FAQs

Hatton Garden is London's diamond and bespoke jewellery district — a single street where the entire UK fine jewellery supply chain lives: diamond cutters, setters, hallmarking, master engravers, and CAD designers all within five minutes' walk. Buying from a Hatton Garden workshop like President Jewellers means you cut out two or three layers of middleman markup that high-street chains carry. The same ring sold in a national chain typically costs 30 to 60 percent more than the equivalent piece made by a Hatton Garden workshop, because the chain has to pay for prime-location showrooms and large staff teams.

The reputable ones — yes, completely. Look for three signals: (1) a registered sponsor mark with the London Assay Office, (2) GIA, IGI or HRD certification on every diamond, and (3) a written insurance valuation issued with your ring. President Jewellers carries all three. Avoid any jeweller who refuses to give you the certificate before you pay, who quotes an unusually low price for a high-grade stone, or who pressures you to commit on the day. A trustworthy Hatton Garden jeweller will let you take photographs of the diamond and certificate home, sleep on it, and come back.

Yes — typically 30 to 60 percent less for the same specification. National chains carry the cost of prime-location showrooms, large advertising spends, and multi-layer wholesale markups. Hatton Garden workshops source diamonds directly from cutters and set them in their own workshops, so you pay for the stone and the work — not the brand premium. We are happy to price-match any directly comparable diamond from a reputable competitor with the same GIA/IGI specification.

Every President Jewellers engagement ring begins as a hand-crafted silver prototype. Before a single gram of precious metal is cast, we produce an exact replica of your chosen setting — same proportions, same weight, same feel. You approve it, and only then do we cast your ring in your chosen metal. You receive progress updates at each stage, and your finished ring is delivered within 7 to 14 days of approval.

Most bespoke engagement rings take 4 to 6 weeks from order to final delivery. The silver prototype stage takes around 2 to 3 weeks; once you approve it, your ring is cast, set, hallmarked at the London Assay Office and polished within a further 7 to 14 days. If you have a fixed deadline — a proposal date, an anniversary, a flight — tell us at the consultation and we will confirm upfront whether it is achievable.

Yes. You will always see a hand-crafted silver prototype of your ring before any precious metal is committed. The prototype is the exact size, weight and proportion of the finished piece, so you can try it on, photograph it from every angle, sleep on it, and adjust the design before we cast it. No other UK jeweller offers this stage as standard.

Yes. Around half of our engagement rings start from a sketch, a Pinterest board, a screenshot, or a single image — not a setting on our site. Book a consultation and we will work with you through sketches and 3D renders to translate your idea into a finished design, then prototype it in silver before any metal is cut.

Yes. We frequently reset family diamonds, sapphires and other heirloom stones into new settings. We can also remodel an existing ring entirely — melting down the old metal and using the original stones in a redesigned piece. Bring the ring to your consultation, or post it to us insured, and our gemologist will assess the stones in person at our Hatton Garden office.

Yes. Whether the engagement ring was made by us or elsewhere, we can design a wedding band that sits flush against it. If your engagement ring is from us we already have the CAD file. If it is not, send us photographs and your ring size and we will draft a matching band in the same metal, profile and stone-count.

Yes. For every centre stone we send you 360° HD video and a magnified close-up of the actual diamond we will set in your ring — not a stock image. If you are in London you can view the stone in person at our Hatton Garden office before it goes to the setter, with our GIA-qualified gemologist on hand to walk you through it.

Every diamond we supply comes with a grading certificate from GIA, IGI or HRD — three of the world's leading independent gemological laboratories. The certificate documents the stone's cut, colour, clarity and carat weight to internationally recognised standards. Our GIA-qualified gemologists are available to walk you through any certificate before you commit.

