CUSTOM JEWELRY 101
Custom jewelry is a great way to show off your unique style and personality.
It’s important to find a jeweler with whom you can discuss your design ideas,
options and budget. You may want to create a ring, bracelet, pendant or earrings from scratch or modify an already existing piece. Either way, Smith’s Jewelers can take you step by step through creating that “one of a kind” wearable work of art.
THE IDEA
The custom process begins with your idea. The
designers at Smith’s are excited to discuss ideas and
options. When you are ready, bring in everything you
have collected as inspiration, such as saved pictures,
red carpet looks, Instagram folders and/or Pinterest
boards, which capture the look and feel that you want
in your final piece. This will help make your idea come
to life. The designers at Smith’s know your inspiration
can come from anywhere, and they can assist with
filtering raw ideas in order to shape a clear vision of
your custom piece.
THE COUNTER SKETCH
Once we have a good vision of what you want, we move
to the counter sketch. A counter sketch is a rough draft
drawing completed by one of the Smith’s designers. This
sketch is typically done during your first visit. This step
is important as it allows all of the ideas brought in by
the guest to be put together on paper. The idea can now
be seen clearly as its own piece.
THE DRAWING
Next, we take the counter sketch and proceed with a
formal drawing of the piece. This is a 2:1 scale drawing
and offers a clearer visual of the custom piece. The
formal drawing is completed by a Smith’s artisan and
is ready for review by the guest within 2-3 days.
THE COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN
Now that the drawing has been reviewed and approved,
we can move forward with the C.A.D. or Computer
Aided Design. The rough draft and drawing, along with
any notes, are sent to a technician who creates a 3D
scale model. This is rendered in a photo realistic picture
for the customer to review. Once the image is approved
by the customer, a wax of the piece is grown through a
3D printer. This 3D wax sample of the final piece can
be tried on, and once we receive your final approval,
we can move on to casting.
THE CRAFTSMAN
The wax is given to a craftsman to cast into a precious
metal such as yellow gold, white gold or platinum. The
casted piece is then polished and prepped to be given to
a Master craftsman. The stones are set, and the finishing
details are added before it receives a final polish.
THE REVEAL
This is our favorite part! There is nothing more exciting
than seeing the fruition of your idea and our work come
together. We have seen every reaction from happy tears
to loving laughter and awe, and it is such an honor to
share in these special moments.
The custom process takes about 4-6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the piece, and the Smith’s Jewelry professionals will be with you every step of the way.
