1. Develop the Concept
When a customer comes in looking for a piece of custom jewelry, they likely already have a few ideas in mind. We sit down with the customer and discuss what they are looking for. If the customer has images of what they are looking for, we can take those images and draw inspiration from them. As we discuss all of this with the customer, we sketch out the design on paper. We make changes as needed during this initial stage while we are with the client.2. Create a CAD Rendition
Once we have a good idea of what the customer is looking for drawn out on paper, we turn it into a CAD (computer-aided drawing) rendition. In this process, we make sure that all of the details that were mentioned get put into the concept. When the piece looks the way we think the customer wants it to look, we send them the draft to approve. If the piece is approved, we move on. If the customer comes back with changes, we go back into the system and make any necessary changes.3. Make a 3-D Print
Once we have the CAD draft approved, we move on to creating a 3-D model of the piece. We call this a wax. We then put the wax onto a “tree” that holds multiple pieces of jewelry. The tree allows us to make numerous molds at the same time, which saves jewelry makers a lot of time.4. Creating the Jewelry
The tree is covered with a substance similar to plaster of Paris that makes a mold of the waxes on the tree. The plaster is fired in a kiln, which melts the wax out of the molds. With the wax out of the molds, we can fill the plaster with molten precious metal to create a new piece of jewelry. Once the molds are filled, the plaster is dipped into water to cool the metal down and make it solid again. When the metal is solid, we break the plaster and cut the pieces of jewelry off the tree.5. Refining the Jewelry
When the jewelry comes off the tree, it is not in its best condition. It still needs to be polished. Any extra bits of metal will also need to be carefully trimmed off. Once we get the piece perfect, we start adding in all of the stones.
No matter what type of stone is selected to go into the jewelry, it is added after the metal part of the jewelry has been completed. We can add in both large and small stones in the shop. Once the stones are put in their settings, we are ready to give the jewelry a final clean and polish.
6. Presenting the Jewelry to the Customer
When the whole process has been completed, we ask the customer to come back into the store to see and pick up the jewelry. This is usually a very exciting time in the store. We have put a lot of time and energy into these pieces, so it is a lot of fun to see the look on the customer’s face when they finally get to see their piece of custom jewelry for the first time. When the piece is an engagement ring, we are all even more excited! When you work in jewelry, engagements are so much fun!
If you are in the Kansas City Metro Area looking for custom jewelry, contact Noe’s Jewelry today at 816-322-7227. We are located in Raymore, Missouri, and we love to help people from all over the metro area design the perfect piece of jewelry that nobody else in the world has on their finger, wrist, neck, or ears. We also carry numerous product lines from major jewelry manufacturers if you are interested in a pre-made piece. Our jewelers would love to help you pick out a piece of jewelry for yourself or a loved one.