Natural diamonds form over billions of years beneath the earth's surface. Lab-grown diamonds are chemically and physically identical, produced in a controlled environment over a few weeks. Both are real diamonds — the difference is origin, supply, and price. Lab-grown diamonds typically cost 60 to 80 percent less than natural stones of equivalent grade, and the inscription on the girdle states their origin. Our gemologists can help you weigh which is right for your budget and values.

The 4Cs are cut, colour, clarity and carat. Cut has the biggest visible effect — it determines how the diamond returns light, and an Excellent or Ideal cut will outperform a higher-graded but poorly cut stone. Colour grades from D (colourless) to Z; D to H typically look identical to the eye but vary significantly in price. Clarity grades from FL to I3; VS2 to VVS1 are eye-clean and the sweet spot for most buyers. Carat is weight, not size — two 1ct stones can look very different depending on cut. We recommend prioritising cut first, then choosing the best colour and clarity within your budget.

Every natural diamond we supply is conflict-free under the Kimberley Process and sourced from suppliers who comply with the World Diamond Council's System of Warranties. Our lab-grown diamonds are produced in controlled environments and carry an additional guarantee of origin. If full traceability matters to you, we can prioritise stones with Canadian, Botswana or fully tracked origin documentation — just ask at the consultation.

Yes. We work with sapphires (blue, pink, yellow, teal, padparadscha), emeralds, rubies, aquamarine, morganite, tanzanite, tourmaline, garnet, alexandrite, opal and over twenty other coloured stones. Each stone is hand-picked from our suppliers against your specific brief — we do not list pre-cut inventory. Tell us colour, size and budget and we will source options within days.

Yes. If you have seen a specific certified diamond or coloured gemstone elsewhere, send us the certificate number or supplier details and we will quote on sourcing the same stone — usually at a noticeably better price than a high-street showroom. We also offer access to our full supplier network if you brief us on shape, size, colour, clarity and budget.

Not by eye — they are chemically and optically identical. Telling them apart requires specialist equipment that detects nitrogen content (natural diamonds contain trace nitrogen; lab-grown diamonds do not) or specific fluorescence patterns under shortwave UV. Every lab-grown diamond we supply is laser-inscribed on the girdle with its certificate number and origin, visible under 10x magnification. This is the gemological standard — your stone is never ambiguous.

Honestly: natural diamonds hold resale value better. Natural diamonds typically retain 30 to 50 percent of retail price on the secondary market because supply is geologically constrained. Lab-grown diamonds have low resale value because supply is effectively unlimited, and the wholesale price has been falling year-on-year. If resale value matters to you, choose a natural diamond. If you want the largest, highest-quality stone for your budget and intend to keep the ring, lab-grown is excellent value. We are happy to talk this through with you honestly at the consultation.

Three honest disadvantages: (1) Low resale value — supply is unlimited, so wholesale prices have been falling. (2) No geological story — some buyers want a stone formed over billions of years rather than a few weeks. (3) Price volatility — lab-grown wholesale prices have dropped roughly 70 percent in the last five years, which means today's retail price may not reflect future market value. None of these affect the stone's beauty, durability or grading. Lab-grown remains the right choice for many of our customers — we just believe in laying out the full picture.

White gold is yellow gold mixed with white metals such as palladium, then plated with rhodium for a bright white finish. Over time the rhodium plating can wear and require re-plating every few years. Platinum is a naturally white metal that never requires plating and develops a soft patina over time. Platinum is around 60 percent denser than 18ct gold and typically more expensive. Both are excellent choices for fine jewellery — the decision usually comes down to budget, maintenance preference and the look you want.

Every precious-metal ring we make is hallmarked at the London Assay Office. The hallmark is a row of small symbols stamped inside the band — a sponsor mark (ours), a metal fineness mark (e.g. 750 for 18ct gold, 950 for platinum, 375 for 9ct gold), the Assay Office mark, and the date letter. The hallmark is your independent legal guarantee that the metal in your ring is exactly what you paid for. UK law requires all precious-metal jewellery over a minimum weight to be hallmarked.

