How lucky are you! Soon you will have your own unique one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery. Or someone very lucky will receive an extremely thoughtful gift from you.

You might be feeling a bit overwhelmed with the idea of designing a piece of jewellery, but this is where I (or your favourite jeweller) step in and help take that weight off your shoulders. Our end goal is to see your face beam with happiness when you collect your finished piece of handmade goodness. Here’s my top 5 tips/things to think about to make the process smooth, easy and fun for both you and your awesome jeweller:

1) What piece of jewellery are you after?

Do you want to design a ring, a gorgeous neckpiece or perhaps a striking pair of earrings? (always check first if the ears of the receiver are actually pierced) Is it a bangle/cuff you’re after? A pair of cufflinks for a special occasion or maybe you’re after some body jewellery?

Take some time to think about what type of piece you want or what you want to give. If it’s a gift, visualise the person you are giving it to . Even better, bring in some photos when you meet with your jeweller. I find this really helps sometimes.

 

2) Know your budget.

Be honest and realistic about what you want to spend. Your budget will largely dictate the design, materials used, time spent and obviously the end result. No point saying to your jeweller ” I want 10 of the biggest and best diamonds you can get”, expecting a big blingy platinum ring the size of a small dog, but you have a budget of $500. Your jeweller will get you the 10 biggest and best diamonds they can for what you can afford. Listen to us, we will guide you through what you can expect within your budget. Also keep in mind, you are getting something handmade that is a one-off. You are paying for the jeweller’s design, skills and time. If you don’t want to spend the money for this, go buy something mass-produced in China and don’t be surprised when you notice a whole bunch of other people with the EXACT SAME PIECE OF JEWELLERY.

 

3) Plan a timeframe.

Make sure you allow plenty of time for your jeweller to go through the design process and the actual fabrication. Have a date in mind when you would like to have the jewellery or know the date you need it to be delivered to the special person receiving it. Sometimes jewellers are insanely busy and need extra time. If this is the case and we don’t think we can get it to you in that time frame, we will be honest and we will tell you. We’re good eggs and we’re time savvy.

 

4) Do some homework first.

I always advice my clients to start thinking about what it is they really like. 2 really great ways to do this. 1) jump online and give Google, Pinterest , Etsy, Instagram a work out. Collect images you like and keep them in a folder on your phone or computer. They can be pictures of absolutely anything, not just jewellery. 2) Take photos of things around you that inspire you. It could be scenery, a particular fabric colour, some other jewellery you have tried on, a piece of furniture. If you think it could be useful to getting a sense of the design direction you are headed in, get snapping.

I often ask my clients to email these images with the reasoning as to why they like it or why they don’t. It gives me a really clear indication of where we will be heading, an overall view of your tastes. You could email me 10 times a day, great! The more homework you do, the better!

Here’s some good places to get started.

Do you prefer organic or geometric/industrial?

   

Simple or detailed?

             

 

Delicate or bold/statement?

  

Diamonds and/or coloured stones and/or pearls?

 

 

White metal or yellow metal? Maybe even alternative materials?

 

Just some ideas to get you started.

 

5) Be a good team player.

They say it takes two to tango right? Same goes with your jeweller. We need you to work with us, be honest, be open to our suggestions, make your payments on time and be available to communicate with us. We want you to be happy and want the end result to makes us both wear huge smiles. It’s also about building a relationship with you. Together we will make something special and personal. Once you find a good jeweller who you work well with, hold on to them with two hands. We speak a pretty amazing language with our skills and that wonderful piece of jewellery you hold so precious will be with you (or the receiver) for a life time. There’s going to be many occasions in your life when you will meet with your new awesome friend to work together and it’s all the more enjoyable when you become a good team.

 

I hope these tips get your creative cogs turning and inspire you to invest in quality handmade jewellery with an awesome jewellery designer.

 

Please note I do not own the rights to any of the images used in this post. If you are the owner of the image and would like it removed from being used in this post, I apologise in advance and will happily remove it. Please email me at amyrobsonjewellery@hotmail.com if you have any concerns.