Bespoke Jewellery Design - it is really unique and handmade?

Call me Jack

Jack thinks it time to tell the public whats going on in the UK jewellery trade with regards to the actual goods themselves. Many high street jewellers claim to be manufacturers when in fact there are only a handful of us left. Anyone can get a jewellers bench and put it in their shop and claim they are skilled when in fact they are not. Is this really a scam? I don't know. But it certainly isn't truthful. So here's a brief rundown. I'll start with normal high street shops. The small independent traditional high street jeweller.

These guys have been around for years. They are prevalent on the British high street in every town. Mostly they have "traditional" fine jewellery in their windows - lots of diamond rings all quite similar and lots of other jewellery, stones of all colours, etc all literally stuffed in the window in trays or boxes. A bling emporium.

Now if you like this, then you will be in your element. Some of these jewellers are good and honest. But unfortunately, and more increasingly, due to the market being depressed they are selling you goods at a high price which are not worth the money you pay for them. What to watch out for:

a) The jewellery

Nowdays most jewellers claim they make everything in store themselves actually don't. They might actually do some soldering and polishing, but they buy relevant component parts (there are many companies who sell those in their millions) and stick them together then set them with loose stones they have. Hey presto - rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets all looking very similar to each other.

This is not strictly manufacturing. We can train an apprentice up to make this jewellery within 3 months. There's nothing wrong with this - it is the mass market and components, like everything else, can vastly differ in quality. So if you are asking them to make you a bespoke ring, DO ask these guys if they use components or if they actually buy bullion materials (sheet, wire, findings etc) and make each piece from scratch by hand. They may say they make everything from components, in which case ask them from which country - the honest ones will get the relevant component manual out and show you, and maybe use it to help you design your ring. BUT. You guessed it - you can buy them from abroad and get them hallmarked here in the UK. These components may be quite inferior in quality or use questionable practices in their production. Just be aware.

b) Stones

Look back in my blog for a list of common practices for treatments to enhance stones as mostly this is what these guys will show you. Again, the honest ones will be truthful and tell you the exact quality of the stones or show you a certificate if relevant. But you have to be fully aware of what you are buying and what sort of quality you are expecting if you are asking for a bespoke ring to be made up for you. Common scams are as follows:

i) Diamonds - telling you a diamond is good quality when it isn't. Search the net for examples of the "Four C's" to start with. Don't be fobbed off with statements such as "colour and clarity are the most important as cut and carat are obvious", there is a lot more to diamonds than simple explanation of the 4 C's but its a good start and you will be armed with a little understanding. If the sales assistant can't at least speak confidently about the 4 C's - walk out and go somewhere else where they can.  Above all, don;t buy a significant diamond (0.3ct or above) without seeing it first preferably with some comparisons.

ii) Coloured stones - ask about the treatment; again, if they have little knowledge of this, I recommend you walk away and give your money to someone who does. If they say the are selling you a natural untreated stone - ask for the source. They should be able to tell you as these stones are rare in the industry and usually expensive.

iii) Semi-precious stones. This is an interesting one. There are so many different qualities, treatments and so on. Try to find someone who understands your needs and has a good working knowledge of the stones. This is an area where you can be easily duped and oversold .... I might deal with this in depth later.

iv) Pearls. Watch out for these. There are soooooooo many pitfalls. The questions to ask are:

1. Are these (white perfectly round) pearls completely natural? If answer is Yes then ask

2. Are they cultured? If answer is no - unless the price tag is in excess of £20,000 ... just walk out

Why? - there are pearls called naturals, and these can be expensive, but it refers to the colours (most pearls are dyed, bleached, etc) and NOT the pearls themselves which are cultured. 99.99% of all pearls on the market today are cultured and white

If answer is No, then ask

3. How long do you think these pearls have been in production (in development in the shell)? Price will reflect this - if the jeweller says I don't know and they are selling something over £500, they should know! Usually these pearls should be in the farm for in excess of, say, 2 or 3 years. Cheaper pearls can come out of production in less than a year ... DO NOT BUY THESE PEARLS - unless you want very poor quality (also its not a nice process)

Then there are a whole bunch of other things that you need to be aware of like size, shape, skin quality, lustre and so on which will finally determine the quality and a fair price. We have seen some real horrors with these because we do a lot of repairs, restrings and valuations for pearls.

So - go in with some ammunition and you will be less likely to get ripped off by a scammer who markup is ridiculous and who knows nothing about what they are selling to you. Good luck