Silver jewellery commissions
Get the design you have always wanted: custom one off pieces.
Most of my jewellery pieces have a lot of meaning for my customers. It may be to mark an occasion, for others it might be to celebrate the life of someone special, even pets.
Sometimes it’s just for personal pampering, which is just fine too!
Whatever the reason, your idea will be treated with the same respect you would give it and all stones or inlaid items are treated with care and dignity.
Bring your innovative, sentimental or even downright crazy ideas to life – give me a call. I love challenges so do get in touch if you would like something truly individual made.
Step 1:
Discuss Designs
Your commission starts with a chat (via email, phone or face-to-face).
We’ll discuss your ideas and your budget.
Step 2:
Concept Drawings
I will do sketches to refine your ideas or generate further ideas if needed.
These ideas are refined until you’re happy with the overall design.
Step 3:
Making it
Your piece is then crafted by hand, using your chosen materials.
A fitting may be required on some jewellery items.
Step 4:
Safe Delivery
Once made, your jewellery can can be posted or collected.
All jewellery is sent Special Delivery.
My pieces are created in fine silver, sterling silver and gold. They include set gemstones or fused glass to a design you specify. I will also incorporate, where possible, any other material that has special meaning to you. Usually this is done through the use of settings or resins and is typically done for things like commemorative jewellery.
Bespoke is such an over-used word but it really does describe how personalised your jewellery can be. Whatever you’d like made, call or email me to find out more about the steps involved in getting your jewellery made. Together we’ll look at the options and best way to create your magic piece. You’ll get a good idea of what to expect along the way as drawings will be supplied.
Commission considerations
To give you a start, below is a list of things to think about when deciding what you’d like:
- Type – Ring, pendant, bracelet, earrings, cuff
- Size – is the piece going to be a bold size?
Ring size, pendant size, chain length. If it’s for someone else, be sure to get their size as on some designs the piece may need to be remade if the incorrect size is requested. - Feature – Main design features
- Colour or type of stones
- Material – 9ct or 18ct gold (rose, yellow, white), fine silver, sterling silver
- Symbolism – are there any meaningful symbols or motifs you would like included in the design?
- Style – Do you have any images of the styles that you like?
- Match – Are there other items of jewellery in your collection that this piece will go along side?
- Deadline – Do you need it for a particular date or specific occasion?
- Engraving – Do you need to add text or a special message?
- Textures – What surface finishes do you like?
- Theme – there a theme or era to this piece of jewellery?
- Weight – Do you want it super-light or do you like a weighty, chunky feel?
- Budget -It is useful to give your jeweller a budget as quoting is a time consuming task. Without a budget, we have no idea what constraints to design within.
Often, the perfect design will just emerge from all the designs you’ve been thinking about. You can’t beat a pencil and paper to iron out your ideas. It’s also a great way of conveying more closely what is needed from your jeweller.
I do not copy other jewellery-maker’s designs as it is an infringement of their intellectual property rights, so would not be able to duplicate a piece that you have seen or previously owned.
As a member of ACID (anti-copying in design), I believe strongly in the importance of designright (think copyright, but for designers), and also the importance of having a piece of jewellery that is individual to you!
I can use images of other works that you like as inspiration and create a jewellery piece that draws on similar themes or techniques, but it will be quite different to the images supplied. And I love to collaborate with clients on designs – your design input goes a long way to making it unique to you, and will make it even more special and different.
Please send me a sketch rather than photos you’ve discovered online.
This helps me to keep the ideas fresh and offer you something even more unique. Add your own input into your sketch – it’s so much more rewarding if you added your own ideas.
Sketch out your design
Get your creative cap on, grab a pencil or a mouse, and start sketching.
Adobe Sketch is a great drawing tool for jewellery design for those of you who have a tablet or are happy drawing with a mouse. Alternatively, design your bespoke piece on paper, photograph it with your phone and email it over.
The commission process is a collaborative process. Your initial design may transform along the way, becoming something even better. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable process seeing a piece or design come together. Seeing it in the flesh, and wearing it, is very rewarding.
If you’d like to know more: Call me on 015395 63313 or use the contact page.
Estimates
Estimates take a huge amount of time to put together. I consider multiple options when putting together an estimate and sometimes this can take hours to do. It means you get all the choice and a clear and accurate costing. In order to the put the estimate together, I need to work out how I will make the piece. This is often not straight forward and takes time to work out as there may be several techniques/ approaches that I could use. This, in turn, takes a considerable amount of time to draw / write up in order to convey the options.
Please bear with me if this takes some time.