8,300 | $8,500 |
| 5.00ct | $10,200 | $10,400 |
Yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold are all the same price at every carat. Platinum is $200 more across the board. The metal choice should be about how you want the ring to look on your hand, not the cost.
Upgrading the diamond grade
Moving from our entry grade (E colour, VS1 clarity) to our premium grade (D colour, VVS2 clarity) is where you see the most meaningful sparkle and clarity improvement. The upgrade cost scales with carat:
| Carat | E / VS1 (entry) | D / VVS2 (premium) | Upgrade cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00ct | $3,980 | $4,300 | +$320 |
| 1.50ct | $4,600 | $4,950 | +$350 |
| 2.00ct | $5,400 | $5,980 | +$580 |
| 3.00ct | $6,400 | $7,200 | +$800 |
| 4.00ct | $8,300 | $9,400 | +$1,100 |
| 5.00ct | $10,200 | $13,200 | +$3,000 |
At smaller carat sizes, the grade upgrade adds only a few hundred dollars and is almost always worth it. At 5ct, the upgrade becomes substantial because top-grade diamonds at that size are genuinely rare.
See our signature solitaire in person, or browse the full Alicia Round collection.
View the Alicia RoundWhat pushes the price up beyond our signature
The Alicia Round is the baseline. Most custom rings we make are either this design, this design at a higher diamond grade, or this design with one of the following additions. Each comes with its own pricing on top of the table above.
- Pavé side stones along the band. Adding small diamonds set into the band itself increases the price by roughly $1,500 to $3,500 depending on the total carat weight of the side stones.
- Three-stone configuration. A centre stone flanked by two smaller diamonds (typically half-carat each, or matched in proportion). Adds $3,000 to $8,000+ depending on side stone size and grade.
- Full pavé halo. Visible diamond halo around the centre stone, distinct from our hidden halo, which sits below the surface. Adds roughly $2,000 to $4,000.
- Hand-engraved or milgrain detailing. Traditional decorative work, often used in vintage-style designs. Adds $500 to $2,000 depending on complexity.
- Rare or fancy diamond cuts. Antique cushion, old mine cut, elongated radiant and other rare cuts cost more than our standard round, oval, emerald, or radiant. See our diamond shapes guide for a full overview. Expect to add 15 to 30% on the diamond itself.
- Larger stones (above 5ct). A 7ct or 10ct lab-grown diamond setting takes a ring into the $15,000 to $25,000 bracket, even before setting upgrades.
A fully bespoke design with two or more of these additions typically lands between $10,000 and $25,000.
Why we choose lab-grown diamonds
Every diamond in every ring we make is lab-grown. We've designed our entire process around them, and we'd choose them again every time. Here's why.
Identical to mined diamonds. Chemically, optically, and physically the same. Certified by the same labs (IGI and GIA) on the same 4Cs. No one can tell the difference by eye, including jewellers. Read our full lab vs natural guide.
Dramatically more affordable. A 2ct mined diamond at our entry grade prices around $18,000 to $22,000 at most Australian jewellers. The same stone, lab-grown, sits at the centre of our Alicia Round at $5,400. The savings get bigger as the carat scales: a 5ct mined diamond can easily cross $50,000; the lab-grown equivalent in our setting is $10,200.
Ethically grown. No mining, no questions about provenance, no opaque supply chain. Fully traceable from the lab to your finger.
Better for what most people actually want. Whether your budget is $5,000 or $20,000, lab-grown means you can put more of your money into the parts of the ring you'll actually see, a bigger stone, better setting work, a higher grade, and less into a story about where the rock came from.
For us, it's the obvious choice. It's also the choice nearly every one of our clients now makes.
How long does a custom ring take?
Roughly 4 to 6 weeks from first conversation to delivery. Two to four weeks of design consultation and revisions, then ten business days of crafting in our Brisbane workshop. If you need it faster, our ready-to-propose range typically dispatches within 24 hours.
What's included in every price
The price you see is the price you pay. No design fees, no separate charges for resizing within 90 days, no add-ons. Every Orlaithea engagement ring includes:
- Hand-crafted in our Brisbane workshop, by named master jewellers
- IGI or GIA diamond certification
- Free insurance valuation
- Complimentary annual cleaning and inspection, for life
- Lifetime warranty
- Free resize within 90 days
- Heirloom presentation packaging
- Free Australia-wide and worldwide insured shipping
How to budget without compromising
A practical sequence:
- Set your maximum number. Tell us upfront. It changes how we design.
- Start with our signature. The Alicia Round at 1.5 to 2ct in 18ct gold (between $4,600 and $5,400 with an E/VS1 diamond) is a beautifully balanced ring at an entry-friendly price.
- Consider going up in carat before grade. A 2ct E/VS1 is more impactful than a 1.5ct D/VVS2 at roughly the same price. Eye-clean clarity starts at VS2; most people can't tell D from E by sight.
- Setting choice can make a smaller diamond look larger. Our hidden halo design adds approximately 0.3ct of visual carat weight at no additional cost.
- Skip pavé side stones if you're tight. A clean solitaire is timeless and represents the biggest single saving you can make on a custom design.
Have a number in mind? Let's design a ring around it.
Begin a Custom RingFrequently asked questions
What's the cheapest custom engagement ring you can make?
Our entry point is the Alicia Round at 1ct in 18ct gold with an E/VS1 lab-grown diamond, currently $3,980. Below this we'd typically recommend looking at our ready-to-propose range instead.
What's the most expensive ring you've made?
$25,000 for a 10ct Emerald cut lab-grown diamond in a hand-crafted setting. Most of our clients land between $4,500 and $10,000.
Do I pay a design fee?
No. Design and CAD rendering are complimentary, no matter how many revisions. We only charge for the ring itself once you've signed off the final design.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes. We typically take a 50% deposit to begin crafting, with the balance due before dispatch. Payment plans are available for commissions over $10,000. Just ask.
Will the price change between consultation and final delivery?
Only if you change the design materially (upsize the diamond, add a halo, switch to platinum). The original quote covers everything we discussed. No surprises at delivery.
Is the diamond more important than the setting?
The diamond is what you see first, but the setting is what makes the ring fit your hand and last fifty years. The smartest budget allocation is usually 50 to 60% on the diamond, 40 to 50% on the setting and craftsmanship.
Start designing
Every Orlaithea custom engagement ring begins with a conversation. The first one is free, the design is free, and we'll quote you transparently before any deposit is taken.
Zac Ireland is Head Designer and Master Jeweller at Orlaithea, a Brisbane bespoke jewellery house specialising in custom lab-diamond engagement rings.