Bespoke Jewellery

Bespoke jewellery buyers guide

To commission a bespoke piece of jewellery is to reject the mass produced and the run of the mill.  It is to involve yourself in a process of exchanging ideas, revealing desires and translating narratives into a physical object that will last for generations.

In this article we explain the process from start to finish.  If, after reading this, you would like to book an appointment with our designer then you can make an appointment using the contact form on this page or by phoning us on 020 7499 7644.

IMAGE OF CUSTOM MADE JEWELLERY COMMISSION

Process

Broadley speaking there are two types of situations in which people commission a bespoke item of jewellery and the processes required to bring the project to fruition differ as a result.

1) Entirely conceptual - At the outset the client has little to no idea of how the finished piece will look, but, may have a specific event, milestone or idea that is to be commemorated or an idea the piece is to be based on.  

No thought has been given to practicalities like scale, metal, gemstones, though the client may have a budget in mind.  For example a piece to commemorate 10 years of marriage, referencing a novel the couple both enjoy.

Step 1 - Ideas

In this case, it is the job of the designer, first and and foremost, to connect with the client on an intellectual and cultural basis, familiarising themselves with literary, visual or cultural references they may not be familiar with and deciding which elements can be translated into jewellery.

Then is time to get some ideas down on paper in the form of sketches, these can be quite messy, its essentially the designer brainstorming with a pencil in hand, interpreting the messages from the client and seeing what comes out.  There’s no need to spend a lot of time creating perfectly accurate technical drawings that this stage, these designs are exploratory and dispensable.

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Step 2 - Analysis

Analysing the ideas presented, and separating out what you like from what you don’t, is the next step.  Maybe you like the way the designer has arranged the stones but aren't so keen on the setting style, maybe the shank is too heavy or the stones too small.  Now is the time to tell the designer exactly how you think and feel about what's in front of you.  After this discussion the designer should have enough information to start making some more developed designs.  These will be neater, more accurate designs and should act a good representation of what the final piece will look like.

Step 3 - The final design

Now the designer will present 2 or 3 three final design ideas to the client.  These are designs that have been costed and are ready to begin production once the client has made their descision.  

2)  Limited visual information - The client has some idea about how they would like the piece will look, will have seen something, an object, maybe another item of jewellery,  and may have produced illustrations or even models in an attempt to interpret their idea.  There may still be a strong story or conceptual element.

Visualization

The process of making words into 

Prototyping

Using the most up to date 3d printing technology we can produce a 3d prototype at any stage of the process to bring a 2d drawing into the 3d world.

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Time 

The process from start to finish differs greatly from project to project and depends on many different things.  Being able to effectively communicate verbally and visually, as well as having many years worth of experience in sourcing rare diamonds and coloured gemstones allows Heming to make the process quicker and more fluid.  

If you have a set timeframe it is important to communicate this at the outset of the project 

Cost

The first consultation is free but a deposit it required to begin the prototype stage.

Materials

This is the part of the process in which the client is probably most reliant on the jewellers knowledge and experience of manufacturing processes and the commodities involved in jewellery manufacturing.  Sometimes a certain kind of design mandates a particular material but often the design can give you a range of options.

There are, for instance several blue gemstones,  not only sapphires, and depending on the piece of jewellery that is being made and how frequently it is to be worn, some will be more suitable than others.  Its rare that a retail jewellers in the UK will have a full staff of trained gemologists who can guide you through this process but at Heming we are fortunate enough 3 GIA gemologists with a wealth of experience in the industry.

Throughout the process the designer will liaise with the goldsmith to discuss the practicalities of the designs put forward to ensure that the final proposition is realistic in terms of time and money.

PICTURES OF SOME METAL AND LOOSE GEMSTONES

Be prepared

To make the process and end result as fulfilling as possible, having as clear an idea of what you would like to achieve at the outset is helpful. Think about what information would help the designer, if you’ve no visual information then any relevant information about the person the jewellery is to be for, or the occasion the peice is for would be helpfulful.

CASE STUDY?

He is really looking forward to sitting down with you to review the images you sent and he will take detailed notes on the the specific aspects which you are most drawn to in each design.

He will then pull this information together into an initial 3D design, along with some variations, for further critique and discussion – 

in other words the initial design will be the starting point for an iterative process to refine and hopefully end up with a design which you really love.

In parallel he will review his designs with our goldsmith to address practical / technical manufacturing issues as we go along.

When I discussed your images with our goldsmith this morning he confirmed that almost anything can be done but one has to bear in mind the practicalities of time. 

A successful computer assisted design process can make certain designs possible / manageable / feasible within a realistic budget – by enabling production of a model which isn't just exclusively handmade.

But if the design doesn't translate well using the computer assisted approach to modelling then purely handcrafting may be the only way, in which case the labour intensity is likely to push cost to an exceptionally high level.