What Does Custom Jewelry Really Mean?
The word custom gets tossed around a lot these days: it seems like everyone has a custom designed something or other for sale. This is especially true in the jewelry industry, where many jewelers offer their own version of custom jewelry. But what does it really mean to buy something that is custom made?
When you start shopping for a special piece of jewelry, like an engagement ring, you see all kinds of words that imply custom jewelry, such as, personalized, build your own or customized. It is important to understand the difference between customized jewelry and custom jewelry. If you want a name engraved or to "build" a piece of jewelry from a list of options; you will end up with a beautiful piece of customized jewelry.
True Custom Jewelry
The idea of "building" your own jewelry from a list of options seems custom enough, right? But what if the options offered from a particular list aren't really what you are looking for? What if you are looking for something truly unique? Maybe you don't want a diamond as your center stone. Or perhaps, you have a stone that is a family heirloom that you would like to include in a piece of jewelry. Or possibly, you want your piece of jewelry to have a specific theme, such as marriage, love or friendship. Now is the time to sit down with a reputable jeweler who has the experience and knowledge to create a truly custom piece of jewelry from the ground up.
True custom jewelry is different from altering an existing piece of jewelry or building a piece from a list of options. It is taking a rough idea and transforming it into a one-of-a kind piece of jewelry. During the process of creating custom jewelry you work directly with a jeweler to create something new and perfectly suited for you. When you make a true custom piece of jewelry you have control over and can be a part of many aspect of the design process; this can include things like the materials that are used in the project and even the budget.
A Story about Custom Jewelry.....
A couple came into our store one evening looking for wedding bands. Yia and Amy had been to many different jewelry stores in the area. After looking for quite some time, they were frustrated that they couldn't find what they were looking for. Yia, in particular, had a few things he specifically wanted in his wedding band. His family tradition dictates a preference for 24k gold. 24 karat gold is softer in comparison to lower purity gold, and therefore is typically not seen in jewelry.
Once they sat down with our jeweler, Albert, and they started talking about what they wanted. Albert quickly realized that what they need was custom wedding bands. They were so happy to find out that we could make them the exactly what they were looking for. By the time they left, Albert had sketched up some rough designs and had a pretty good idea of what they wanted. Yia and Amy paid their deposit and Albert got to work designing their wedding bands.
A few days later Yia approached Albert about an idea he had for his wedding band and wanted to know if Albert could somehow incorporate it into the design. Yia's father plays a traditional Hmong reed pipe called a qeej. The qeej plays an important role in the Hmong culture; its music plays is like an extension to the Hmong language, meaning every note symbolizes a word. After Yia brought in a qeej, Albert was able to take its measurements and then scale it down, so that he could incorporate the qeej into the design of Yia's wedding band.
A Ring Just for You
This is what custom jewelry really is. It is incorporating all of you into your piece of jewelry: your family traditions and heritage, your style and preferences and all the small nuances that make you, well you. Yia's wedding band turned out beautiful and exactly what he was looking for. But he would have never found it in a showcase in a jewelry store simply because his wedding band didn't exist. But with Albert's experience and knowledge, they were able to turn Yia's ideas into a ring that is perfectly suited just for him.
