THE BEAUTY OF BESPOKE

17th April 2024

Opting to have jewellery made to your exact specifications used to be the preserve of the privileged, however having your perfect piece made, whether it’s something to which you hope someone will say, “I do”, to a precious way of saying “thank you” is something anyone can do. Words by Laura McCreddie-Doak.

The idea of bespoke jewellery for most people probably inhabited the same space as having a couture gown – something that happens to other people, probably with double barrelled surnames and definitely with some serious zeroes on their bank balance. However, in the past decade that has started to shift. “Interest in bespoke design has definitely built over the past few years,” explains Alan Street, Retail Director at ROX. “People want statement pieces, something unique. Social media has added to this; people’s pieces are no longer just seen by those at the event but can be seen by anyone in the world.”

It started with people becoming comfortable with the idea of repurposing. It’s bespoke but less open ended. The metal and stones are already there, you just have to decide what to do with them. The growing comfort with bespoke is also related to the way in which people interact luxury retail spaces. Historically, stores where you went to buy jewellery, in particular, were places where you probably went a handful of times in your life. They were for engagements, weddings, notable anniversaries and births. They were traditional, untroubled by such things as trends, or differing tastes. Then came the 1990s, the rock ‘n’ roll jeweller was born and suddenly these luxury items were less about marking occasions as signifiers of personality. Most importantly, people didn’t want what everyone else was wearing, they wanted something original. That being said, it can still be rather daunting to conjure a piece of jewellery out of the ether. Do you start with the stone or the personality of who you’re designing it for? Which metal? What gemstones? Traditional cuts or contemporary? To misquote the Chemical Brothers, when you have an infinite number of noises, it’s harder to make the right decisions. This is where ROX’s in-house team comes in very handy. If you’re thinking about dipping your toe in jewellery-design waters, here’s what you need to know.

STEP 1

The consultation. For some people this can be the most daunting part of the process, however it’s more like a first date. You’re not expected to make life decisions, it’s just a chat (with a glass of champagne, should you be amenable) to find out more. Why are you having this piece designed? If it’s for you what are your likes and dislikes, same applies if it’s for someone else. Even if you have no idea of exactly what you want the finished piece to look like this chat will help you, and the ROX team to formulate ideas. Of course, you can also be super-prepared and have already Pinterested the whole thing. That works too. ROX also has an online ring builder (rox.co.uk/ringbuilder) if what you’re looking is an engagement ring and want keep the design process super simple. Choose your stone, select your style, and we’ll bring it to life.

STEP 2

This is when our in-house design team take your ideas, feelings, thoughts, and turn them into a pen-and-paper reality. Being a designer is the ultimate multi-hyphenate. They have to be mind-readers, interpreters, but also engineers and mathematicians. There’s no point in them providing you with a sketch that looks great on paper but has no chance of a structural reality. And, just as importantly, they are there to work within your budget; to know which metals and stones in which configurations are going to deliver the most beautiful design for whatever you can spend.

STEP 3

Once you’ve said “yes” on paper, the modelmaker steps in to ensure the fantasy matches the reality. Through drawings and 3D animated computer design, a wax model of the piece will be created to make sure it looks right, and more importantly, feels right.

STEP 4

This is when the gemmologists get involved. These trained specialists, who can grade stones as well as ascertain if any coloured gems have been treated, choose the highest quality stones that suit your design. Selecting them to maximise brilliance and ensuring uniformity in colour and clarity. Obviously you’ll be consulted to check you approve of their choices.

STEP 5

Stones chosen, metal decided upon, design approved, it’s now time for our in-house manufacturing team to get to work. We have expert setters and polishers who will bring your design to life. Knowing how to set stones to maximise the amount of light that can enter them is a mixture of creativity and skill. You have to understand the stone’s facets to be able to choose the right type of setting; something that can only happen after years at the bench. Once the piece has been made, it’s time to present it over another glass of champagne.

USING LAB-GROWN STONES

Lab-grown stones – ones that are structurally and chemically identical to natural ones but grown in a laboratory rather than dug out of the ground – have been growing in popularity in recent years. The only difference with lab-grown stones is that the intense heat and pressure required to form them doesn’t happen naturally but is simulated via two chemical processes. Both start with a flat slither of another diamond, known as the seed, then the first option is high pressure high temperature (HPHT) and the other is chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The former places the seed in among pure graphite carbon and then exposes it to extreme heat – around 1,500ºC – and extreme pressure of approximately 1.5 million pounds per square inch. The other option involves placing the seed in a chamber filled with gas enriched with carbon and heating it, which forces the carbon atoms in the gas to stick to the seed; the build-up of which grows the diamond. After this, you get your lab-grown stone. You can select natural diamonds or lab-grown diamonds for any bespoke pieces. You can even mix and match!