9ct gold is 37.5 percent pure gold mixed with stronger alloys. 18ct gold is 75 percent pure gold. 18ct has a richer, warmer colour and a softer, denser feel — it is the international standard for fine jewellery and the metal we recommend by default. 9ct is harder and more affordable, but slightly paler and more prone to tarnish on the alloy elements over decades of wear. For an engagement ring or wedding band that will be worn daily for life, we recommend 18ct or platinum.

Yes. We offer 18ct yellow gold, 18ct rose gold, 18ct white gold and platinum as standard across every setting in our collection. We can also work in 9ct on request, and in less common metals like palladium or 22ct yellow gold for specific design briefs.

Yes. Inside-band engraving is complimentary on every ring — initials, dates, short messages, coordinates, soundwaves, even handwriting transferred from a scan. Engraving is done after your ring size is confirmed at the silver prototype stage, so the message sits centred and even on the finished band. Hand-engraving by a master engraver, in cursive or calligraphic styles, is available for an additional fee.

You don't need to know your exact size before you order. You can send us a ring that fits the same finger, a thread or strip of paper measured around the finger, or simply your best estimate — we can work from any of these.

At the silver prototype stage, your size is confirmed and corrected before the ring is ever cast. And all our rings come with complimentary lifetime resizing — fingers change with temperature, seasons and time, and we account for that as standard.

This is the most common question we get, and it's not a problem. You can order a free ring sizer kit from us (we post it the same day, discreetly), borrow a ring they wear on the same finger, or simply give us your best estimate and we will account for the margin at the prototype stage. Many of our customers propose with a temporary silver placeholder and then bring their partner in afterwards to finalise the design together.

All resizing is complimentary for life. If your size changes during the build, before delivery, after the wedding, ten years from now — bring the ring back and we will resize it free of charge. Up to roughly two sizes up or down can usually be done without affecting the design; larger adjustments are still possible but may require remaking the shank.

Yes — and it's free for life, not 60 days, not first year. Send your ring back insured (we provide a pre-paid label) or drop it at our Hatton Garden office and we will resize, polish and re-hallmark if required, then return it insured. Typical turnaround is 7 to 10 working days.

Bespoke engagement rings: 4 to 6 weeks from order. Ready-to-ship rings and fine jewellery: 5 to 7 working days. We confirm a specific delivery date at the order confirmation stage and update you at each milestone — stone sourced, prototype ready, prototype approved, cast, set, hallmarked, dispatched. If you have a fixed deadline, tell us at the consultation and we will confirm upfront whether it is achievable.

Yes. We ship to most countries worldwide via fully insured Royal Mail Special Delivery or FedEx Priority, depending on destination. International orders are dispatched with all import paperwork prepared by our team. Customs and import duties are the customer's responsibility and vary by country — we will provide an estimate before you pay.

Yes. Every order — domestic or international — is shipped fully insured for the full retail value. Delivery requires a signature on arrival. If anything goes wrong in transit, we replace the piece. You are never out of pocket.

Yes. Every ring over £1,000 ships with a detailed insurance valuation document signed by our in-house valuer. The document lists the metal, hallmark, all stone specifications, certificate numbers and the replacement value, and is accepted by every major UK home insurance provider for adding the ring to a specified-items policy.

We strongly recommend it. Most UK home insurance policies cover individual jewellery items only up to a single-item limit (often £1,500 or £2,000) unless they are specifically scheduled. Adding your ring as a specified item — using the valuation we provide — costs a small annual premium and covers loss, theft and accidental damage worldwide. We can recommend specialist jewellery insurers if your home policy doesn't cover the full value.

We accept all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay and bank transfer. For orders over £1,000 we offer 0% interest finance via Klarna and Pay in 3 / Pay in 4. Bespoke orders are typically paid 50% on order confirmation and 50% on prototype approval — but the structure is flexible and we will work to your circumstances.

