Most Asked Custom Design Questions

Pricing

-Is custom more expensive? What is a “ballpark” price range?

Usually, Our custom Made Pieces are priced comparable to Mass Produced pieces, and you get exactly what you want!

Pricing is based upon many factors, such as design complexity, metal selected, scale of piece, and stones used.

Custom jewelry made in many smaller shops is often priced Higher than off rack items.

Often this is because the store prefers the "easy sale" of the mass produced one they can order again.
However, most of the time we can produce a top quality, beautiful and stylish custom Ring for less than most stores can sell mass produced Pieces of similar quality. The reason is that while a large factory can mass produce for 10-20% lower cost than us, they sell that item to a store which must mark it up from 50% to as much as 300% to cover their own costs, marketing, profits etc. We make that ring for you, to your style and taste, and sell it to you with no extra markup. We have to pay our rent too, but only once, not for both a factory and a store.

Also, there are no giant factories making the highest quality jewelry like we create. The best work is done in shops with no more than 75-100 artisans, often far smaller, and even well known designers usually have their pieces made in modest size shops, so we are actually fairly large and efficient compared to our peers.

Sample pricing

Looke Through our galleries to see many items with Custom price ranges to get a feel for cost, and call us if you want more detail! 206.527.1108 of888.339.1709

-How Long Will It Take?

Well...How long would you like it to take?

All kidding aside, we work at a pace that satisfies each client. Designing Custom Jewelry is fun and many people like to take their time and relish all the little details ...

Others either don't have that luxury or just prefer to get on with it!

You have a lot of control of the time-line so let us know what suits you best.

Many custom designs can be completed within 2-4 weeks, but the design phase can extend that time frame.

We can meet most deadlines, but many people prefer a slower paced design process and so jobs without a "Rush" often take 4-8 weeks from "Thinking about it" to "Wearing it"...

Most Experienced Bench Jewelers have made a gift for a loved one in one long day, so trust us! We can fit the schedule you need!

More info

-How does this whole process work?

The process begins with a consultation to discuss your design ideas, timeframe, & Budget, do Design Sketches, and answer any questions that you have.

When a design is settled, a firm, written estimate will be given for the project, a deposit taken and the creation begins!

After that usually it's: Sketched, Detail drawings, CAD models, Wax Models, then casting and Cleanup, Stone Setting, filigree or engraving and final finishes come last.

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-How do I choose the best metal for my custom ring?

We find that most customers prefer platinum. If price is not considered, Platinum is almost always first choice for white metals. White gold is very popular, strong and whiter than ever. Newer white Gold alloys are less likely to cause iritation than they used to.
We also offer Palladium 950, a platinum group metal, with similar proerties at only 20% the cost of Platinum for all except the most delicate items.
Of course we cast in all alloys of Gold, and even do exotic Alloys like Stainless steel and Titanium fo rcertian types of work

More info

Metal Color Sample Images

-Can I have my own metal melted down and reused in a custom piece?

We have the capability to do this, but do not recommend re-using metal from a finished piece. Because alloys vary from piece to piece, there is no way to control the chemical composition or structural integrity of the new piece if we do not know the source of the metal. Generally Yellow Gold recasts ok, but white gold does not. We do not recast platinum or palladium.

We offer properly recycled metals as an option for new castings. We can take in old jewelry for “scrap value” credit towards your custom project, and order newly recycled metals that have been accurately chemically balanced. 

-Can I use my own stones in a custom piece?  Will you set my Stone?

Yes! As long as your stones are in good condition, they can be reset into a new piece.
Contact us for Stone setting fees, as they vary with the value, difficulty and durability of the stone.

-What are “Conflict-free” diamonds, and do you sell them?

Conflict-free diamonds are stones mined, cut, polished and distributed in ethical ways, whose profits do not fund war, terrorism the drug trade or other criminal activity.

The Kimberly process was set up to guide and monitor the Diamond industry and is conformed to by almost all governments of the world and by all the important diamond producing, cutting and distribution companies of the world.

We also carry a selection of Canadia brand Canadian diamonds. Each Canadian diamond comes with a Certificate of Origin that guarantees that your diamond “has been mined in Canada and tracked from the mine to the cutting facility to you. All Canadia diamonds are 100% natural and are mined in accordance with the social, environmental and labor practices of Canada.”

-What do different sizes and shapes of stones look like?

Click here for images and measurements….

-What if I don’t like my custom ring-- what is your guarantee?

We work very closely with each customer to ensure that the design is what they want. We promise that you will love your custom jewelry or tell us within 30 days of completion and we will modify, redesign or start over one time for free! The only charge will be for the difference in price if the new design would have cost more originally. There is no fine print here…If you don't LOVE your design, we will re-design and re-make for free, as long as the recipient is included in the design process. We reserve the right to exclude the Custom Promise on designs using experimental materials or structural elements. Customers creating designs that are exempt from having the Custom Promise will be notified before a deposit is taken and the job has begun.

-Do you offer warranties?

We warranty all of our work. We also offer a stone loss warranty program, complimentary with any stone that we set. For details click here…