Custom Design

A time lapse video of a custom name necklace being made by metalsmith and jewelry designer Chrissy Cook in West Reading,PA. The name is Fynn and it made of rose gold and attached to an oxidized silver chain.

What is Custom Jewelry?

At MADE Jewelry, custom jewelry design means that you work one-on-one with jewelry designer Chrissy Cook to develop an idea or make a vision come to life. You choose the metals, the stones, and the budget based on your ideas, or with our guidance.

When to Consider Custom Design

Whenever you want! Custom jewelry can commemorate an occasion like engagement, wedding, anniversary, graduation, or becoming a parent. It can say thank you, or celebrate a person like a mom, grandparent, or sibling. It can honor the memory of a lost family member, friend or pet. It can breathe new life into a sentimental piece, and maybe best of all - it can be for no reason at all. From traditional to contemporary to alternative, we pride ourselves on inclusive jewelry design!

What is the Process?

Consultation: Chrissy will ask you tons of questions and you can expect to start with telling her all about the purpose of the jewelry and all about the person who will wear the jewelry. What is their style? What colors/metals do they love? Do you have any jewelry that you want to use in the creation of the piece? What is your budget and timeline? Chrissy will talk to you about the differences between ethically mined stones vs. conflict mined, and synthetic stones vs. natural so that you can make a decision you feel good about and that fits your budget. Not local? No problem! Chrissy will meet with you via Zoom or FaceTime!

What to bring: Any inspiration that you may have collected like color palettes, photographs, shapes, stones, etc; jewelry that you already own if you’re looking to repurpose metal/stones or to refresh an already existing piece of jewelry. It’s also helpful if you know the size/length you’ll need,

A piece of paper with four pencil sketches of a custom cuff bracelet.  A plain silver cuff is on top dof the paper and random pieces of jewelry are in the background.

Drawings for a custom cuff bracelet.

Design Refinement & Approval: Once the information is gathered, Chrissy will develop a drawing for your review. You might approve this initial idea, or ask for revisions. Often times a project develops during this process and can take on different characteristics than originally planned! The drawing will be revised until you are happy with the concept. Once you give final approval on the design concept and estimate, you will make decisions on the exact metals and/or stones to be used in the project. In some cases, stones will be ordered and you’ll come back to choose the stone that best suits your taste, budget, and style. The final step before Chrissy gets to work is to make a deposit.

Creation: When all materials are in house and approved, Chrissy will craft your custom jewelry, thoroughly clean and inspect the final piece, and then contact you to schedule a time for pick-up and final payment. When you arrive for your appointment, you’ll inspect/try on your jewelry. Reasonable sizing adjustments can be made if needed at this point, or at any point during the life of the jewelry.

Follow-Up: We love to share our customers stories and will ask you to share as much or as little about your experience as you’d like via a short online form. These stories are featured on our blog, “Behind the Jewelry,” and may be used on social media! This step is completely optional and totally at your discretion…we just like you to know ahead of time that we’ll ask!

Maintenance: MADE will continue to service your custom jewelry as needed with cleanings, adjustments, inspections, and repairs.

Let’s Get Started!

Whatever the occasion, no matter the budget - we would love to work with you on a custom jewelry project. Scroll through our custom gallery, read our customer’s stories, and then schedule an appointment to get started!