The remodel process
27th May 2017
Thought today I would run you through the basic steps of a remodel. The same system applies for rings, earring, pendants etc.
Measuring the customers materials
Unless I can physically inspect the materials to be used I cannot quote even if the customer has the exact details of the desired design. Unfortunately for many out of town customers this rules out quoting.
The most common tasks I need to peform here are:
- identify precious metals
- weigh metals
- measure gemstones
The desired design
I need to discover what design, style of jewellery the customer desires. I usually do this by discussing photos of jewellery. In some cases customers show me either a design they have seen on my website or elsewhere which they hope to replicate in part or whole.
In this case one of my standard designs was chosen. Next time I will show you a piece where more modifications to the start design were made.
Quoting
Knowing the materials I have to work with and the desired design I am now able to quote to make the ring. If this is accepted I ask my customers to pay a 30% deposit and we move on to the rest of the process.
Refining the design
Modified design to .60 carat diamond, yellow gold and finger size Q
The original design used a .33 carat diamond in an 18ct palladium white gold setting made to a size N. My customers diamond was a .60 carat, her scrap gold was yellow and her finger size was a Q.
I digitally recreated the ring to her specifications and then edited that image into a photo of her real hand as well. The digital refinement of the design is usually done via email.
You can read more about the importance of scaling designs to the intended finger size in this article.
The all important draft
Silver draft, gold plated and set with a cubic zirconia of the approximate size.
With the design finalised I make a silver draft that the customer can try on and confirm the design. At this point we can also make slight changes to the design if required.
The draft is also used to confirm the customers exact finger size. Generic finger sizers do not take into account varyinging ring shapes and can fail to reflect the finger size required. The draft solves that problem.
The band of the draft uncleaned after modification to the correct size.
For ring designs that cannot be resized the draft stage is vital. Without it you run the risk of needing to resize a brand new ring that may be damaged during the process.
Make the ring
With my process there are no surprises with the finished jewellery. This piece will be a combination engagement/wedding ring. It weighs 8.1 grams in 18ct yellow gold and features a .60 carat, E colour, Vs2 clarity round brilliant cut diamond.