Nothing, if your ring is from us — the insurance valuation is included with every ring over £1,000 and prepared by our in-house valuer. For jewellery you bought elsewhere, an independent IRV (Institute of Registered Valuers) jewellery valuation in the UK typically costs between £50 and £150 per item depending on complexity, with most insurers requiring revaluation every 3 to 5 years.

Every President Jewellers ring comes with complimentary lifetime resizing, polishing and minor stone-setting adjustments. This is not a one-year or five-year promise — it lasts the lifetime of the ring. Send the piece back insured, or drop it at our Hatton Garden office, and we will service it free of charge for as long as you own it. There is no annual fee, no inspection-or-void clause, and no membership scheme.

We recommend a professional clean and check every 12 months. The service includes ultrasonic cleaning, polishing, a claw-tip inspection and a tightness check on every stone — this is the single most effective way to prevent stone loss. Every clean is complimentary for life. Drop the ring at our Hatton Garden office or post it to us insured.

For daily care, soak the ring in warm water with a few drops of mild washing-up liquid for 10 to 15 minutes, then gently brush around the setting with a soft baby toothbrush and rinse. Pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Avoid bleach, chlorine and ultrasonic cleaners on emeralds, opals, pearls and turquoise — these stones need professional cleaning only. Remove your ring before gardening, swimming, weight-training, and applying perfume or hand cream.

Yes. Every ring carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects — broken claws, lost pavé stones from a settled setting, hallmark damage from servicing. The warranty does not cover accidental damage or loss (that is what insurance is for), but we will repair almost anything at trade cost if you want it restored rather than replaced. Crucially, our warranty does not have a six-month inspection clause that voids cover if you miss an appointment — a common trap in the industry.

If a small pavé or accent stone is lost within the first 12 months of normal wear, we replace it free of charge as a warranty repair. Beyond 12 months, replacement is charged at the cost of the stone only — labour and resetting are complimentary for life. Most lost-stone issues are prevented by the annual service we offer.

The loose centre stone — the diamond or coloured gemstone you have chosen — can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a full refund or exchange. Bespoke settings are made specifically for you, so the setting itself cannot be returned. This is honest and consistent with the bespoke model: a ring built for one finger has no resale value, but a certified stone always does. Ready-to-ship jewellery (not bespoke) can be returned in full within 30 days. Email info@presidentjewellers.com to start a return.

You have two options. Exchange the centre stone within 30 days for one your partner prefers — same value, free of charge. Or, if it is the setting they would prefer to change, we redesign the setting at material cost only (no labour charge) and reset the original certified diamond. Either way, you are not stuck with a ring that doesn't feel right.

Yes. Within 30 days you can exchange the certified centre stone at full purchase value against any stone of equal or greater value in our inventory, with no restocking fee. Beyond 30 days, our lifetime upgrade policy applies — the original diamond can be traded in at full original purchase value when you upgrade to a stone at least double the value. This is one of the strongest upgrade policies in the UK; ask us for the full terms.

No. You can speak to a GIA-qualified gemologist any time via WhatsApp, phone (0800 037 8094) or email — most queries are answered within an hour during opening hours. For longer conversations and to view diamonds or settings in person, book a consultation. Consultations are free, confidential, and around 45 to 60 minutes.

No. All consultations — virtual or in-person at our Hatton Garden office — are complimentary. There is no obligation to buy and no time pressure. Many of our customers attend two or three consultations before they commit.

Yes. Our office is at 23 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8BQ — the heart of London's diamond district. We are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 6pm, Friday 9am to 12pm, and Saturday 9am to 6pm. Visits are by appointment so we can have your stones, sketches and prototypes ready when you arrive.

Visit our book a consultation page, message us on WhatsApp, or email info@presidentjewellers.com with a preferred date. Virtual consultations are available evenings and weekends. In-person consultations are Monday to Saturday during showroom hours.