How To Work With A Custom Jeweler
So. You're thinking about having something nice made for yourself or someone you love, eh? That's great! Getting a piece of custom made jewelry can be really exciting! It's also a great way add personal touches to your future heirloom! But where do you start? Today I want to break down the process of having a piece of jewelry made from start to finish and offer some tips! I hope this will guide will help you feel more confident and informed to make buying your special piece a joyful experience!
Before we start I thought it would be important to add that not all jewelers go about custom orders the same way. This is how we work here at Gem Steady, but some of these points may not always apply. It's best to ask what the policies are up front when you are working with someone else :)
1.Get it touch! The first thing you should do when you're thinking about having something made is to contact your jeweler (Gem Steady hopefully ;)! Don't be shy. This is our job. We WANT to help you design the perfect jewel. I've had people tell me time and time again that they 'didn't want to bother me' or were afraid to get in touch because they didn't know exactly what they wanted. Please don't ever be afraid to get in touch. You are never a bother, and we always look forward to helping you navigate your options to figure out a design that is just right for you!
You can never get started too early either! Our turn around times can vary depending on the time of year and specifics of your design. Since all of our custom pieces are hand fabricated from scratch we usually require 6-8weeks for production. Possibly longer if you are having specialty diamonds or gemstones sourced and custom faceted for your design.
Moral of the story: Don't wait to start on your piece. The sooner you get started the better.
2. Provide examples. If you have photos of things that you like or styles that you attracted to, by all means, send them my way! Any details you can provide on shape, size, color, metal, etc are helpful. Also any information about lifestyle or how you (or the person you're buying for) plans on wearing this piece are helpful too. Will this be something you wear everyday? Only on special occasions? Are you hard on your hands? Tend to like things more on the dainty side? This is all good info to have. Spare no details! We understand that you may not be familiar with all the ins and outs of diamonds, gemstones, and metal types. We can walk you through the options that may be right for you.
3.Know your budget. Even if it's a ballpark range. Knowing your budget makes it SO much easier to design and source the materials that are right for you. If your budget changes that's totally ok. We can give you options in a wide range and explain the differences in each. It's always helpful to have an initial starting point though :)
4.Design and sourcing fees. To better serve our clients I often ask for a small fee before I start to design a piece of jewelry or source diamonds and gemstones on their behalf. This fee shows me that you are serious about moving forward with your piece once everything is in place, covers time spent working on your design, and gives me confidence when I ask my suppliers to source specialty stones. Please note that this fee is charged on a case by case basis. If we have worked together before or your design is pretty straight forward and does not require specialty sourcing it may not be required. This is something we can determine in our initial consultation.
5. Getting started! Once we've nailed your design and you've given the OK it's time to make it official! I will write up an official invoice and description of the design being made along with payment information and balances. We generally take a 50% deposit to get started on your custom piece of jewelry with the remaining balance due upon completion of your piece. If you prefer to pay in full up front then rad! We can figure out the best method of payment for you when the time comes (credit card, PayPal, bank transfer, etc..) We even offer financing if you want to 'buy now and pay later'. Once you've sealed the deal with your deposit we will keep you updated periodically on the progress of your new piece. You may even catch a glimpse of it being made in our Instagram stories!
As an end note here I think it's important to add that if at any time during the design period you decide not to move forward with having your custom piece of jewelry made please let us know. We understand that things come up personally or financially and sometimes there's even just a change of heart. Rather than ghosting out, it is always appreciated when you let us know that you will no longer be moving forward. I promise no hard feelings.
Thanks so much for joining me here today. I hope these tips and break down of the design process were helpful. If you have anything to add or have more questions please leave them in the comment section below! And if you're ready to start designing a custom ring of your very own then get in touch! CONTACT me here
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XO,
-Brittany C.
