If you are looking for a unique piece to add to your jewellery collection, creating a custom item is the perfect way to add a personalised touch. From bespoke jewellery designed from scratch, to adding an engraving or initial to existing designs or swapping a metal type or gemstone, customising jewellery comes in many forms.
In this article, we will guide you through the bespoke jewellery journey from inspiration and ideas, to collaborating with a jewellery design expert and top tips on maintaining your custom jewellery piece to ensure they become heirlooms of the future.
Unique ways to customise jewellery
Adding initials
One of the most iconic ways to personalise jewellery is by wearing your initials. From signet rings adorned with your monogram to diamond initial pendants, adding the initial of your first name, or your full initials, is a timeless way to add a touch or personality to your custom jewellery, and is seeing continued growth in jewellery trends.
Engraving
Another way to add some personalisation to your custom jewellery design is to use engraving. Engraving is a process that carves or etches words into metal. It is usually a subtle yet clear way to add a meaningful phrase or word to your personalised jewellery. Popular engravings for jewellery include a favourite quote, song lyrics, a significant date, or the names of loved ones.
Gemstones
Using gemstones as personalisation is a beautiful way to customise jewellery. A popular way to make gemstones personal is to incorporate birthstones into your custom jewellery design. You can even add multiple birthstones to represent the people closest to you, and carry them with you.
There are other ways to personalise with gemstones, though. In Victorian times, gemstones held another secret meaning, allowing people to share hidden messages and love tokens using symbolic jewellery. For example, someone may have given their lover a ring that featured a diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald and topaz, or a D.E.A.R.E.S.T ring (look at the first letter of each of the gemstones!) These acrostic rings are a subtle and sentimental way to personalise jewellery.
For a modern take on this, you could spell your name using gemstones, or choose a gemstone that shares your initial, or initials.
Horoscope and star signs
Similar to birthstones, another way to personalise jewellery is to look at your star sign. Each star sign has a constellation and a corresponding symbol, and often an object that represents it. Any of these could be incorporated in a subtle or more overt way when creating custom jewellery.
The horoscopes, and their related symbols and representations, are:
- Aries (Mar 21-Apr 19) – represented by a ram
- Taurus (Apr 20-May 20) – represented by a bull
- Gemini (May 21-Jun 21) – represented by twins
- Cancer (Jun 22-Jul 22) – represented a crab
- Leo (Jul 23-Aug 22) – represented by a lion
- Virgo (Aug 23-Sep 22) – represented by the maiden
- Libra (Sep 23-Oct 23) – represented by a set of scales
- Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 21) – represented by a scorpio
- Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21) – represented by an archer, or an arrow
- Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19) – represented by a goat
- Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18) – represented by water, or waves
- Pisces (Feb 19-Mar 20) – represented by a fish
Metals and materials
Customising jewellery doesn’t always have to mean making it uber personal with names and initials. You can also customise jewellery by selecting the materials that most suit you. From choosing the best metal tone to suit your skin tone, to selecting your favourite gemstones or embellishments, you can customise existing designs by tweaking small elements to make it feel more like you.
Working with a trusted jewellery designer
Now you have a clear idea of how you want to customise your jewellery, it’s time to select a jewellery designer who can turn your vision into a reality. Collaboration is key, so working with a skilled jewellery designer and maker who can transform your ideas and inspiration into a tangible piece of jewellery is vital.
Creating bespoke jewellery is a fine art, and it requires lots of knowledge of techniques.
How does the bespoke jewellery process work?
Firstly, you’ll have a consultation with the designer. Here, you can share your inspiration and ideas. We suggest taking pictures or moodboards to help illustrate what you like to ensure you’re being as clear as possible.
The designer will likely ask questions to help clarify the brief, such as your budget, metal preferences and possibly some lifestyle or jewellery wearing habits, to help ascertain the best materials and design style for your custom piece.
They will also take measurements at this stage, and give you an idea of timelines to create your custom jewellery.
Next, the designer will take all of this information and create a mock-up of your bespoke jewellery piece. This might be a physical or digital drawing, and will be shared with you for feedback. At this stage, they may also share samples of materials or gemstone options.
Once you have agreed on a final design, the jewellery designer will make your one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery.
Caring for your custom jewellery
Careful cleaning and safe storage
Cleaning your bespoke jewellery regularly will not only keep them sparkling, it can also help to maintain the integrity and longevity of your piece. You can easily clean gold jewellery at home with common household products, or treat your jewels to a professional jewellery clean.
Storing your jewellery in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight will also help to maintain the strength and structure of your jewellery.
Wear with care
While you may never want to take off your brand-new custom jewellery, make sure you remove it before bathing, showering or swimming and when washing up or cleaning will ensure that you aren’t exposing your jewellery to potentially harmful chemicals which threaten to weaken or damage it.
We recommend taking off jewellery when exercising and while you sleep to avoid causing breakages.
Insurance
For investment pieces that have great sentimental as well as financial value, you may want to consider insuring your bespoke jewellery for peace of mind.
Final thoughts
When it comes to the art of custom jewellery, partnering with jewellery designers who can turn your inspiration into a reality, listen to your wants and needs and combine this with their knowledge and expertise will result in a truly bespoke piece that is unique to you.
Our designers are experts in turning ideas into one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces. Get in touch to have a conversation about your custom jewellery design.
