The method only matters if it changes the piece in your hand. These are the points where our goldsmithing sequence shows up in the finished work, and what each one means for you once the commission leaves the studio.
Gold is alloyed to the karat you asked for before any forming begins. An 18-karat ring holds a setting tightly through daily wear; a 22-karat bangle keeps the deep yellow tone that traditional work is known for. You get a piece that behaves the way you intend to wear it.
Bangles are shaped on a mandrel, chains are linked and soldered one joint at a time, and temple pieces are assembled from cast and fabricated sections. The result is a structure that can be repaired later instead of one that has to be replaced.
Every diamond and gemstone is seated and secured while viewed through a loupe, with the claws pressed and inspected individually. Loose stones are caught at the bench rather than months later on a wrist or finger.
Graduated abrasives bring up the shine in stages, so fine pierced detail stays crisp and edges do not round off. You keep the definition of the motif instead of a soft, blurred version of it.
A resize or a re-tipped claw goes through the same forming, setting and finishing sequence as a new commission. Older pieces come back with their original proportions intact wherever the metal allows it.
Each order is documented as it moves across the bench, from raw material to final check for symmetry, setting security and finish. If the piece ever needs attention, the workshop knows exactly how it was built.
Curious how a specific piece would move through these stages? See the services we take on or look at commissions we have handled before.
Every commission follows the same order of work. Nothing is rushed, and nothing skips a step, because a setting that is seated too early or a surface polished too fast will show it years later.
Stage one
Pure gold is mixed with the right proportion of alloy metals to reach the karat the client asked for. The melt is stirred until the colour is even, then poured into an ingot and left to cool slowly so the grain stays workable.
Stage two
The ingot goes through the rolling mill until it becomes sheet of the thickness the design needs, or is pulled through draw plates to form wire. Each pass is followed by annealing, otherwise the metal hardens and cracks at the next stage.
Stage three
Bangles are shaped on a mandrel until the curve sits flat on the wrist. Chains are linked, closed and soldered one joint at a time. Temple jewellery is assembled from cast and fabricated parts, fitted together before any solder is applied.
Stage four
Diamonds and gemstones are seated one by one with the bench loupe in place. Claws are raised, trimmed and burnished so the stone sits level and cannot shift. A stone that rocks in its seat is reset, not adjusted.
Stage five
Finishing moves from coarser compounds to finer ones, working around filigree rather than across it. The aim is to bring up the detail and keep the edges crisp, not to round them off for the sake of a faster shine.
Stage six
Before a piece leaves the bench it is checked for symmetry, security of every setting and the quality of the finish. Resizing and repair work pass the same inspection. The record of the commission is written up so the client can trace how their piece was made.