The top 10 diamond engagement rings in Toronto

Diamond engagement rings in Toronto are not the only way to say "I love you," but they're probably the sparkliest. While Toronto has no shortage of fine jewelry options, from contemporary designers to vintage and antique finds, this list focuses exclusively on custom designers - so you can get a ring as one-of-a-kind and special as the person receiving it.

Here are my picks for the top places to find diamond engagement rings in Toronto.

Made You Look

In addition to representing 100 jewelry designers, Made You Look employs 20 in-house creators who can work with you on custom requests. They offer a strong focus on sustainability, including the option to use 100% recycled metal or recut an existing stone (say, from your grandma's ring) to fit a new design.

Anne Sportun

This veteran Queen West jeweler offers plenty of ready-to-go rings, but will also fulfil custom requests - provided it uses design elements already found in their catalog, including band finishes and stone settings. All of their diamonds are G colour, VS clarity (with a few select exceptions).

Fair Trade Jewellery Co.

This Cabbagetown shop has become a standard-bearer for ethical jewelry: They exclusively use Canadian diamonds, and were the first jewelry shop in North America to use fair trade-certified gold. If you'd like your future fiance(e) to be involved in the design process, they'll sell you a sample ring to use for the proposal, and apply the credit back to your ring purchase.

Devil's Workshop

They might be best known for their DIY wedding band workshops, but Sarah Wan, owner of this West Queen West jewelry studio will also craft custom engagement rings to your specifications, from traditional settings to elaborate hand-carvings - they'll even let you repurpose your own metals.

Leif Benner

Though this Distillery-based designer is often called upon to weave colourful gemstones into pieces of fine jewelry, he also works with diamonds. Benner's rings feature plenty of intricate details, from delicate hand-engraving to ornate Art Deco settings, and he'll go as traditional or as avant-garde as you'd like.

Studio1098

Nearly all of the engagement rings at this Rosedale jewelry studio are custom-made, working with clients to create something that fits the style or mood they're going for. All of their gems, whether sourced from Canada or elsewhere, are conflict-free.

Penwarden Fine Jewellery

OCAD and George Brown-trained jeweler Linda Penwarden has crafted some truly showstopping pieces of jewelry, combining pave stones, coloured gems, ornate patterns and filigree in her custom pieces (yep, sometimes all in the same piece). Penwarden uses responsibly sourced platinum, gold, sterling or palladium, and incorporates only Canadian or conflict-free diamonds in her pieces.

Flux + Form

Designers Kim Drosdick and Suzanne Crudden started out working at Made You Look, and now run their own studio on Sherbourne, where they both offer custom-made engagement rings. The duo aims to lend an "outside-the-box" edge to traditional pieces of jewelry.

Design By Sevan

A native of Turkey, Sevan Tosun opened his Richmond St. jewelry studio in 2000. All of his rings are custom-crafted to suit the stone at its centre - but clients are just as quick to rave about the customer service throughout the customization process as they are his elegant designs.

Pamela Lauz

In addition to offering a number of contemporary settings, Leslieville-based jeweler Lauz does custom work, sourcing conflict-free diamonds and rendering rings in platinum, silver or gold (including a number of gold alloys that vary widely in hue). Lauz is also happy to re-invent existing jewelry (using your stones and selling the metal, with the cost going toward your new ring).

Did I miss any? Leave your picks for diamond engagement rings in Toronto in the comments.

Photo by Jarvis in the blogTO Flickr pool.

by Natalia Manzocco via blogTO