Questions
What people ask.
These are the questions that come up most, answered as we would answer them in person. Where the honest answer is that it depends, that is what it says.
Ordering
Do I have to buy online?
No. Most rings begin with an enquiry rather than a checkout. The wedding bands can be added to a bag and ordered directly, because they are a fixed design in a fixed size. Engagement rings are not, because the stone has to be chosen first.
Can I buy an engagement ring without speaking to anyone?
Not entirely, and this is deliberate. Every engagement ring is built around a particular diamond, and that diamond has to be selected. You can do the whole thing by email if you would rather not talk, but a stone has to be agreed before a ring can be made.
How long does it take?
Ten weeks for most pieces, from the date the stone is confirmed. Longer where the structure asks for it, and we will say so at the outset rather than at week eight. If you have a date to meet, tell us before you order and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible.
What does the price include?
The stated figure is the complete ring — stone, setting, making and finishing — in 18K yellow gold. It is not a setting price with the diamond added afterwards.
Do you take a deposit?
Yes, on commissions. The amount and schedule are set out on your quote rather than fixed here, and production does not begin until the commencement payment has cleared. Nothing is drawn against a figure that has not been agreed, and nothing is made before you approve it in writing.
We do not forfeit a set percentage if an order is cancelled. If you cancel, we account for the costs actually committed to your piece by that point and refund the balance. The full position is in our Order Terms.
Stones
Natural or laboratory-grown — which should I choose?
Both are set here and we have no incentive to move you toward either. A natural stone carries a history; a laboratory-grown one lets you have the size and character you want without it. Neither is a financial investment, and anyone telling you a ring will hold its value is selling something.
What is an old mine cut, and why do you use them?
A diamond cut by hand, by eye, before machines — for candlelight rather than for a jeweller's lamp. Smaller table, higher crown, deeper pavilion, open culet. They do not sparkle the way a modern brilliant does. They glow, and no two are quite alike.
Are the diamonds certified?
Stones over 0.50ct come with IGI or GCAL certification matching the inscription on the girdle. Origin is stated in writing every time, and where a stone's history cannot be verified we say so rather than imply otherwise.
What quality are the diamonds in the wedding bands?
E–F colour, VS+ clarity, laboratory-grown as standard. Natural stones on enquiry.
Can I use a stone I already own?
Yes, and often it is the best reason to commission something. It is assessed first — we will tell you plainly whether it is worth resetting, and if a piece is worth more intact we will say so and recommend restoration instead.
Fit and sizing
What if I do not know the ring size?
Order anyway. On engagement rings one complimentary resize is included within twelve months where the design allows, which covers the proposal case — you do not need her size to be right on the day.
A finished piece from Available Now is different again: it already exists in one size, and you choose yours from a range of three either way at checkout. Sizing it is what the ten working days is for.
Wedding bands are made to the size you give us, so those are worth getting right first; ask and we will send a sizer.
Which sizes do you make?
H to Z on the wedding bands. Rings are made to your size rather than cut down from a stock band, so half sizes and unusual sizes are made rather than approximated.
Will a wedding band sit flush against my engagement ring?
That is what the Cutaway is for. Removing metal beneath the stone lets the setting sit lower and still take a flush band, which a low setting normally cannot. Where a ring has a paired band drawn for it, it is shown on that ring's page.
Can I have a metal other than yellow gold?
Yes. 18K white gold, 18K rose gold and platinum are all made to order. Yellow is shown because it is what most people choose, not because it is the only option.
Engraving, delivery and care
Is engraving included?
Yes, complimentary, up to twelve characters inside the band. Longer inscriptions are possible on wider bands — ask.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes, insured, worldwide. Duties and import taxes are set by the destination country and are the responsibility of the recipient. Ask before you order and we will tell you what to expect for your country.
Risk stays with us until the piece reaches you.
What is the warranty?
Engagement and wedding rings carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturing faults. Ready-to-wear jewellery carries three years.
That is our own voluntary warranty and it sits on top of your rights under Australian Consumer Law, which can run independently of it. It covers materials and workmanship — not accidental damage, impact, ordinary wear or work done by another jeweller. If something happens outside it, contact us anyway: we will assess the piece and quote, and no chargeable work is ever done without your approval.
Can I return a ring?
Not for change of mind. Every piece is made or prepared for one person, and that applies to made-to-order, bespoke, personalised and engraved work alike.
That is a change-of-mind position only. It does not limit your rights under Australian Consumer Law. If a piece arrives damaged or has a manufacturing fault, contact us before anyone else touches it and we will provide the remedy the law requires — repair, replacement or refund depending on the circumstances. For a major failure the choice between refund and replacement is yours.
The detail is in Returns & Exchanges.
Seeing the work
Do you have a showroom?
No. The work is shown at private viewings, in person, a few times a year, in whichever city the house is in. Between those we take appointments by video.
Our head office is in Adelaide, with a permanent team who handle enquiries, orders and everything after delivery.
Who looks after the ring after I receive it?
Our team in Adelaide. Resizing, repairs, replating, warranty claims and general care all go through the same people who took your order — the ring goes back to the Sydney workshop that made it, but you deal with Adelaide throughout. Write to hello@marliilab.com and we will tell you what is involved before anything is done.
What is the difference between an appointment and a private viewing?
An appointment is about stones — forty-five minutes by video with loose diamonds under daylight on camera, most weeks of the year. A viewing is about settings — the range on a table, seen from the side and tried against each other, a few days a year in one city. Neither is the lesser version of the other.
Where are the rings made?
Designed by the house, which works between London and Australia, and made in Sydney by the same small workshop that has built this work from the start.
If your question is not here, it is probably a good one. Ask it and we will answer properly — and add it to this page if others are likely to wonder the same thing.