How Customisable Jewellery Works: Made to Order vs Bespoke

The short answer: customisable jewellery works in one of two ways. Either a maker takes an existing design and changes it for you (a different size, metal, stone or length), or they design a new piece with you from a blank page. Both follow the same steps: you describe what you want, the jeweller confirms what is possible and gives you a fixed quote, you pay a deposit, the piece is made, and you approve it before paying the balance and it ships.

Here is how that works in practice at our bench on the Central Coast of NSW, and what to ask any jeweller before you commission a piece.

The two kinds of custom jewellery

What can be customised?

• Size. Ring size, bracelet length, chain length.
• Metal. Fine silver, sterling silver, or solid gold in yellow, white or rose.
• Stones. A different opal, a sapphire in your colour, a natural or lab-grown diamond, or a stone you bring in yourself.
• Proportions. A wider band, a heavier chain, a larger or smaller setting.
• Colour. On enamel pieces, the colours fired into the metal.

What usually can't change is the physics: a very soft stone won't survive a ring worn every day, and a thin band can't safely hold a large stone. A good maker tells you that before quoting, not after.

How Made to Order works, step by step

1. Tell us what you want. Send the piece you are starting from and what you would like changed. A photo of your hand, wrist or neck helps with sizing.
2. We confirm and quote. Natalia checks what is possible and sends a fixed price with a real timeline.
3. Deposit. Usually 50% to begin.
4. Natalia makes it. You hear from us at the bench, often with a photo from the studio.
5. Balance and delivery. The balance is paid before shipping. Within Australia it goes by free Express Post, tracked and fully insured; international shipping is available.

How a bespoke commission works, step by step

1. Consultation. A one-hour session with Natalia, by video or in person at our Paddington Markets stall in Sydney. It costs A$100, credited in full to your commission if you go ahead within 30 days.
2. Concept and estimate. A sketch and written description, sometimes a wax model, with a price estimate and timeline. One round of revisions is included.
3. Stage 1, 20%. Starts stone sourcing. You choose from the options Natalia finds.
4. Stage 2, 30%. Once stones are approved and gold is ordered, the gold price is locked and the total is fixed. If it comes in more than 10% above the estimate, you can step out with no further charge.
5. Stage 3, 50%. You see photos and a video of the finished piece, pay the balance, and it ships insured.

Using your own stones

Inherited stones are one of the most common reasons people commission a piece: a grandmother's sapphire, an opal from a trip, a diamond from a ring that is never worn. We examine, weigh and test stones in front of you before any work starts. If there is a hidden inclusion, a chip or an old setting problem, you hear about it before the work begins.

What to ask any jeweller before you commission

• Will I get a fixed quote before I commit, and when does the price lock?
• How are payments staged, and what happens if I change my mind part way?
• Will I see the piece before paying the balance?
• Who actually makes it: the person I am talking to, or a workshop elsewhere?
• What are your credentials? Natalia is a member of the Jewellers Association of Australia and the Gemmological Association of Australia, and has completed the Colored Stones course at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Ready to start, or just curious? See our custom and bespoke page to book a consultation or send a written enquiry. Or start from something already made: rings handmade in Australia, pieces in gold, by hand, or the stones we love.

Questions people ask