The Process of Custom Design: Part I. Design.

This the first entry in a four-part series on the process of custom designing a piece of jewelery.

Custom design is an important element of our business at Grimball Jewelers and a service we are pleased to offer our treasured clientele. Many people know right from the start that they want a custom piece of jewelry but sometimes it's not until a customer has browsed our collection and spoken with a member of our sales staff that it becomes clear that they will need a piece created especially for him or her.  Once the need is recognized, it's time for a consultation with our designer Tony.
 
During the consultation, Tony asks a variety of questions to determine the parameters for the piece.

Is the customer looking for something modern or traditional?
• If gemstones are to be used in the piece, is there one stone that will be of primary importance or are there several stones to consider and arrange in a pleasing manner?
• How will the stones be set?  If the customer leans toward a modern style, Tony typically recommends bezel  or channel setting while a traditional style usually looks best with bead or prong setting.






Will the piece be symmetrical or asymmetrical?

As the consultation progresses, Tony does a bit of counter-sketching to demonstrate different ideas about the piece.  Once in a while, he will get lucky and produce the  perfect design on the spot.  But usually he schedules a follow-up where he will present the customer with four or five design options.  When the customer reviews the designs usually one of the following occurs:

One of the designs is just what the customer wants.
• The customer likes elements from two or more of the designs and a new design is required that combines those elements.
  




The designs help clarify what the customer wants or does not want but still need refining.

It's nice when it works out easily but sometimes it takes a bit of extra work to get to perfection. Once a design is approved, the next step is Modeling and that is the subject for the second part of this series.

Below you will find a sample of Tony's counter sketches and design proposals.  Enjoy!

(And if you'd like to see a small portion of custom pieces by Tony, check out our Pinterest account.)

Hers and His Wedding Bands

Band designs

Domed Rings

Gold Ring with Semi-precious Stone

Spider Pin/Pendant with Gemstone in Various Settings