People ask me this almost every week, usually a little sheepishly: I love that necklace on your site, but I already have my grandmother's diamond. Can you just put mine in it?

The short answer is yes, most of the time. Using one of my existing designs with a stone you already own is what I'd call semi-custom, and it usually runs $800 to $2,500 — not the listed price, because the listed price includes a center stone you're not buying. It's the least expensive way to get something made for you, and almost nobody in this industry advertises that it's an option.

A note from Kate: the ranges below reflect my studio's work and are consistent with the pricing I publish elsewhere on this blog. The only way to get an exact number is a consultation where I can see your stone — and mine is always free.

What It Costs: Your Stone, My Design

What you're asking for	Typical price	Timeline
Your stone into an existing design, no modification needed	$800 – $1,500	2–4 weeks
Existing design, adjusted to fit your stone's size	$1,500 – $2,500	3–5 weeks
Existing design substantially redrawn (metal change, new proportions)	$2,500 – $5,000	4–6 weeks
Full custom, designed from scratch around your stone	$5,000 – $10,000+	6–10 weeks

The Part No One Explains: How Close Does Your Stone Have to Be?

Every design I've made was drawn around a specific stone at a specific size. How much your diamond can differ from that determines which row of the table you land in.

Prong settings are forgiving

A prong-set design drawn for a 6.5mm round will usually accept anything from roughly 6.0mm to 7.0mm without redrawing anything. The prongs get repositioned at the bench. That's the cheapest path, and it's why a classic four-prong or martini-style piece is the easiest home for an inherited stone.

Bezel settings are not

I love bezels and I recommend them constantly, but I'll be honest about this: a bezel is a collar made to one stone's exact diameter and depth. There is no wiggle room. If your diamond isn't essentially identical to the one the design was built for, the bezel has to be made new. That moves you into the second or third row of the table. It's still worth it — it's just not the $800 version.

Shape matters more than carat weight

An oval and an emerald cut of the same carat weight have completely different footprints. Swapping between shapes almost always means the design gets redrawn in CAD. Swapping within a shape — your 1.2ct round for the 1.0ct round it was drawn for — usually doesn't.

Your stone's condition sets the ceiling

Old stones often have small chips at the girdle from decades of wear. Sometimes that's invisible once set; sometimes it dictates which setting style is safe. I look at every stone under the loupe before I quote anything, and I tell you what I see, including when the news isn't good.

Designs That Take an Heirloom Stone Well

These are pieces from my collection that clients most often reuse as a starting point:

• 2 Carat Oval Diamond Bezel Stud Earrings — from $2,500, and currently one of the few pieces I keep in stock. If you've inherited a pair of stones, this is the design I point to most. Bezels here are made to your stones, not adapted.
• Emerald Cut Diamond East-West Bezel Necklace — from $1,100. The most common way to give a single inherited stone a life outside a ring you never wear.
• Sunken Set Asscher Engagement Ring — from $3,900. A low-profile home for a square or step-cut heirloom center stone.
• Half and Half Diamond Necklace — $4,500, also in stock. This one works when you've inherited several small stones rather than one big one.

When Full Custom Is Actually the Better Deal

Here's the concession that doesn't help my margins: if your stone requires an existing design to be redrawn from the ground up, semi-custom stops saving you money. At that point you're paying for a full CAD process anyway, and you may as well get a piece designed around your stone instead of one bent to accommodate it.

I'd rather tell you that in the first ten minutes of a consultation than let you find out at the quote stage.

The Reframe

A one-carat diamond costs $4,000–$8,000 to buy new. Yours is already in a drawer. Whichever path you take, you're paying for metal and bench time — not for a diamond you've owned the whole time. The most expensive material in this project is already yours, which is why almost every version of this is cheaper than buying the equivalent piece new.

Questions I Get Asked

Do I have to know which design I want before I book?

No. Bring the stone, or photos of it. We'll figure out together which designs it can go into and what each one would cost.

Can you use a stone that isn't a diamond?

Usually. Sapphires and other hard stones are straightforward. Emeralds and opals need particular settings because of how they behave under pressure — I'll tell you which options are off the table and why.

Will I see it before you make it?

Yes. You approve a rendering before any metal is cut, and revisions at that stage are included.

How It Works

Free consultation in Santa Monica or over video. I evaluate your stone and give you a preliminary range on the spot. You get a firm written quote, then a rendering to approve. Then it's made, set, and delivered.

Related reading: How Much Does It Cost to Reset a Diamond Into a New Setting? and What Is a Bezel Setting and Is It Right for Your Stone? You can also read more about heirloom jewelry redesign.

Book a complimentary consultation — in person in Santa Monica or virtually from anywhere in the U.S. Bring the stone, or just send a photo of it.

Kate Price is the founder of Kate Rose Fine Jewelry, a Santa Monica studio specializing in heirloom redesign and custom fine jewelry.