How does custom jewelry get made?
Custom jewelry is a large part of our business. We have hundreds of pieces of fine vintage and antique jewelry, but that doesn't mean we always have exactly what our clients are looking for.
The word "custom" tends to evoke dollar signs. People always assume that if something's "custom made," it's going to be outside of their budget. Though that's sometimes true, it is not a universal truth. We can often find exactly what you're looking for in a catalog. There are a number of manufacturers we work with who regularly stock thousands of items that we don't have in our cases but always have access to.
When we can't find what you want, though, we can make it. Here's the journey one of our rings took from concept to finished piece.
Step 1. Selecting a stone.
Dustin came across a parcel of red spinels and really wanted to get one. We didn't need it, nor did we have anything even resembling a plan for it, but the heart wants what it wants. Our stone dealer gave us four options, and we selected a 2.78 carat untreated Burmese cushion cut.
When it arrived, we realized it was cut a bit deeper than we had planned—which is relatively common for colored stones. We dropped it in a couple of settings we had on hand and the culet (the bottommost point of the stone) touched the finger in each case. Not good! We quickly realized we were going to need to custom design its mounting.
Step 2. Getting inspired and making a plan.
Normally, we'd reach out to one of a few different designers to build this ring for us, but Dustin's been studying design using CAD software and wanted to take on the challenge.
This particular spinel is a deep color that would benefit most from being set in a white metal. Surrounding it with diamonds would further complement its crimson hue. At A.J.'s suggestion, he took inspiration from an Edwardian style ring in our inventory that had a halo of diamonds that were individually set in their own bezels.
Dustin worked on the design for a few weeks and after 3D printing a handful of models and consulting with our jeweler and a designer and former master jeweler, he settled on the final design: a bezel-set center with a bezel-set diamond halo, a tapered cathedral style shank, and a filigree leaf gallery.
Step 3. Submitting the file for casting!
These days, it's as simple as uploading the final file to our casting house. When we do, we let them know what metal we'd like it cast in and whether or not we have a deadline. Once it was uploaded, all we had to do was wait — which was not easy!
The casting house then 3D prints their own model from our file in a high-quality castable resin, which serves as the basis for a very modern version of lost wax casting.
Two and a half weeks later, a box appeared at our door...
Step 4. The moment of truth: the (almost) finished product!
Mail day is always so exciting! When the setting arrived, the diamonds were already in their bezels and the only thing missing was the spinel, which we had tucked away. We handed the stone and the semi-mount off to our jeweler and a few days later, she returned it to us finished!
Step 5. It's finished!
It's now boxed up and ready to enter the world as an heirloom of the future! If you're ready to embark on a custom jewelry journey of your own, we would be delighted to help turn your dreams into a reality. It's what we do—and we love doing it.
