Whether the process of choosing your engagement ring is exciting or daunting, there’s nothing more reassuring than visiting SARAH & SEBASTIAN to discover our bespoke engagement service, where we help you discover your perfect ring by private appointment.

Look no further because we’ve done the work for you. A guide to our engagement appointments and the process of our service, let us take you through which rings are available to view and try on, our diamond guide, our jewellery options, all to find out more about what you’re looking for.

Arriving at your appointment, in either our Mosman, Paddington or Armadale stores, you will be greeted and warmly welcomed by one of our engagement consultants who will introduce themselves before leading you to our engagement suite (although it’s easy to be distracted when walking through the store).

Appointments are hosted by our team of engagement consultants. Often referred to as diamond specialists, each of the team are trained and educated in all things engagement, including diamond grading; rest assured you’re in the right hands - no matter whose hands.
Having booked your appointment online, you will have the opportunity to enter any notes and images regarding your desired style, colour, cut and more that you are interested in. This opportunity allows for our team to be best prepared for your appointment; having understood your interests our team of consultants are prepared to show you what you’re after (and more).

A conscious made to order business, the samples seen during your appointment are CZ imitation diamonds, to give you an idea of shape and size. Should you move forward with us, we will send you a magnified 360-degree video, image and certification of your diamond for you to review.
At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, we source white diamonds, champagne diamonds and lab-grown diamonds. All of our white natural diamonds are graded by GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the most well-renowned grading system in the world. They adhere to the ‘Kimberly Process’ and are members of the Responsible Jewellery Council.

Lab-grown diamonds, otherwise known as cultured, man-made or synthetic diamonds, are made out of 99% carbon, formed under the same conditions as natural diamonds, replicating the natural process in a lab. To an untrained eye, one would never know the difference. Our lab-grown diamonds also have certification from either IGI or GCAL.

To learn more about Natural and Lab-grown diamonds click here.

During your appointment our engagement consultants will talk you through the 4Cs; Clarity, Cut, Colour and Carat, along with the strict parameters that we work within.

CLARITY:
Clarity refers to the visual appearance and internal characteristics of a diamond; how many inclusions there are, how close they are together and how visible they are - ultimately determining the clarity grade of the diamond. When sourcing a centre stone for your diamond, especially those upwards of 0.5ct and of a relatively impressive size, we always aim to source a diamond with minimal inclusions; whilst keeping your budget in mind.

CUT:
This refers to the proportions of facets, symmetry and reflective qualities of a diamond. Contributing to the overall sparkle and beauty, brilliance and fire are things we look for when sourcing diamonds; this is described as seeing flashing rainbow colours in the stone. The better a diamond has been cut, the greater the diamond’s ability to reflect and refract light. At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, we only source excellent cut diamonds; providing the highest level of fire and brilliance.

CARAT:
This refers to the “weight” of your stone. A unique unit of measurement used exclusively to weigh gems and diamonds, an increase in carat weight, will result in an increased price. As carat is completely determined by budget, when discussing this during your appointment we will always make sure whether you and/or your partner are happy to continue this conversation, or whether you would prefer for this to be handled particularly by one person; we can be as discrete as you prefer. Although discussing budget and carat during your appointment may not feel like much is left to the imagination, there is always an element of surprise when viewing your ring for the first time; whether you know about it or not.

COLOUR:
Lastly is Colour. Although all diamonds (mined or lab-grown) are made from a crystallised carbon structure, a stone’s makeup can differ due to trace elements other than pure carbon during the formation - which causes a slight yellow in colour. The highest quality diamonds are colourless, whereas lower quality diamonds can often have a slight yellow tint. This is measured using the GIA colour scale, which ranges from D (colourless) to Z (light yellow). At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, we only source D to G (colourless to near colourless).
CERTIFICATION:
Once having discussed the 4C’s, depending on availability your engagement consultant will sometimes have a selection of loose diamonds for you to view. Accompanied by GIA certification, the most well renowned and reliable grading system.

All of our SARAH & SEBASTIAN natural white diamonds have GIA certification, where diamonds are examined by a minimum of four highly trained diamond graders and gemologists. When collecting your final ring you will also receive this certification, included with a “report number”, clarifying the grades of your stone.

