Sandcast your own wedding rings

You can make your own wedding rings using the ancient technique of sandcasting, where you pour molten metal into a sand mould. A beautiful and unique texture is created by each grain of sand. You can even incorporate sand from your favourite beach to make the rings more personal.

The rings can be as textured or smooth as you'd like, in a shiny, satin or matt finish. The rings can be made in different profile shapes, and can even be shaped to fit around your engagement ring. You will be guided and supported through every stage of making your own rings to guarantee they will look amazing at the end of the day.

You can cast your rings in 9ct or 18ct gold (yellow, white and rose) or sterling silver.

You can even bring your own gold or silver to make your rings - perfect if you've inherited any family gold. The metal will need to be hallmarked, and you'll need a minimum of 7 grams per ring.

What to expect

You will start by carving your ring masters from wax, which will be used to make your sand moulds. Your metal will be then be melted in a crucible with a blow torch and poured into your mould to cast your rings. The cast rings will then need to be de-sprued, filed, sanded and polished. The texture can be refined or even smoothed down at this point, before adding your chosen finish and polish

You'll have an hour break for lunch so you can visit one of the lovely cafes, pubs or restaurants in town.

The following day your rings will be sent off to be assayed and hallmarked at the Birmingham Assay Office.  Your rings will then be presented to you in a lovely ring box, ready for your big day.

I take photographs throughout the day to record your experience. These can make a really unique addition to your photo album.

You don’t need any previous experience to be able to make your own beautiful wedding rings.

What can I make?

You can make your rings in 9ct or 18ct gold (yellow, white and rose), 14ct yellow gold or sterling silver. (Platinum and palladium cant be used as their melting temperature is too high). All gold and silver used is fully recycled.  

If you'd like to use your own metal it will need to be hallmarked as we will need to know its alloy before melting it down. You will also need additional metal to make a sprue when casting the ring, so at least an extra 4 grams is required per ring. If you don't have enough metal, I can supply as much as required to make your chosen ring. We will discuss all the details in a consultation before the workshop to make sure everything is perfect for the day.

Your rings can be made 2.0mm to 8.0mm wide. You can also make shaped wedding rings to fit around your engagement ring.

There are a wide range of widths, shapes and finishes to choose from.  Read more about choosing your wedding rings here.

You can also see some examples of sandcast rings made on previous workshops here.

Workshop Pricing

A day workshop costs £500. The day starts at 10:00am and finishes between 5:00 and 6:00pm, and can be booked on a day to suit you (Saturdays and a few Sundays available).

The workshop cost includes a pair of sterling silver rings up to 4mm wide. If you'd like to make wider silver rings, or make them in gold there is an additional cost for the metal and hallmarking.

Below are examples of material costs for average sized rings. The finger size, ring weight and profile shape greatly affect the cost of the ring, as does the metal price which changes daily.  These prices were calculated in April 2024.

3mm wide x 1.7mm thick medium weight court ring in a size M.
9ct gold - yellow / rose gold £300, white gold £320.
18ct gold - yellow / rose gold £690, white gold £780.

5mm wide x 1.9mm thick medium weight court ring in a size S.
9ct gold - yellow / rose gold £520, white gold £560.
18ct gold - yellow / rose gold £1280, white gold £1430.

Your questions answered

FAQs

Do we need experience?

You don't need any experience at all. You will be guided through every stage of making your rings to make sure you have a fun, relaxed day and still finish with a pair of beautiful rings. I will be here to help as little or as much as you like.

Have a look at the examples in the gallery, all made by couples with no prior experience.

Where will we make our rings?

You will have private use of my jewellery making workshop in Salisbury city centre.  The workshop is just a couple of doors down from the historic Poultry Cross and overlooking the Market Square. The building has a beautiful historic interior with 17th century wooden panelling and lots of lovely period features.  There is a ground floor lobby with stairs leading up to the workshop, consultation space and shop on the first floor.   

Salisbury is a beautiful medieval city steeped in history, surrounded by gorgeous countryside and interesting places to visit - why not make a trip of it and visit for a couple of days? Visit Salisbury

Can the rings be engraved?

A date, initials or short message can be engraved on the inside of most rings by laser at additional cost. Some designs are too slim or textured making them unsuitable. If you’d like engraving, a suitable width and design can be chosen. You can choose any font or your own handwriting can even be replicated.

Engraving requires an additional 2-3 weeks after the workshop.

Can diamonds and gemstones be added?

If you’d like to make your ring even more special, I can add diamonds and gemstones to the rings afterwards in a variety of setting styles. Stone setting requires an additional 2-6 weeks after the workshop..

Will there be refreshments?

There will be tea, coffee, cordials and biscuits provided on the day. We'll take an hour break for lunch so you can visit one of the lovely cafes, pubs or restaurants in Salisbury. The workshop is in right in the city centre so everything is close by.

When should we book our workshop?

I advise booking the workshop at least one month before your wedding to allow plenty of time for hallmarking and stress-free collection afterwards. If you require a Saturday workshop you will likely need to book at least 2 months in advance. 

Have you got any examples to inspire us?

Please see the Sand-casting Wedding Ring Workshops Gallery for photos of rings made on previous workshops.

Book a workshop

Before booking your workshop we’ll need to have a chat to discuss the shape, size and metal of your wedding rings.

You can schedule a free consultation below to come and talk through all the options and try on some samples. This can be in person at my workshop in Salisbury, or at home over Zoom.

If you're not local you can order a wedding ring sizing kit to be posted to you before your remote call here (please allow a week for it to arrive).

Following our chat I will email you with a quote for your rings and available dates for your workshop.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT