At Necker’s Jewelers, we want you to be 100% happy with your jewelry. Sometimes, this means you want to create a custom piece, whether it’s by modifying a piece you saw in our store, changing a previously purchased piece of jewelry, or having something completely new made. Whatever the situation, our sales associates can work with you to create custom jewelry that you’re guaranteed to love.
The entire process of customizing your jewelry takes an average of 6 to 8 weeks from start to finish. We’ve outlined this process below, so you know exactly what to expect.
1. Determining What You Want Your Custom Jewelry to Look Like
The first step in the custom jewelry process is to meet with a sales associate to determine what you want your piece to look like. Some people bring in pieces they’ve previously owned and ask for changes to be made, others ask to modify a piece they’ve seen in one of our cases. We’ve also created custom jewelry from reference photos or fashion jewelry that customers wanted to turn into a piece of fine jewelry.
Please note: We typically ask for a payment of 20% of the estimated price of your custom jewelry once you’ve decided on a design and are ready to continue this process.
2. Creating a CAD (Computer-Aided Design) Model
Next, we will create a computer-aided design (CAD) model of your custom piece. This model looks different depending on who makes it, but its purpose is to show you what your jewelry will look like. After seeing the CAD model, you can either approve the design or request changes be made before your custom jewelry is created.
3. Making the Wax Model
Once you’ve decided that you like the CAD model, we’ll create a wax model of your piece. Some people want to see the wax model before the piece is cast, while others don’t. If you’d like to see the model before the cast is created, please let one of our sales associates know.
4. Casting Your Jewelry
Next, we’ll use the wax model to create a mold of your jewelry. Then, the type of metal you chose for your piece will be poured into the mold. The resulting jewelry will be polished and transformed so it can have stones set into it.
5. Setting the Stones
After casting the piece, the stones will be set into it and your custom design will be finished. Oftentimes, people bring in stones from an older piece that they want to set into their new custom jewelry. However, some people pick out a new stone for their custom piece. If you’re selecting new stones, we typically choose them for you. However, if you’d like to see the stones or pick out your own, we can do that too! Please tell one of our sales associates that you want to see the stones before they’re set when you start the custom jewelry process.
Want to learn more about how to create custom jewelry at Necker’s Jewelers? Make an appointment by visiting our store in DeWitt or Davenport, IA, or schedule a custom jewelry consultation on our website.
