Many people love the idea of buying custom jewellery as a gift for a loved one, but they feel nervous about approaching a designer because they do not understand how the process works. Let's take a look at the steps you need to go through to purchase a stunning piece of custom jewellery.
1. Consultation
Consultation is the first step in the custom jewellery creation process. This stage involves meeting with the jewellery designer to discuss your preferences for the piece you want to purchase. Sometimes, it is more convenient to carry out the consultation via phone, video or email rather than meeting in person.
The designer will ask about the style of the person who is going to wear the piece they create. Do they have a bold style of dress and enjoy standing out from the crowd? Do they prefer gold or silver jewellery? Do they have a favourite gemstone? Try to find out the answer to these questions before you meet with your jewellery designer.
Most jewellery designers offer consultations free of charge. Think of a consultation appointment as your opportunity to find out whether a particular designer shares your design vision. If you do not see eye to eye, you can try a different designer without financial loss.
2. Sketches
After a consultation, a jewellery designer produces hand-drawn sketches of possible designs. You can review these sketches and let the jewellery designer know which one you want them to use to create your custom piece. If you do not like any of the sketches, try to explain to the designer how they differ from what you had in mind.
Most designers do not charge for sketches. Once you choose a sketch and confirm which type of metal and stones you want to use in your custom jewellery, your designer will let you know how much the final piece will cost. At this stage, you usually have to pay a deposit before continuing with the design process.
3. CAD Rendering
After you approve a sketch, designers use computer-aided design (CAD) to create a realistic rendering of the custom jewellery piece. The CAD rendering process allows the designer to create images that show how the piece would look with different types of metal or stone or with different band widths. You can review the options and confirm which design you want to proceed with.
4. Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the final stage of the custom jewellery creation process. Your designer will let you know how long this process will take. Once the manufacturing is complete, you can pick up your handcrafted jewellery piece and gift it to that special someone.
To learn more about custom jewellery, contact a jeweller in your area.
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