Every engagement ring begins with an amazing love story. And, every custom made engagement ring begins with a dream.
For decades, we at HOWARD have had the privilege of designing engagement rings, perfectly inspired by a couples one-of-a-kind love story. Our team of experienced experts are here to guide you through the process of designing your dream engagement ring, a symbol of the next chapter in your own love story.

Your Dream Ring
Custom Design work is a major part of our world at HOWARD! We are proud to say that what truly makes us different is our on-site factory, complete with a team of six world-class Master Goldsmiths. Through innovative technology and a wealth of talent and experience, your dream ring design is in the hands of the masters of this craft. Every custom engagement ring from HOWARD is handmade with the highest quality standards in our on-site factory, located at our store in the heart of downtown Ottawa. Our ability to manufacture locally allows us to work hand-in-hand with you throughout the entire process as we bring your dream ring to life. From developing the design of your engagement ring to choosing the perfect stone, custom design is a unique and memorable experience.

Crafted With Luxury Materials
At HOWARD we are Diamond and Coloured Gemstone Brokers. Our on-site gemological laboratory is equipped with a full-time GIA accredited gemologist who sources the best value diamonds and precious gemstones on the international market. It is our passion to work with you throughout the entire process, ensuring we’ve found options that best meet your requirements.
At HOWARD we are proud to provide you with a premium product that is also eco-conscious. Our metals are nickel free and hypoallergenic. We offer any custom HOWARD design in your choice of 18 karat white, yellow, rose gold, platinum or silver. Because we alloy our own gold in-house, we also offer a unique soft rose gold for those who want a warm hint of rose colour.
The HOWARD Line
Customizable Engagement Rings For Every Bride
It is incredibly important to us that when a couple chooses HOWARD, they have chosen an experience that fulfils their desire for a unique, personalized, high-quality engagement ring design. Our HOWARD Line was created with you in mind. It is a collection of our most timeless in-house engagement ring designs that we have been perfecting over the past decade. Bringing a balance of beauty and practicality, our designers have worked alongside our team of Master Goldsmiths and Master Setters to ensure your engagement ring stands the test of time, in both style and durability. The HOWARD Line is a beautiful way to get a custom designed engagement ring without starting from the concept stage. Begin by choosing your style, precious metal and colour, the perfect stone, and see it come to life!




Our Custom Engagement Ring Portfolio
Creating beauty is all we know. We invite you to discover our portfolio of custom engagement rings, designed and handcrafted in-house by HOWARD. Making dreams a reality is the ultimate privilege, and we are honoured when our clients choose HOWARD to see their visions through. We are proud to be Ottawa’s leading custom engagement ring specialist. Browse through our custom portfolio.

Testimonials
See authetic stories from clients who love what we made for them.

Custom Engagement Ring
"I wanted to get Sophie a ring that was as unique and beautiful as she is. She has a great love of trees, both in her work and play, so I came up with the idea of a ring that would look like a tree. A green gemstone would represent the leaves of the tree..."
F.A.Q
Whether you're new to Howard's, new to buying jewelry, or new to custom jewelry - you're bound to have questions. Here are some frequently asked questions. If you don't see your question answered here, please contact us.
Since every custom design piece is one-of-a-kind, all costs vary. Costs are determined by factors such as preferred metal karat and quantity, costs of precious stones, and amount of labour. We build our quotes by respecting your budget, while ensuring quality is not compromised.
We believe the experience of creating something uniquely for you should be accessible to everyone. Without compromising our reputation for excellence in our craft and service, we offer competitive pricing to pieces that are available from the show-case, online, or from other retailers.
Custom design pieces typically take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to complete. However, we are flexible and can work around most time requests!
Made in the Heart
of Downtown Ottawa
Your custom designed piece will be handcrafted in our on-site factory, located in our store in the heart of downtown Ottawa. The result? A one-of-a-kind, local, Canadian made heirloom to be cherished and passed down for generations.

A Local Family Business
Howard Appotive founded Howard Fine Jewellers & Custom Designers on October 1st, 1967. From humble beginnings, it has grown to become a household name with a far-reaching reputation for unparalleled craftsmanship and customer service excellence. Together with daughters Stephanie & Lindsay Appotive the HOWARD family has a second generation at the helm. A family business for over 50 years, with local roots and an international reach we invite you to come and experience the difference.

Connect With Us
Choose from a one-on-one in-store or virtual consultation with a member of our Expert Design Team. We will help guide you through the steps of custom designing your dream piece.
In-Store: Book your consultation to meet with one of our experts at our store in downtown Ottawa. In-store, our design experts and you will have access to our Master Goldsmiths and our GIA Accredited Gemologists. Our collaborative, hands-on environment offers a unique and valued experience. We offer complimentary parking and welcome you to bring anything that has inspired you for your custom designed piece.
Virtual: Our goal is to make custom design easy, even from the comfort of your own home! To start your virtual consultation experience we will begin with a phone call or email to learn about your dream piece. From there, we will gather all of the required information to provide you with a customized video virtual experience where we can show you samples of how we can achieve your vision.
Google Reviews
Dr. Tim Hoeschen
One amazing thing about Howards is their ability to do custom pieces when necessary for you and the team is right there on site which is so cool and instilled a lot of confidence in me that Howards is a family, a group of professionals who are there to deliver to you the product that you want and they can advise you as necessary. I have never felt pressured there and always feel comfortable whether just browsing or when inquiring about a product.
Sonja helped me design my wedding band and the final product the team delivered was fantastic. She has helped me with gifts for my work team and for my wife, even a gift for myself. Thank you Howards and thank you Sonja.
Christopher Ossa
Sonja was the best help and was so kind and amazing from start to finish! Made me feel so welcome and comfortable. An amazing experience all around, if your looking to buy a Rolex or any beautiful piece of jewelry this is the place to be!
Justin White
10/10. Jessica helped me pick out the perfect lab diamond and also helped me understand what to look for. I appreciated her patience and advice and that was the reason I opted to go with Howards. I brought in a picture of what I wanted and Jessica said to trust her and I’m glad I did.
Fiancée loves the ring and we are both thankful for Jessica. Great personality, patience, supportive and I felt no pressure at all.