From Sketch to Finish: How a Bespoke Jewellery Commission Works

A commission rarely begins with a drawing. It usually begins with a story: an engagement planned for December, a grandmother's stone sitting in a drawer, a bridal set that needs to match a family bangle already in the house. The first conversation is where we listen to that story and turn it into something a goldsmith can actually build.

Bring whatever helps us understand the piece. A favourite ring for sizing, a photograph of a motif you keep returning to, the loose stone itself if you have one. We talk through the occasion, the karat, the stone selection and the budget in plain terms, and you leave that meeting with a written quote and a rough timeline rather than a vague promise.

From there our goldsmiths prepare sketches. For a custom engagement ring or a bridal set, we often build a wax model so you can hold the proportions in your hand before any metal is cut. This is the stage where small changes are cheap and easy, so it is worth being honest about what feels too heavy, too delicate or simply not you.

Once the design is approved, the piece is cast, the stones are set by hand and the surface is finished with the polish or matte texture you chose. Repairs and resizing follow a similar path, starting with a condition check and a clear explanation of what can be restored and what is better left untouched. Every order closes with a care guide and a written record of the work carried out.