How long does it take to commission and make a bespoke piece of jewellery? The short answer is - it varies! But, it is possible for me to give you a good enough idea so - if you have a timescale or deadline in mind - you can start planning.
But first...
If you skim the page below and feel panic - stop and simply go to my contact form! I will happily guide you through the process and take all the stress away from you. I will keep you updated on progress with emails and photos so you can sit back and relax knowing it's all in hand.
However if you're like me and like all the details (!), read on and I will take you through all the factors that can make a difference to timescales, then provide a summary of what you should reasonably expect.
IMAGE: Engagement ring with hexagonal cut green sapphire in 9ct white gold with matching gold wedding bands.
Factors to Consider
Waiting List:
I do have a waiting list I'm afraid. You may get lucky and catch me with a gap. You may get lucky and find I'm waiting on supplies or pieces to come back from hallmarking so have some spare time. Or it may be a 1-3 month wait. Always worth getting in touch sooner rather than later to at least get your name on the list!
Design Process:
This can be as simple as taking a current design and tweaking it - a different colour gemstone for example - or starting completely from scratch. This is probably going to be the longest part of the jewellery commission process. All I can say is - please ask all the questions you need to. No question is silly! (something I hear often)
Sourcing Gemstones:
Finding the perfect gemstone can take time and there may be some back and forth to show you different colours, shapes as well as images and videos of specific gems. I have a selection of trusted suppliers who I work closely with to find you the perfect gemstone.
Choosing Your Gold:
This may be an easy choice for you, but for others you may need some time to think and weigh up the pros and cons of each colour and carat of gold or silver. You can read more on Metals and Hallmarking here. I don't keep lots of stock of metals so will order your gold in once chosen - this may take a week or two to arrive.
Hallmarking:
It's a legal requirement for me to have your jewellery hallmarked! This applies to all silver pieces over 7g and all gold pieces over 1g. Depending on how busy the Assay Office is, this can take one to two weeks. It is possible to speed the process up, but it does cost extra.
Other - Engraving, Casting etc:
This won't apply to all jewellery, but if you choose to have your jewellery engraved that may add a couple of weeks to the timescales. I don't often have jewellery cast but sometimes it's the right choice for a particular piece...and of course adds on some more time.
Making Your Jewellery
I think you may be getting the idea by now, but as you can see there are a few variables before I even get my hands on the gold and start making!
Once in my hands, it may be a few hours or a few days of making. Depending on the design I may suggest you try on a ring before I set the stone(s) or confirm other details with you before finishing.
IMAGE: Trillion cut aquamarine and diamond set in 9ct Fairmined yellow gold on a Fairmined silver ring.
In Summary
If you’re interested in commissioning your own piece of bespoke jewellery, here are the average timescales to expect -
- Remodelling commissions with your gold &/or gems - 8-10 weeks
- Bespoke commissions and gold pieces made to order - 6-8 weeks
- Silver pieces made to order - 4-6 weeks
- Ready to ship - up to 5 working days
BUT, if you do have a deadline that doesn't fit these timescales, it's always worth asking. I may have enough gold or the right gem in stock and processes such as hallmarking and engraving can be sped up for a fee.
Pssst....you'll notice that I’ve got this far and not mentioned Christmas! No matter what time of year you're reading this, it's always worth bearing in mind that once it gets to August/September, aaaaalll of the processes can take longer as aaaaalll of the jewellers start preparing!
If you'd like to find out more about having your own piece of bespoke jewellery made, you can read some more about the process or have a browse of my gallery for some inspiration.
I fully appreciate that there is a lot of information above, but I will take you through the process each step of the way so you don't have to worry about trying to remember all the details!
Thanks for reading 🙂
