Custom Design

Thinking about having something custom made?

Perhaps it is time for that special engagement ring? An occasion that calls for a unique item of jewellery? Or maybe you have inherited a piece you'd like to breathe new life into? Whatever the brief, we love working on commissions, and we are always happy to discuss the creation of specific pieces.

Having something custom made is the perfect opportunity to design something completely personal to you. We will meet your idea with our passion for wearable art and the stories your pieces honour, along with our years of jewellery expertise and industry knowledge. We've become known for our signature botanical design, but enjoy working on classic or more contemporary designs too. Please have a read below about our custom process and browse through some of the one-off designs that have recently left our studio.

The Process

We believe in creating quality, unique pieces, while honouring the time and health of people who work for and with us. We do not mass produce or keep large volumes of stock as we prefer to approach our work in a more considered way. This means that creating your custom piece will take some time. Please allow for between six to eight weeks from consultation to completion, depending on the complexity of your desired design. If you have a tighter deadline please communicate that with us in the initial consultation so we can assess whether we can fulfil this.

Below you will find a detailed outline of our process and other information around custom creations. While this information will give you a good general understanding, each piece is unique and requires its own approach - the exact approach we take will be communicated to you. 

Initial consultation

We understand that having something custom made can be unfamiliar territory and perhaps a little daunting, especially if you are commissioning a piece for someone else to wear. That is why we're here to guide you through the process. We'll advise on each element, from which metal to select, to making sure the final piece suits the intended wearer's lifestyle.

All our custom work is designed and managed by Claire, our founder, so you will have the personal attention this process deserves. Claire likes to start with a relaxed and informal meeting where we first dream up your piece, and then discuss how we'll go about achieving it. Whether we meet in person at our studio or virtually, this is a time for creativity - send us some references of pieces you like or images that have captured your imagination. If you're unsure of ideas our Instagram account is a good place to start, where we showcase our latest custom jewellery that may serve as inspiration.

Aside of an initial design idea, it is also helpful to bring some detail about the person we're making the piece for; their ring size, metal and stone preferences are all great starting points. It is our goal that we both leave the first session with a clear understanding of the brief, so no amount of information or number of ideas is too much!

One last thing we advise you to bring to our first session is a budget. Although the least glamorous part of the process, this information is essential for us. Custom pieces vary hugely in price depending on the complexity of the design, the metal, and gemstones selected. Having an approximate figure in mind will guide us in our suggestions and more importantly, help kickstart our sourcing, so we can bring your piece to life as soon as possible.  

Sourcing and Quoting

Now that we have a strong direction for your design, we can move on to the next phase of the process. If no gemstones are required we will send a quote to you within a few days; alternatively, if you have opted for stones, we will begin sourcing the right ones for your piece. We have built strong personal relationships with select suppliers over many years of trade, so you can rest assured that your vision is in the hands of the industry's best. We will present the options we have found to you, as well as provide you with preliminary costings of both the stone(s) and incorporation thereof into your design. Once the final quote has been approved and the necessary deposit is received, we will proceed to the next step - detailed designs of your piece.

Diamonds and Gemstones

The diamond or gemstone (should you want to have one) is often the focal point of a design. This is usually the first thing considered design process, especially when you are having a more organic or botanical piece made. 

Diamonds are a popular choice for engagement rings and wedding bands and we're here to help you select the perfect one for the intended wearer. All of our diamonds and gemstones are sourced from trusted suppliers and who vouch for their ethical sources. The diamonds we supply will be certified by trusted gemmological labs like E.G.L, G.I.A or our local lab The Gem Lab. 

Looking for something other than a diamond? We love working with a variety of different gemstones. The hardness of the gemstone needs to be carefully considered to make sure it is appropriate for the design, especially when designing a ring. One of our personal favourites is sapphires, which have a good hardness and come in a variety of unique colours to suit anyone's taste. 

We firmly believe that the right diamond or gemstone will make your heart sing and love going through the exciting process of hand-selecting the perfect one with you. 

Design

This is one of our favourite steps. Now that we have decided on all the elements, we will present you with detailed 3D sketches/designs of your custom piece. These take some time to put together as we consider each detail, and they are drawn up to show multiple angles and to be in proportion to the stones you selected. You will have an opportunity for feedback, input and a discussion with Claire around the final design.

Due to the detailed nature of these images we are able to only provide one full design, within the brief we will have discussed. Two design amendments can be requested but changes requiring a new design to be created will incur additional charges.

Once the final design has been approved we will proceed with manufacturing your piece. 

Manufacturing

Now that the final design has been signed off the manufacturing process will begin. This is done with the greatest attention to detail and care.  Once your piece has been crafted, set and finished we will contact you to arrange collection or delivery. This process can take up to 21 working days from design sign off. If engraving is needed for your piece this will increase the manufacturing time. 

Collection or Delivery 

Once your pieces has been completed you will be contacted to come and collect your custom creation, an exciting moment which cannot fully be put into words. A final invoice will be issued prior to collection. No jewellery will leave the studio until the full amount due has been paid.

If you are not in Cape Town we will send your piece off with our trusted delivery partners. While we do send all parcels fully insured we cannot take responsibility for any custom duties applicable if delivery is outside of South Africa. 

Using what you already have

We love the idea of using jewellery (gold), diamonds and gemstones that you already own, as it is not only an eco-friendly approach, but it also adds sentimental value to your piece. However, not all stones or jewellery items are suitable for remodelling, so please bring items in to be assessed and we can discuss how best to incorporate them. 

While we understand some gold pieces may hold sentimental value we do not manufacture new pieces with the gold you bring in as we are unable to confirm what alloys are in the metals and there are certain ones we cannot work with. We send the metal into refining and offer a credit based on that day's gold price. When metal is sent to refining there is a metal loss as well as a refining fee, so 20% is deducted from the value to accommodate this. 

Book a consultation

We'd love to sit down and chat to you about having a piece made, either in studio or virtually. You can either send an email to claire@botanicajewellery.com or send us a message in the "contact us" section on our website.