Custom Made Jewelry
Custom orders are a conversation between the client and the artisan. There are different scenarios that can lead to a custom order.
Maybe the client sees some of my jewelry and would like something similar. This is a real compliment for me.
Frequently a client will see jewelry in a store or in a photo and this idea will be the basis from which we develop a jewelry design.
Maybe the client has jewelry that they want renovated by removing or adding elements. Sometimes the client wishes to recycle the gold and/or stones from old or broken jewelry and would like suggestions on how this material could be used.
Let me share with you photos of jewelry resulting from some of these conversations.
18K Yellow Gold Bracelet wih Diamonds and Rubies
This bracelet was made entirely with the client's recycled gold and stones. The stones were removed from their settings and the gold was melted and refined to 24K (pure gold). There is a 10 to 20% loss of metal in this process, depending on the numberr of solder points and the amount of non-gold materials present in the jewelry.
18K Yellow Gold Bracelet with Diamonds and Rubies
The client saw a photo of a bracelet and asked for an object in that style. The original bracelet was in only yellow gold and had no stones whereas the new bracelet would use both white and yellow gold and would be set with diamonds and rubies recovered from the client's old, also broken, jewelry. Also the client needed a longer bracelet to accommodate her arm and, to maintain proportions, the width of the bracelet was increased.
18K Yellow Gold Bracelet with Diamonds and Rubies
The original bracelet had been entirely made using the technique of lost wax casting. I could not do this as the new bracelet was to have both yellow and white gold. One color could be cast but the other color elements would need to be fabricated. I chose to cast the cuttlefish bone base for the entire bracelet and to fabricate all of the design elements, hinges and closure, whether in white or yellow gold.
18K Yellow Gold Bracelet with Diamonds and Rubies
The bracelet is 7 1/2 in (19 cm) long, 1 in (2.5 cm) wide and weighs 77 grams.
Custom Setting for a Silver Japanese Coin
The coin is 5/8 in (16 mm) wide, 15/16 in (24 mm) high, 1/8 in (2.5 mm) thick and weighs 8.6 grams. The silver frame is 7/8 in (22 mm) wide, 1 and 3/8 in (35 mm) high with the bail and weighs 6.2 grams, making a total weight of 14.8 grams.
The coin was issued from 1837 to 1868 and is a 1 Bu, the equivalent of 4 Shu, a smaller silver rectangular coin. These ususual, undated rectangular coins were soon replaced by the modern round coins.
Custom Setting for a Silver Japanese Coin
Industrial settings are available for modern collector coins as the weights and dimensions of the coins have been standardized. But for many of the older coins a setting must be made to size. Such is the case with this silver rectangular Japanese coin from the time of the Shoguns.
