Where do I start?
 
If you’d like to commission a bespoke remodel, please pop into the shop with your existing jewellery and have a chat with Ewen. He'll run through our consultation questionnaire to get an idea of your requirements, and take any measurements needed. If you're not sure exactly what you're looking for, we have dozens of different settings available for you to try, and display sets with the most popular shapes and carat weights of stones. This can be very helpful during the consultation process. If you ask us to supply stones, we'll source a selection to suit your budget and arrange for you to pop back in for a viewing a few days later.
 
An important part of the consultation process is discussing your budget, to make sure your chosen design is possible for that amount. We know it can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, but it saves time for everyone if we know how much you want to spend. We charge a £100 non-refundable deposit before starting bespoke CAD designs (see below), so we wouldn’t want to take a deposit and present you with designs that are over your budget. Customers will often tell us they don't have a budget, but we know from experience that they usually do - they just don't want to tell us in case we bump up the price! But you don’t need to worry, we won't charge you more for a design just because you gave us a higher budget at the outset. Giving us your budget just allows us to tailor the design to your requirements. If we feel that your budget isn't realistic for the design you want, we'll be honest and suggest alternative metal types and gemstones, or tweaks to the design that could bring the cost down. If a bespoke remodel isn't possible within your budget, we'll let you know.
 
We'll also ask you to read our Terms of Sale before proceeding with your bespoke design.
 
What type of designs can you offer?
 
We don't limit your design to a list of standard styles. We can make anything you like, no matter how quirky! If you know what style you’re looking for, we’ll ask you to send us some photos or sketches, detailing what you like and dislike about each one. It doesn't even need to be photos of jewellery. Send us anything that you'd like to be incorporated in your finished design, even if it's just a pattern, texture or colour. We'll use these photos as inspiration when creating your own personal design.
 
If you send us pictures and we don’t feel the design is suitable for your stone type, or wouldn’t be robust enough for daily wear, we’ll let you know and suggest some modifications that would make the finished design more practical but retain the same sense of style.
 
How long does it take?
 
Our current turnaround for CAD designs is approximately two weeks. We will try to complete your design sooner if we can, but our bespoke service is very popular and we usually have a queue of designs waiting to be completed. Remodels involving existing stones take a little longer, as each stone needs to be measured and inspected before the CAD design can begin. Design amendments are usually completed within a few days.
 
Once you have approved your design, our usual completion timescale is approximately six weeks. It may be possible for us to complete your item in as little as four weeks, but this would incur additional charges for express casting, hallmarking and setting services. Timescales are extended during the Christmas period. Our last order date for guaranteed Christmas delivery is usually 20th October.
 
How much does it cost?
 
Each bespoke piece of jewellery is individually priced based on the amount of precious metal used for the mount, the number and type of gemstones it contains, and the amount of finishing it will require. While we don't charge designer prices for our jewellery, having a bespoke piece made does cost more than choosing a ready-made design 'off the shelf'. This is due to the additional costs involved in the designing, 3D printing, casting and finishing of your unique piece as a one-off design. 
 
As a general guide, the cost for a bespoke solitaire ring mount would start at approximately £900 for 9ct gold and £1200 for platinum, assuming a simple design. These prices include design, manufacturing, hallmarking and 20% VAT, but exclude the cost of the stone itself. Choosing a heavier-weight, complex or diamond-set design would increase the cost, as would setting multiple stones. Bespoke pendants start at £600 for 9ct gold designs and £800 in platinum, excluding the cost of any stones. As you will see, the difference between 9ct gold and platinum is relatively small. This is because most of the cost involved in bespoke work is to cover design and manufacturing, which are the same regardless of the metal used. For this reason, we don't tend to offer bespoke jewellery in silver. Platinum is less expensive than 18ct gold and we consider it to be a superior metal, so if your design uses white metal we would recommend choosing platinum over 9ct or 18ct gold.
 
If you're looking for a more specific example of cost, the platinum mount shown in the CAD images above was designed to hold an oval centre stone and four small round stones set in pairs on each side. At the weight shown, the finished cost of this ring would be approximately £1400 including stone setting, hallmarking and 20% VAT (but excluding the stones themselves). If we kept the same overall design but increased the metal weight by 50%, for example by making the band thicker and wider and/or making the ring a larger size, the mount would look very similar but the cost would increase to £1800. This is why telling us your budget in advance is so important. If we have a ballpark figure to work with, we can adjust the design accordingly. Of course, there will always be a minimum cost as we don't make thin or flimsy designs. All of our jewellery is designed to last generations with the proper care and maintenance. We have customers who are still wearing the engagement rings we made for them 40 years ago.
 
Do you need a deposit?
 
We don't charge for the consultation process or for providing estimates. However, bespoke jewellery design is very time-consuming, so we do charge a £100 deposit before beginning the CAD design process. If you proceed with your bespoke design, the £100 will be deducted from the cost of your completed item. However, it is non-refundable if you decide not to proceed with your design.
 
If you have asked us to source stones for you, we charge a £25 deposit which will be deducted from the cost of your completed item. Please note this deposit covers the cost of postage from the stone dealer, so is non-refundable if you decide not to proceed with your design.
 
