Fine Jewelry tells a story about something important in our lives and when we wear a piece every day or even for special occasions, we expect it to be of high quality and to tell a story about ourselves. While there are so many beautiful styles out there ready to be worn, there is something telling about a piece of jewelry that was made just for us.
 
If you are in the market for a piece of custom made jewelry, we offer these 5 suggestions or tips. Every jeweler is different and offers a unique perspective, however knowing these 5 tips will help you in finding the right person to make your piece.
 
#1 Come Prepared
When meeting with a jeweler, bring pictures or design inspiration. A sketch of your idea is always a plus. If you are planning to match an item with another piece, bring it in.
 
#2 Know Your Metals and Stones
Fine metals start at sterling silver, fine silver, 10K gold, 14K gold, 18K gold, 22K and 24K. Gold metals are yellow, white and pink/rose. Silver can also be plated in white (rhodium), yellow or pink/rose.

Here is a good overview of gemstones that can help you in your process. Of course, we highly recommend looking at GIA stones and they have a nice website to help you with your gemstone study. 

Diamond Buying Tips: Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat Weight

Having this information will put you in the driver’s seat of the design process.

#3 Shop Around for Pricing
 Every jeweler will offer pricing that is different. Plan ahead.

• Check the latest pricing for metals here and ask for estimated weight of your piece
• CAD (computer designs) can cost $300 per design and can include 2-3 revisions. Make sure you inquire how many changes are allowed before there are additional charges
• Wax molds and injection molds are more labor intensive
• Hand-made benchwork is going to reflect the individual jeweler so prices can vary
• Stone pricing is subjective to the jeweler and the market. Shop around to see pricing and quality differences. Reference GIA Shopping Tips: 
• Jewelers also use a network of experts to help them with their workload so understand that pricing can vary based on the number of hands that touch your design.

 
#4 Understand Turn-Around Times
Depending on the complexity of your design and the number of hands that need to touch it, you should anticipate 2-3 weeks on average to turn around a piece.
 
Tip: Always a good idea to give a deadline.
 
#5 Be Open Minded
Jewelers are artists and experts in the design process. Be ready to make changes to your design if the structure does not work and be ready to make concessions on metals and stones to meet your budget.
 
Tip: Have a list of must-haves and what you are willing to deal with. (materials, pricing and timeframe)  

Have questions or interested in a custom jewelry design?
Mo Anderson is a goldsmith and jeweler in Naples, FL offering custom designs and repair services in the SouthWest Florida region (SWFL). He can be reached by email: moanderson4@aol.com or phone number 239-989-2638. Mo works closely with local retailers such as Tiffany & Co., Nordstrom, Tourneau and other fine jewelers in the SWFL area.

Welcome to my blog.  I hope to share some insights on my creation process and insights into the jewelry business from my perspective. Having recently purchased a 3d printer, I am able to create prototypes of models created with Computer Aided Design (CAD) before the final product is realized in metal.  Ensuring the final product is what you and I had intended. Its an exciting time in the industry.  The technology is developing rapidly. The possibility of creating a piece of jewelry that is truly yours is closer than ever.   Here is a look at how this process is used from design to model and resultant casting in gold utilizing a 3D printer.

Here is an example of how a design in made in CAD.

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