The Custom Made Process

Article by Antonia, the Designer at Beebee Jewellery.

“I know what I want, but I can’t find it.”  Is this you?

“Custom made and bespoke jewellery are only for the rich.” No. In fact, you can have a custom made piece of jewellery made from as little as £100, depending on the design and metal.

“It’s a complicated process.”  Think again.  I’d never designed a piece to order before, not until recently.  By the end of reading this, you will understand how you can at least begin to consider having your very own jeweller design, craft and deliver your unique piece of jewellery.

Your.  Own.  Jeweller. 

That sounds good, doesn’t it?  

I’ll explain how I navigated through a customer placing a first order for a bespoke set of jewellery - no one was more surprised than me!

This journey started on an Etsy sellers Facebook forum when I posted a photograph of some blue topaz drop earrings I'd made.  I received a Direct Message from a lady in Alaska who asked if I could make her a pair of earrings the same, only with rich and vibrant garnets instead.

Due to the time zone difference, we discussed the idea by email and she also asked if I could make her a matching pendant at the same time.

Not sure what style she wanted, I sent her a teardrop design I'd previously made in silver, coupled with the style of bail I'd used on another pendant. A winning combination!

To ensure we were both clear on the new pendant design I sketched some drawings to scale and we agreed on the pendant design.

I consider transparency through all stages of production to be paramount. So in the written quote I provided a breakdown of the materials needed as well as the supplier they are sourced from, so it is fully traceable for the customer.

Furthermore, I sent photographs of the garnets I suggested for the work before I bought them, which the client was delighted with as they were exactly what she'd had in mind.

Once the design and price were agreed, including an estimate on the time required to make the pieces, we were ready to secure the fifty percent deposit.  This was to ensure commitment of my time to the work and to cover the cost of materials. We agreed that PayPal was a safe and secure method, as well as an accurate currency conversion from pounds to dollars and vice versa.

Then the work began!  Through every stage, as you can see from the photographs,I sent progress pictures of the work.

Then when the pieces were ready, the final pictures were sent and the balance settled.

All my work is sent Special Next Day Delivery, in this case International Tracked and Signed For. Thisis to ensure that your gorgeous jewellery is fully insured and traceable for both parties.

 Custom designed pieces, as they are a bespoke piece of jewellery made for one specific client, are non returnable. This is standard across the industry, which is why it is important that clients look at the photographs carefully and ask any questions they like. 

Despite being nervous and making three separate pieces of jewellery, this bespoke collection worked really well and the client was delighted with the result!

Feel free to email me to have a chat about a piece you'd like me to make with you. It's not a complicated process at all and handmade custom designed jewellery is not the reserve of the rich and famous. You too can be like them.

So let’s chat.  Email me now with an outline.  Silver or gold?  Pendant or ring?  Let’s start there.  I’m looking forward to our jewellery journey.

Warmest wishes

Antonia

N.B. Depending on your choice of metal, please allow 4-6 weeks from Commission to Delivery to allow for hallmarking.