A jeweller soldering a small piece with a fine blue flame on a charcoal block

Bespoke

Drawn with you, made for you

A commission is a handful of unhurried conversations and a great deal of quiet bench work. Here is how it goes, step by step, and what to know about metals and stones before we start.

The commission

Five steps, no surprises

You can stop after any step, and you always know what the next one involves. Most commissions take a few weeks from the first sketch to the fitting, and we give you a date at the first meeting.

Consultation

At the atelier, about an hour

We talk about who the piece is for and how it will be worn, look at metals and stones in daylight, and try a few shapes on your hand. Before anything is drawn, we agree what we are making and put the price in writing.

Sketch

Pencil and paper

We draw the piece by hand, at actual size and from several angles, and adjust it with you until the proportions feel right. The drawings are yours to keep.

Wax or CAD model

Try it before it is metal

For most rings we carve a model in jeweller's wax, so you can try the real size and height on your finger. Very fine or repeating details are drawn in CAD first and printed in wax. Changes are easy at this stage, and we make them gladly.

Making

At the bench

The model is cast in your chosen metal, or the piece is forged and built from wire and sheet. Then comes the long part: filing, soldering, setting each stone under magnification, and polishing by hand until every surface is right.

Fitting

Back at the atelier

You try the finished piece in the room where it was made. We check the size and comfort, make small adjustments there and then, and show you how to look after it. Resizing and cleaning later on are part of the care we offer.

Metals, in plain terms

Choosing a metal you will love

Yellow gold

18k or 14k

Warm and timeless. 18k holds more pure gold, so the colour is richer and the metal a little softer; 14k is harder-wearing and slightly paler.

White gold

18k or 14k

Gold mixed with white metals and usually finished with a thin layer of rhodium for a bright white. That finish softens over the years and can be renewed at the atelier.

Rose gold

18k or 14k

Gold with a little more copper, which gives the soft pink tone. Strong, easy to wear, and lovely beside yellow or white gold.

Platinum

Naturally white

Dense and heavy in the hand. It needs no plating and wears very slowly, which makes it a good choice for claws holding an important stone.

Stones, in plain terms

What to know before choosing a stone

We show you several stones side by side, in daylight and under the loupe, and explain the differences without jargon. You choose; we never rush the choice.

Natural or lab-grown diamonds

Both are real diamonds, with the same hardness and the same fire. One formed deep in the earth, the other in a laboratory, and a lab-grown stone costs less for the same size. We will always tell you clearly which one you are looking at.

Cut, colour, clarity and carat

Cut decides how brightly a diamond sparkles, and matters most. Colour runs from icy white to faintly warm. Clarity describes tiny marks inside the stone, most of them invisible without magnification. Carat is weight, not size, so two stones of the same carat can look different.

Sapphires, rubies and emeralds

Sapphires and rubies are hard enough for a ring worn every day. Emeralds are softer and more delicate, so we set them in protective settings and explain how to care for them.

A stone you already own

Family stones are welcome. We look at each one under the loupe first and tell you honestly whether it is safe to reset, and how best to do it.

Begin a commission

Bring an idea, or just a feeling

The first conversation is where every piece starts. It carries no obligation.

Request a consultation