What to expect when ordering bespoke jewellery

Have you ever experienced ordering bespoke jewellery?

A bespoke jewellery piece has a special story to tell- a story that is unique to you, the person I am creating the jewellery for! Regardless of whether it's for yourself or if it's meant to be gifted, there is such a wonderful personal approach to creating bespoke jewellery.

I've made heirlooms, personalised jewellery dedicated to a significant other, jewellery to be gifted to parents and friends, etc. In the process, I learn a little bit about my customers, working with them in understanding how I can best design and create the jewellery they had in mind.

It's such a special privilege to create bespoke jewellery because it's so personal and encapsulates a unique part of your story. So I thought the very least I can do is let you know what to expect when ordering a bespoke piece from me!

Let's have a chat!

Getting to know your needs and your vision behind your special jewellery piece is the first key step. We'll chat about who the jewellery is for, your inspiration behind having a bespoke piece created and details like colour, symbols and anything else you'd like to be represented in your jewellery. We'll also chat about timelines, budget and any questions you might have about the making process.

This is more or less where I'll be asking you a lot of questions so I can form your design brief. 

Sketching out ideas

Depending on the piece and how complicated it might be, I might sketch a design for you to give you an idea of what the jewellery will look like. Sometimes this is not a full sketch, most of the time, this was used to communicate how a stone might sit on a setting that's been requested.

Within a day or two after our chat, you can expect to receive initial sketches and a quote. We can tweak the design as much as you like, with small changes such as stone sizes or ring band width.

The design can be fully changed for 1 revision; after that, I normally take a £30 deposit.

Your bespoke quote

You will receive a document especially tailored for you- beginning with your design brief, any specifications we discuss, sketches, references that are relevant to your piece (e.g. stone sizes, ring band widths, differences between precious metals, etc.), and my recommendation on the materials, setting types and gemstones based on your lifestyle.

Sourcing materials

Once the design has been finalised and we agree on the quote, I take a 50% deposit (or it may be paid in full, this is up to you! I take a final payment of the balance before sending the piece)- then I get to work on sourcing the materials for your request.

Where possible, 100% recycled precious metals (like sterling silver or gold) and ethically sourced gemstones are used for your jewellery. That said, this is not always available, and I make sure to let you know either way. 

About choosing gemstones

Depending on the gemstone and the choices available, we can work together to choose a stone for your bespoke jewellery. This is after all an important choice, as it's the crowning feature of this special piece!

A note on changing designs: I fully appreciate that creating a piece of jewellery especially to your liking is 100% important. However, in the spirit of transparency, it's also important for me to highlight that at this stage, a lot of care and attention would have already been given to your beautiful piece. Any change in design would therefore incur further costs in the process. 

Bringing your jewellery design to life

This is the fun part! You'll be involved every step of the way, with behind-the-scenes photos of different stages in the jewellery production process.

A firm favourite is a sneak peek on the gemstone setting stage- this is where everything comes together and is just a beautiful process to see.

Finishing touches

Sometimes, clients request a hand-written note or gift-wrapping for their bespoke jewellery. I also send pictures of finished packaging so you know what to expect. If the jewellery is for a friend, you'll then have an insight of their personalised gift unboxing experience.

And there you have it! If you are interested in commissioning a piece of jewellery from me, or have any questions about the whole process, do drop me an email at hello@abloro.com.