Custom Jewelry Commissions

We talk a lot about seals, symbolism and stories around here. But one of the questions I get asked most often is: “How does the custom jewelry commission process actually work?”

So I thought I’d share the nuts and bolts. Because if you’ve been thinking about reaching out, wondering whether your idea is too vague, too strange or not fully formed enough, I can almost guarantee it isn’t. Most commissions don’t begin with a finished design. They begin with a story.
 A symbol you can’t stop thinking about. 
A feeling you want to capture in jewellery.

The rest is what we figure out together. Contact Emma to get started.

How to Start: Find the Right Wax Seal or Intaglio

For some, the bespoke jewellery journey starts with a symbol, one you cant stop thinking about , that you keep coming back to time and time again. I will help you suss out what that means and how we can properly pay tribute to your journey. For others it begins with a story they want to pay homage to and I can help you find the right symbol to help hold that story closer. Browse our intaglios and wax seals below to see if something calls to you.

Choosing Settings

Once we’ve found the perfect wax seal or intaglio for you, we can discuss how you want to wear it. Some pieces are more suitable to be made into intaglio pendants, while others are the perfect piece for a custom signet ring. We’ll find the perfect setting for you.

Choosing Materials

Next, we can choose what materials to use. Depending on the colour of the intaglio or wax seal, it may better suit 14ct or 18ct yellow gold, or you may prefer the hues of platinum or rose gold. With the precious metals chosen, we can chat additional gemstones like diamonds, rubies and sapphires for a showstopping sparkle. There are no rolls for your jools, and I’m committed to getting it right for every client. Then from there she’s off to be transformed. The result? A piece that’s uniquely yours to honour your story.
These are one-off designs that have already flown away home. Take inspiration from these designs to make your very own custom jewelry commission. If you see something you like, contact us and start the process of creating your very own bespoke jewellery with your own unique twist.

Let’s Do This

Are you ready to start your custom jewelry commission journey? Or have more questions for Emma about the process, pricing, and wait times? Have a read through the FAQs below or reach out today and we can start gabbing about the way to move forward and create the perfect piece of bespoke jewellery just for you. I can’t wait to see what we’re going to create together!

Custom Jewelry Commission FAQs

Custom jewelry is a piece of jewelry that is made just for you, with your input on various parts of the design including the materials used and the inclusion of precious gemstones. This is as opposed to a piece of made to order jewellery like our intaglio ingots, which are a set design that have fewer opportunities for input on the design, or a ready to wear piece of jewellery which has already been made and has no opportunity for input.

The cost of custom jewelry can vary hugely, depending on the intaglio or wax seal you choose, which precious metals you choose, and which precious gemstones you choose. You will be told of the prices of all of these options along the journey of creating your custom piece.

Taking good care of your custom jewelry is incredibly important – why go through all the time and money to create the perfect piece of bespoke jewellery to not get the best life from it? We have a dedicated jewellery care page full of helpful tips for you to follow.

The best place to get custom jewelry made is one that you trust, and one that has an established track record for creating the styles and designs of jewellery that you like. It’s no good going to a jeweller that makes large statement pieces and asking them to design something dainty for you.

Well, the spelling of the word jewellery is one. (listen, my web developer made me do it for international search reasons. My British ass may believe that it’s spelled ‘jewellery’ but I know Americans disagree, so we gotta make everyone happy here!) The difference between custom and bespoke is the level of input that the client has on the design. A custom piece is probably already a designed piece or shape that the client can then make adjustments to in terms of precious metals and gemstones used, while a bespoke piece could be a brand new shape, design and setting that has never been seen before. Otherwise, many jewellers use ‘bespoke’ and ‘custom’ interchangeably, also as a way to appeal to a wide range of international spellings.

Answering the question how long does it take to make custom jewelry is very difficult because it will depend on the complexity of the piece you’ve designed, as well as how many back-and-forth between you and the jeweller are required. You can expect a minimum of four to six weeks for a simple piece when there is no waitlist, however as custom commissions are incredibly popular, you may have to join the queue of people waiting for their turn to create their custom jewelry. You will be informed at the time of starting your conversation with Emma as to the expected delivery times.

“Expensive” is a matter of perspective! Custom jewelry is almost always going to cost more than a ready made or made to order piece of jewellery, as it requires a lot more hands-on time with a jeweller.

Yes, custom jewelry is real. Depending on who makes your custom jewelry, it will ususally be made in solid 14ct or 18ct gold at a minimum. Costume jewellery, on the other hand, is usually made from plastics or plated metal, and is a completely different kettle of fish.

The most commonly used materials for custom jewelry would have to be 18ct yellow gold. At Bauble Magpie, we usually make our custom jewelry in 14 carat gold or 18 carat gold, with yellow gold the most popular option – though rose gold can also really make certain coloured intaglios sing! Platinum is also becoming a more popular material for custom jewelry.