Questions couples actually ask

Australians spent an average of $6,842 on an engagement ring in 2026 (Easy Weddings industry survey). Made-to-order rings with a certified natural centre typically run $8,000–$20,000; the same designs with a lab-grown centre usually land between $7,500 and $10,500.

We're the only studio we know of that publishes its full cost build — stone, metal, labour, freight and our margin, line by line. See exactly what a ring costs.

With us, typically 4–6 weeks from approved design to delivery, tracked at every stage — design, stone, casting, setting, shipping — so you always know where your ring is. Industry-wide, 6–10 weeks is common.

Proposing on a specific date? Tell us at the first consultation and we'll give you an honest yes or no before you pay anything. See the full week-by-week timeline here.

Designed in Melbourne. Made in Bangkok. Inspected in Melbourne. Matilda designs every ring with you here; our named partner atelier of master goldsmiths in Bangkok casts, sets and hand-finishes it to our published specification; and our Melbourne bench checks it against the approved design before hand-over.

You'll never see "Australian made" on this site because it wouldn't be true — our story page explains the whole supply chain, including why it gets you a better ring for the money.

Every centre stone, no exceptions — GIA for natural, IGI for lab-grown — with the certificate number in your quote before you commit. The original report ships with the ring, along with an independent Australian valuation for insurance. All stones are Kimberley Process compliant. More on certification in the diamond guide.

Whichever is right for you — we sell both, quote every design both ways, and nobody here is on commission. The short version: a 1 ct G VS1 natural retails around $8,000 in Australia and holds some resale value; the identical lab-grown stone is about $1,400 and effectively has none. The diamond guide covers it honestly, prices included.

Three stages, each tied to something you've seen:

1. A $300 design fee to begin — credited in full against your ring.
2. 50% when you approve the exact stone and final render (that's the day we buy your stone).
3. The balance only after you've seen the atelier's QC photos of your finished ring, before it ships.

Quotes are held for 14 days. Some studios take 50% non-refundable up front before you've seen anything; we think that's asking a lot.

Yes. The full process runs over video — consultation, side-by-side stone comparison with certificates, CAD renders and approvals — and the finished ring travels by insured, tracked courier anywhere in Australia. Couples in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth go through exactly the same steps as Melbourne locals.

Your first resize is free, whenever you need it — not inside a token 60-day window — and it's done by our Melbourne bench, so there's no overseas round trip. We also get the size right up front: you try a printed model of your actual ring before anything is cast.

The failures that actually happen. If your centre stone or any pavé stone comes loose in normal wear within two years, we re-set or replace it free — most "lifetime warranties" specifically exclude this. Lifetime cleaning and inspection are included for the life of the ring.

We can make that promise because every ring is built to a published engineering specification — minimum claw thickness, shank section and pavé bead engagement — and inspected against it twice before you ever wear it.

Usually, yes. Bring the piece to a consultation and we'll assess it honestly — the stone's condition, whether it can be safely unset, and what design suits it. If a stone isn't sound enough to re-set, we'll tell you before you've committed to anything. Heirloom stones get the same setting spec as new ones.

Yes. Bring the engagement ring in (or send clear photos and measurements) and we'll design a classic or contoured band that sits properly against it. Plain bands from about $1,450, diamond-set from about $2,200 — itemised like everything else we quote.

Inner Melbourne, by appointment — the address is shared when you book. Appointment-only means the time is yours: 45 minutes with the designer, no walk-in traffic, no hovering. Book here.