The world tends to move from one fashion trend to another. But custom-made jewelry never goes out of fashion. Whether you are unable to find the perfect ring for your fiancé or you are tired of seeing the same jewelry in stores over and over again, we got you.
Contrary to popular beliefs, getting custom-made jewelry is the easiest thing ever. You only need a rough idea of what you want, choose your metal and gemstones, find the right jeweler, decide the budget, and work with them to get your ideal jewelry made.
Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to getting your desired custom-made jewelry. Read on.
1. Pick a custom jewelry design
The first and foremost step of getting custom jewelry is to know what you want. While you don’t have to know precisely what you want, it’s important to have an idea of what you are looking for.
Here’s what you can do:
Start with what you like
Sometimes it’s best to come up with a design of your own. If you’ve not found what you were looking for and want something unique, then pick up a pen and paper to sketch.
You can look at your old jewelry and see what you like the most to wear. Think about different shapes and sizes when designing, and you will be able to come up with something completely bespoke.
Use Pinterest for inspiration
Pinterest has various dashboards and pages where you can search for designs and save images. You can then show those designs to the jeweler and tell them what you like.
Search up jewelry stores
It’s also a good idea to turn to Instagram or the web to search for jewelry stores. Looking at what they are selling will give you some ideas.
If you are particularly looking for something trendy, then online stores are a great resource.
2. Choose your metal and gemstone
Once you’ve picked a design, the next step is to think about how you will like it to be made.
There are tons of metals and gemstones available out there. Deciding on these from the start will allow you to come up with a budget.
This is how you can pick the right metal and gemstone for your custom jewelry:
Familiarize yourself with jewelry metals
Choosing the metal is a highly complex decision, especially if you want something special like an engagement ring. However, if you know what you want and which metal can fit your requirements, it can be easier to decide.
Silver, platinum, and gold are among the most common jewelry metals that are used. After all, as fashion trends emerge, new types of metals and alloys come and go. But these three metals have withstood the tests of time.
For example, if you are looking for silver-toned jewelry with cooler hues, Platinum can be a good choice.
Platinum is a naturally white metal that comes with an incredible luster and compliments the sparkle of diamonds. It’s also quite strong, which is why it is used for settling diamonds.
On the other hand, gold is an extremely versatile metal that works well if you want jewelry with warmer tones. It also comes in various colors.
For example, yellow gold is a timeless classic, thanks to its warm patina. White gold has also gained a lot of popularity for its silvery character.
With its pink and warm hue, Rose Gold is a unique and romantic metal. And the nature-inspired green gold is also quite in trend these days.
However, if you need durable and affordable jewelry, then sterling silver metal can be a good choice.
Rethink your custom jewelry design
You might have chosen some metals until now, depending upon how they look. But before you make your final decision, you need to think about your design once again.
Do you like intricate designs? Or do you like frills? Metals like gold and platinum work very well if you want sharp detailing and knotwork. However, other metals are difficult to work with, so it’s not easy to use them for complicated designs.
Some metals also work well with each other in harmony. So if you want two-toned jewelry, you can look for metals that complement each other such as white gold and rose yellow.
You should also consider how hard hearing the jewelry needs to be. For instance, if you want to wear the piece every day, such as when going to work, metals like platinum, gold, or palladium can be the right choice.
But if you want something that you won’t wear continuously, like necklaces, or will not come under heavy wear and tear like brooches, then you can opt for sterling silver or white gold.
3. Choose a custom jeweler
If you want excellent custom jewelry, then you surely need a superb jeweler.
Jewelry making is a massive market with hundreds and thousands of jewelers working in the field.
So how do you work with the right one?
Decide on your budget
Firstly, you need to pick a budget that works for you. You can find many trustworthy and reliable jewelers to work with, but it’s the budget in the end that will make all the difference.
Consider the price of metals in the market and how complicated your design is. If you have taken inspiration from other jewelry pieces, you can consider their prices and develop a rough budget. You can also talk with jewelers and see what they are pitching to decide your budget.
Pick a timeline
Having a realistic timeline is crucial to get your work done on time without compromising on quality.
You will have to pitch the date together with the requirements and budget to the jeweler, so they can decide if they are up for the work.
Determine the competencies you want
Each customer is different in terms of what they expect from a jeweler. Accordingly, it’s important to decide what services you want when choosing a jeweler.
If you are running out of time and the special occasion is near, you will want to work with someone who can work on short notice.
With the advancements in technology, jewelers also use tons of different techniques to make jewelry. For instance, some make jewelry through hand fabrication, which is a challenging yet delicate process.
Others use casting with the help of CAD software to make mock designs first, which you can approve before the actual design is made.
Search for jewelers online
Once you have a rough idea of what you want, you can start searching for jewelers online.
There are tons of platforms where jewelers work as affiliate partners or independently.
For instance, Etsy is one of the most common places to find a jeweler, where many artisans and crafters run their stores.
Some companies host an entire community of jewelers and allow the customers to work directly with them.
For example, at Jewelers Connect, you can create a jewelry project with your requirements, deadline, and budget. Jewelers from around the world can then bid for your project.
In this way, it can be super easy to connect with multiple jewelers at the same time. And the best part is, jewelers at this platform cannot see each other’s bids.
Accordingly, each jeweler will be pitching the price they think is fitting instead of fixing a lower price than others.
Jewelers Connect also runs a background check on all the people who work on their platform, which means you will only connect with trustworthy and reliable jewelers.
4. Start working with the jeweler
By choosing the jeweler, you will come one step closer to your dream jewelry! However, the work does not end here. As your jeweler starts working on the piece, here are few things to consider:
Revise your design
Most jewelers now provide rough sketches or CAD designs to the customers before they officially start working on the piece.
This is important because you will be able to see how the jewelry will look in actuality. So make sure you ask the jeweler to provide a CAD design, ensuring no improvements are required.
Protect yourself
If the jeweler is working on something precious, such as an engagement ring, you should take extra precautions with guarantees and warranties.
If the value is even more significant than the monetary, make sure to get the jewelry insured.
Conclusion
Getting custom-made jewelry is perhaps the most memorable and fun process.
You can choose your design and metals by searching the jewelry stores or Pinterest.
You will then have to search for a jeweler depending on the competencies and services they provide.
Picking a timeline and budget is also essential before you start pitching a project to the jewelers. And then all you have to do is wait until your dream jewelry arrives at your door.
Have a jewelry design already in mind? Then, start sketching it and connect with some of the finest jewelers in the country at Jewelers Connect