What goes into designing custom designs?

I love it when new clients work with me to design their keepsake piece of jewelry.  I enjoy sourcing the exact size and colour of pearls from the pearl farm in China that I’m associated with.  Sometimes the pieces are simple and elegant, while others are statement pieces that they will pass down in the family.

There’s a lot of pre-work that goes into designing just the right piece of jewelry.  I need to know the colour and size of the pearls.  I need to know the clients budget that I have to work with because there’s several grades of pearls available. Do they want the piece done in sterling silver, white gold plated, yellow gold plated or 18K white/yellow gold.  If it’s a necklace, how long do they want it?  For a bracelet, how long do they need it?  There’s still more info needed but it pertains to specific pieces.

So just know that getting a special keepsake designed takes time.  For some it could be a couple weeks and others, like the one I’m doing right now may take a month or more as I have to get the perfect pearls.  What’s the old saying, “good things come to those that wait”.  I promise you will have a one of a kind piece of jewelry to wear as no 2 pearls are the same (I only use natural cultured pearls unless asked for dyed ones).