You have a specific idea or project? A piece of jewellery you’ve been searching for years but have never found? Planning a wedding and you want matching engagement rings? The custom order might be just what you need. You will find answers to your question and a description of the steps needed to create your item here.
I take custom orders and work only with precious metals (gold, silver, bronze and brass). My limitations are defined by the allotted time and budget for your project. This slideshow shows a sample of past custom orders.
It is also possible to order an item that’s exclusive to a group or an organization. There is a fixed price for the original item. This price covers the designing and creating time as well as the mold. Then, a fixed price is set for the subsequent items.
The steps for a custom order are:
**Please note that the delays for a custom order are typically around 6 months. For a shorter delay, contact me directly and if the stars align, I might be able to do it. **
  1. We discuss the project, usually by phone or e-mail. Here are some key elements that you need to think of: What kind of jewellery do you have in mind? When do you want it? Which metal should be used? Do you want stones, pearls or something else? What style? How much are you willing to spend? Its good to have a few pictures of the desired style and details as inspiration. Please note that I will never copy another piece out of respect for intellectual ownership. These pictures will be used as a base of inspiration and to make sure that we understand each other on what it is you’d like.
  2. Meeting. It is easier for me to understand your tastes and needs if we meet in person. If it’s not possible, we’ll communicate via e-mails or do a virtual meeting. Following the first encounter, I’ll be able to draw and submit the first drafts*. If the meeting goes exceptionally well, it is possible for a draft to be drawn, submitted and approved following the first meeting.    *The submitted drafts are and will ALWAYS remain my intellectual property. Only the selected design will be exclusively yours, which means that even if you buy a unique item, you do not have the right to have it reproduced without my approval. Any design that was not selected could be used for future customers or collections.
  3. Approval: after one or two exchanges and a few drafts comes the time for you to make a choice and give me the go to begin crafting. At this point we will negotiate on the final price (with or without leeway). It is also when I will ask you the deposit on the project. The deposit usually amounts to 50% of the final price. As I will use this money to cover some labour and supplies costs, this deposit is not refundable.
  4. I usually work with lost-wax casting, meaning I sculpt the item in wax before casting it. If it is possible, I will sculpt the wax and show it to you before the casting (see pictures below for the steps). This way, if you’d like some modifications, it will be easier to do while still in the wax. It will also give you a pretty good idea of the final product’s look.
  5. Casting, finish and other details depending on the order.
  6. Delivery and final payment.
But how much will it cost? It’s difficult to say since the price will vary depending on the order. For starter, there is a fixed price covering most of the designing and crafting time for a more or less complex design. Add to this the price of materials. This is the part that’s difficult to evaluate since the more metal there is, the costlier the item will be. Also because of gold being much more expensive than silver and of every stones and pearls not costing the same amount, the final price can vary greatly.