School rings are a great way to provide value to the students and alumni of a girls or boys school and help them create a future legacy.
Even though every student will become an alumni of their school, a school ring gives the student reason to feel like they’re part of something special. It brings a sense of appreciation and connection to the school, and gives them a visual reminder of that time in their life.
The word legacy is often mentioned when it comes to a school jewellery. This is the start of the student’s future and this customised keepsake will help them remember this milestone and remind them they are part of an elite group of fellow alumni.
For me, there are school rings, and then there are school rings! Customising the ring is the best way to truly align your school ring with your school brand.
Here’s what to consider when getting a school ring:
#1 Choose how to incorporate your school logo
Obviously the most important part of the design starts with the logo and how it will be incorporated correctly into the design.
Everything from the proportion to the shape of the logo must be taken into consideration, as this can either make or break the ring design. You don’t even have to use your entire logo.
Some clients of mine take a fragment of their logo and put it into their ring instead of using their full logo. This elusive design idea almost creates the feeling of being in a secret club where only the members of the school know what the ring is.
#2 Customise your school ring
These days you can pretty much customise everything with your ring. However, many suppliers work the other way around. They offer a standard design and then look at how to fit your logo into it.
For me this just isn’t good enough. In the end, it costs the same amount, whether you have the ring customised to what you want or use a template. Your branding is important right? Why not get exactly what you want by customising your school ring so no other school has the same thing.
#2 Choose Quality
You want the ring to last forever, so for me, quality is a must. Low quality rings can often show wear and tear. The bottom starts looking too thin and potentially might break or become deformed.
You should also consider that the ring would represent your school, so the quality should also represent your school and its brand. Never settle for second best when it comes to the quality of your ring. Look for a high standard in the manufacturing.
#4 Design the ring with the manufacturing process in mind
When it comes to the design, you need to make sure that the person who is designing the ring not only knows how to design jewellery, but understands the manufacturing process. This can have a massive impact during the production of the ring, and more importantly, the pricing.
Here are the most important questions designers should be asking themself when thinking about the design:
- What style or shape will the ring be?
- Is the ring a one-piece ring? Or does it have multiple pieces?
- Is the ring plated for effect?
- How heavy is the ring?
- How intricate is the school logo?
Without thinking these through properly, the quality of the ring could suffer.
#5 Get the sizing right
A very important thing to note, is that every student’s finger size is not going to be the same, so if you order the rings in all the same finger size it will be a disaster.
This means you need to have a plan to get the finger sizes. With my clients I provide each student with a ‘ring multisizer’. It’s the easiest and most effective way to get the correct size. It works like a cable tie and tells you the correct finger size.
Where’s the best place to start when considering what design and budget would be best for your school ring? Let’s talk. I can show you samples of my work and walk you through a process to find what will work best for you. I am both a designer and a manufacturer so I can look holistically at how to best represent the brand of your school whilst lasting the test of time.