Once you are ready to proceed, we'll take an initial payment equivalent to 50% of the total cost. The balance will be payable on collection. We accept all major credit and debit cards including American Express, or you can pay by cash or bank transfer if you prefer.
 
If you'd like to spread the cost of your bespoke remodel, our free layaway service allows you to split the cost into an agreed number of instalments and collect your item once the balance has been paid in full. There are no additional charges and no credit check. Please ask for details.
 
Can I reuse my own gemstones?
 
We complete dozens of remodels each year using a customer's own gemstones, often arranging for them to be repolished to look like new. If you want to add extra gemstones, our stone-matching service ensures a perfect match to the originals.
 
However, we must stress that using your own stones is not without risk. While we will visually inspect each stone to determine whether it is suitable for reuse, we cannot guarantee the integrity of gemstones we have not supplied. Gemstones can often have hidden faults and weaknesses not visible during the initial inspection, especially if they are being reused from existing jewellery. When subjected to the heat and pressure of the setting process, these hidden faults can cause a stone to crack, chip or shatter (even diamonds). This is due to the inherently fragile nature of gemstones and is outside of our control. 
 
Stone failure is extremely rare - we have only experienced this a handful of times in several decades of jewellery design. But unfortunately it can happen, even with brand-new stones. Gemstones supplied by us are fully guaranteed and will be replaced without charge if they fail, but customer-supplied gemstones are used at your own risk. It is not possible to cancel a bespoke mount order in the event of stone failure, and we cannot cover the cost of a replacement stone on your behalf. However if your stone does fail during the setting process, we will be happy to source a suitable replacement for you at trade price with no additional charges added.
 
Can I reuse my old gold or platinum?
 
We frequently incorporate a customer's existing metal into their bespoke design, but this is usually done for sentimental reasons rather than cost-saving. In most cases, reusing metal will not reduce the cost of your design, and could actually end up costing more. Customers usually choose to sell their old metal as scrap instead, using the money to offset the cost of their new design. We don't buy scrap metal ourselves, but we are always happy to advise you on getting the best price.
 
Customers are often surprised to hear that using their own metal is more likely to increase the cost than reduce it. This is due to the way bespoke jewellery is made. Once your CAD design is approved, we will use it to 3D-print a resin model of your ring. This is sent to a specialist casting facility, where an exact copy will be made in your chosen metal. Jewellery casting is done by machine, with dozens of items cast at the same time using large containers. This is called batch casting. The casting facility uses ultra-refined gold or platinum granules for each batch, which are specifically designed to provide excellent casting results. When using this service, the casting facility guarantees the quality of the cast and will remake it without charge if any issues arise. However, the casting process differs when using a customer's own metal. The item must be individually cast in its own container, which is significantly more expensive than batch casting. Reused metal has a much higher risk of failure, with common issues including air bubbles or cracking. As the quality guarantee doesn't apply to reused metal, replacement castings would be charged in full. There is also a cost associated with melting and refining your metal prior to the casting process, which must be done by the casting facility rather than ourselves. Up to 20% of the metal will be lost during the refining process, so this needs to be taken into account when calculating if you have enough metal to cast your design (old and new metal can't be mixed in the same cast).
 
If you have no sentimental attachment to the existing metal, we would recommend that your bespoke design is made in new metal as this is the easiest and most cost-effective option, and you can scrap your existing metal to offset the cost.

However, we understand that many customers want to incorporate the existing metal regardless of the additional cost. In these cases, we would recommend opting for a hybrid handmade/cast design, rather than having the entire design cast in your existing metal. This means we will melt and refine the metal in our own workshop, and use it to make part of your new design by hand. The rest of the design would be batch-cast in new metal, and the two parts combined. For example, we often make the shank of bespoke rings by hand and order the head (stone setting) section as a casting. Having a complex setting cast in new metal is much less expensive than making it by hand in the workshop, so combining the two gives the best of both worlds. This is also a good option if you only have a small amount of metal to use, as we can create a small section of shank using the available metal, and have the rest of the ring cast as one piece. For pendants, we can add a handmade hanging bail while the rest of the design is cast in new metal. It is only available for simple handmade elements - more complex designs need to be cast, as to make them by hand would be very expensive.
 
If you choose to incorporate your metal using the above option, we'll quote a fixed cost at the outset to cover the time we expect to spend melting/refining your metal, creating the handmade element, and combining it with the casting. As a guide, we charge approximately £300 for a simple ring shank and £200 for a simple pendant bail. We'll also give you a quote for having the entire design cast in new metal, so you can compare the two options. If your existing metal is 18ct gold or platinum, it's possible that our charges will be entirely offset by the savings in material costs, or could even slightly lower the overall price of your design. However, bear in mind that you will lose a proportion of the existing metal during the refining process, and will no longer have your existing metal to scrap. 
 
If your existing metal has sentimental value, you might be happy to break even or pay an additional cost to incorporate it. But please bear in mind that it will take longer for us to make your item, and using brand-new metal would give a superior finish.