The Custom Design Process
In-Store Consultation
We want your consultation to be relaxing, fun and inspiring. Our ultimate goal is to create a piece of jewelry that we can all be proud of, and have a fun time doing it! Our artists work directly with you; choosing your favorite looks, reviewing ideas, examining many samples, photos and sketching concepts for the design. We truly love designing and creating fine jewelry, and we promise to pay extra time and attention to ensure that everything is just right! Whether you know exactly what you want or have absolutely no clue…we pay careful attention to each client‘s taste and look at each project as a fun challenge to create a unique and beautiful work of art. If your piece will have a gemstone, we will often start the process by helping pick out the perfect one for you. We stock a large number of diamonds, and some gemstones. If the perfect stone is not on hand, we work with your budget to find the best stone to match your design and lifestyle. This service is absolutely free of charge and is of no obligation. During your in-store consultation you can expect:
A meeting with a jewelry artist…not a salesperson.
A fun and relaxed atmosphere conducive to creativity.
An opportunity to create a custom piece designed especially for you.
Design advice if needed.
Expertise from our designers, metalsmiths and diamond experts.
Education on diamonds, and various metals if requested.
Stone selection and advice to fit both your desires and budget.
An estimate of the completed project cost.
Design
After looking over examples of what you like from our web site, your own personal sketches, idea book or any other source of inspiration, we will sketch or create CAD concept renderings of one or more designs for your approval. We will not stop until you say, “That’s it!… That's exactly what I want!”
Sketch
Although we may already have a rough sketch of what you are looking for, a more polished and detailed production drawing is often required at this time. We will work with our artists to create a realistic diagram of what your finished product will look like. The design can always be modified if you don't see exactly what you want. At this point we can generally give an accurate estimate of cost, and with your approval and a deposit we will move forward.
CAD Rendering
The production process often begins with modeling your piece with our state of the art 3-D computer modeling software, and several photo-realistic renderings are created for you to view. Often we work with you to “tweak” the design to perfection at this point, again at no extra charge. Our CAD designers are all jewelry design artists, not just technicians, so artistry is never sacrificed for perfection and detail…you get both!
For pieces where CAD modeling is not the right approach, we may sketch, hand carve wax models or hand fabricate our designs.
Wax Carving
If the piece is to be cast, and most are, we first create a wax master model. We do this by using a combination of our CNC milling machines and hand carving to create the perfect blend of artistry and detailed perfection. Once completed, you can view your model to see if it is exactly what you're looking for. If not, we will make adjustments at no additional charge, and we are never offended if the wax does not turn out as you expected. We will work with you until we get it exactly right.
Casting
Once all waxes have been approved, the jewelry is now set for casting. We cast most pieces here in our in-house casting facility. For platinum castings, we have a well known company that only casts Platinum cast our models for us based on the higher temperatures needed to cast platinum. They then send us the raw casting back for us to clean up and finish.
Castings come out with a smooth but matte surface finish, and require significant hand work to bring out the perfect finish of platinum, gold or palladium. This is intricate work, and requires much skill and a fine eye for detail, as well as dedication to quality and craftsmanship. We tumble finish our castings to brighten even the hardest to reach areas before hand detailing every piece.
Hand Fabricating
Some of our designs are hand fabricated from sheet, bar stock and wire. This is truly the finest in old world, traditional jewelry making techniques and is the best production method for many designs. It is usually more expensive and time consuming than wax carving and casters but the quality shows! Some items have sections of hand fabricated filigree or other hand forged elements.
The Art of Filigree
Filigree: The art of twisting, curling and bending of fine wire by hand. The process begins with drawing down wire, or (taking from one thickness to a smaller thickness of wire). Once the wire is the preferred diameter or (gauge), we will then carefully shape the wire to the desired shape or design. This may consist of multiple pieces joined to create the desired effect. With great precision we will then place the new shape(s) into position. Using a microscope we will then laser weld the wires into place. At this point we may add additional shapes, leaves, beads, diamonds in crowns or bezels to achieve the desired look. Depending on the piece we are building we may use different karats of metal, from gold to platinum. We may use metals of different colors like rose gold. With precise attention to detail and exquisite craftsmanship we take pride in building a true masterpiece.
Stone Setting
During this stage of the process, stones are set into your design. We hand set our stones with with the highest of precision, quality care. We use both new techniques and old world craftsmanship, an art that takes many years to master. We never cast stones in place, an inferior technique used to mass produce much of the low quality jewelry made in the world today. We will meticulously laid out and fit each stone into its position in the metal. we will then carefully move the metal that will secure the stones for a lifetime of wear.
Finish
Hand Engraving
Hand engraving is the art of removing metal to create intricute designs and shapes. Hand engraving is not something every gold and platinumsmith can do. It is the hallmark of a true artist, and is performed under a bench microscope with carefully prepared and sharpened gravers. The patterns are carefully drawn by hand and the cut with the finest skill and precision to make the design come to life.
Texturing, finishes and detailing
The final stage of the production process includes adding texture and detailing if requested. There are many types of surface finishes used on jewelry, ranging from a high polish to a coarse hammered background. We use bead blasting equipment, emery cloths, files, hammers and numerous specialty tools to apply a wide variety of finishes and surface treatments. Antiquing, or blackening of the background area, and enameling can be used to create specialized effects.
Before quality marking, we double and triple check all details of the design to ensure all instructions have been meticulously followed, the design is well executed and all craftsmanship is top notch.