STONE SOURCING:
At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, we source ‘internally flawless’ to VS2 diamonds. Our in-house gemologists will source a stone best suited to your budget. As the diamond market moves quickly, once you have received your quote we recommend moving forward with a diamond as soon as possible. If there is anything particularly important to you, our engagement consultants will take note, informing our gemologists who are incredibly particular and who adhere to our strict parameters.

Although you will not have seen your diamond in real life before receiving your ring, our engagement consultants possess the skill and knowledge of diamonds and will be able to guide you in making your decision. During your appointment, they will be able to show you similar styles when viewing samples and send you images from our collection of bespoke rings. Part of our process is to help guide you so that you know what to expect when making your final choice.
BANDS:
At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, we offer a selection of plain and encrusted bands, including round, knife and square. Our plain bands are designed to be fine towards the stone but bolder at the palm. The taper is really slight and aims to aid strength whilst still remaining aesthetically pleasing. Encircled with diamonds, our encrusted band options are Pave and Channel, which are also designed to taper. Designed with longevity in mind, all of our bands are available in 18-karat Yellow, White and Rose Gold, and Platinum.

When it comes to deciding on the setting of your wedding band, this is based on your chosen shape and ideal aesthetic; a personal preference and choice. If what you’re after isn’t available during your appointment, not to worry, our engagement consultant will happily share with you images of our bespoke rings during your follow up.

RING SIZE:
In one of the final steps during your appointment, our engagement consultant will measure your ring size to ensure the right fit for your soon to be ring. Using an extensive ring sizing kit, you are invited to try on a selection of plain gold bands all numbered with sizing. Rest assured, should you be surprising your loved one with an engagement ring, we are happy to offer a one-time complimentary resize 1 year from the final payment. We also offer complimentary engraving within 14 days of final payment, however, rings cannot be resized once engraved.

A way to invite your partner to participate in the experience, we offer to measure their ring size; this can often spark and inspire conversations around wedding bands and how this might work with your future engagement ring. Should you ever want to move forward with wedding bands, we keep note of this for a seamless process and follow up.

WEDDING BANDS:
If you’re interested, and time allows, we often share samples of wedding bands during your appointment. An opportunity to mix and match different styles with your imagined engagement ring, this often helps to inform your decision, and sometimes inspires you to choose wedding bands, for yourself (and your partner). Rings are a way to solidify a connection between you and your partner, why not the same connection between your individual rings?

At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, our bands are set close to the hand. It’s important to consider this when deciding on your engagement ring. We allow you to try on our selection of wedding bands and stack them with our engagement ring samples, with the opportunity to take photos or videos; leaving you with a point of reference and something you can look back at when picturing your almost engagement ring.
After what we hope was an informative and great experience, our engagement consultant will escort you back in-store where you can view our newest collection of jewellery. Having taken notes during your appointment, we will ensure to follow up with you including details of what was discussed and the next steps in creating your ultimate engagement ring.

Should you wish to move forward with a SARAH & SEBASTIAN engagement ring, we offer 2 sets of complimentary quotes. These quotes can feature up to three styles each with reference to available stones sourced by a SARAH & SEBASTIAN gemologist. Our gemologists will source the best diamond based on what was discussed during your appointment. Attached with your quotes you will receive a magnified 360-degree video, photo and certification of your proposed diamond. We are always open to discussing details should you need assistance regarding the specifications and if you wish to discuss the diamond's characteristics in further detail.

Once you have decided on a diamond, we require a 50% non-refundable deposit to secure the stone. This can be paid via our payment portal, bank transfer or by visiting us in-store. This deposit confirms commitment to your chosen stone and ring style, enabling SARAH & SEBASTIAN to proceed with the purchase of the stone and start production on the piece.

The process of bringing your engagement ring to life is an estimated time between 6-8 weeks. During this time, our engagement consultants will keep you up to date on when your stone has arrived, production has begun and when it’s finally complete.

Your ring will arrive in our signature packaging; a recyclable paper box, engagement ring box and corresponding certificate and documentation with the option to have it delivered or arranged to pick up in-store. Our engagement rings are handcrafted and destined to live a long life if they are carefully worn and taken care of. To protect your SARAH & SEBASTIAN engagement ring, we recommend storing it in its original packaging when not being worn.

At SARAH & SEBASTIAN, we offer a lifelong care service. Feel free to visit any of our stores for a complimentary clean of your engagement ring.

We invite you to experience your very own engagement appointment. Click here to book.