Is bespoke-made jewellery more expensive than a ready-made piece of jewellery?
Going bespoke doesn’t mean you pay a higher price.
As our lovely Grace posted on social media: “We're going to be really honest with you. It's a very common misconception that going bespoke means you will pay a higher price, and for Timothy Roe Fine Jewellery it's simply not true! We use the same pricing structure for our bespoke, unique and one off pieces as we would for a stock item to go into our window.
And yes, we create our own stock!
Bespoke jewellery is the outcome from a collaboration between you, our design team and the expert craftsmanship of goldsmiths and stone setters. If you choose to go bespoke you allow yourself to have more control over your design, diamond and gemstone sizes, metal colours and more! We can help you to conceptualise ideas you have and turn them into reality, we can show you 3D images along with printing resin models for you to try on.”
Bespoke redesign of a zircon ring using customer’s blue zircon stone and diamonds supplied by Timothy Roe
When it comes to bespoke made jewellery versus a mass-made piece of jewellery from another company--well, that is different and you cannot compare it like for like. There are so many different factors involved that make the two so very different that comparing it would be grossly unfair. So really it comes down to understanding firstly, what do you, the customer, mean by ready-made piece of jewellery? In your mind, what qualities and factors make a piece of jewellery ready-made? What is your interpretation and understanding of this label and, what does the word expensive mean to you? Depending on your level of disposable income, lifestyle and situation, “expensive” will be different numbers to different people.
In general, yes mass-produced jewellery is less expensive but the manufacturers will have compromised on the quality of the materials or the attention to detail in the crafting to get it to market quickly and at a very economical price. It is usually machine made with a hurried finish. There are different price points for different things and you can find beautiful jewellery for every budget at every price point but generally, for mass-produced pieces the materials are bought in bulk and to meet the lower price points lower quality stones and plating, filling or vermeil will be used instead of solid gold. Some gold pieces at lower prices may be hollow, chains will be thin and light weight and they will use lower gold carat content to keep costs down.
There is a concept in business called the Scope Triangle. If you don’t know of it, it is best explained in the following diagram.
The triangle illustrates the three primary forces that come into play within any business project. Working with this guide allows you to work out a project for the length of time, budget and materials needed to complete the job. If there is a tight deadline or a strict budget, then this will affect how the project is planned and which materials are chosen. You cannot have all three if you are looking for lower cost or a faster turnaround. You must compromise on one of them whether it be rushing a project to meet a deadline but compromising on quality or meeting a lower price point but the job will take longer. You can have speed, lower cost and quality but never all three at the same time.
This is the same for jewellery making. Mass-produced jewellery is done quickly and cost effectively to get a faster turnaround and bigger profit margins. Therefore, they have to compromise on the quality resulting in lower quality or lower graded stones, metals and craftsmanship and it won’t be as durable nor potentially hold its value.
With having a bespoke piece of jewellery made it is personalised, tailor-made and there are many options like repurposing our customer’s own gold and stones. Of course we supply gold and stones, too. Stones are bought from our trusted stone dealers and suppliers and have already been imported and gone through traders and quality checks but we still have to negotiate their prices. Time has to be factored into the estimate for the conception, CAD work, casting, or hand making, work bench time, polishing and stone un/setting. Engraving will also add in more cost and time to any project but what you will get is a unique one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery that no one else has. It truly has been made for you using the best quality materials and excellent craftsmanship from our experts. We use the same pricing structure as for our stock items and there is no premium or additional charges just for going bespoke.
Bespoke ring in yellow gold reusing customer’s three stones
Of course, with bespoke design you can go as detailed or as simple as you wish and this will also influence the end price. There is much flexibility. The colour and clarities, carat weights of stones and carat content of the precious metals will vary the prices as well as how detailed the mounts are. What we, however, are able to do is work with you and your budget and see how best we can meet you half way without compromising on the quality. If time is not urgent and you are open to ideas, we can present different options as well as financing. You would be surprised at how many people realise that getting exactly what they want can sometimes be more affordable than they initially thought!
Bespoke diamond ring using customer’s own stones
Melt-and-make, for example, is one such option. If you have old yellow gold you are wanting to scrap, you could actually have it melted down and made into something new so long as it is a simple design that can be hand crafted and not cast (find out more here) and any gold left over can be scrapped and offset against the cost of having your jewellery made. It may actually be more cost effective and less expensive than buying new jewellery. It will also be more sentimental, beautiful and of higher quality and durability than mass-produced pieces.
Additionally, if you have a keen eye for details, have been watching the gold prices and have time to shop around you can find some amazing prices on our beautifully crafted stock items. Depending when the stock was made versus what it would cost now to recreate those pieces with current precious metal prices, you could find yourself a real steal of a deal and all our items are far superior in quality than a machine made or mass-produced item.
Bespoke Sri Lanka sapphire ring made using customer’s stones in a new mount
Ultimately at a first glance, any piece of jewellery whether it be earrings, a pendant, a bracelet or ring that has been truly tailor-made and personalised will be more expensive than something from a high street chain store. Unless you shop for high end brands; then you will be paying more for the brand name and it will not be unique to you and sometimes even with branded jewellery they will compromise on quality for bigger profit margins. But with our bespoke commissioned jewellery, you will not find the same piece anywhere else. If it is set with gemstones those exact gemstones cannot be found in another mass-made piece. Each stone is unique and while you may find less expensive versions elsewhere, the colour, carat weight, clarity and cut will all vary. The finish and craftsmanship will also be vastly different. You might find an alternative piece of jewellery that looks similar for a lower price but you cannot find the exact same piece of jewellery elsewhere cheaper.
Special bespoke commission for a client
The devil lies in the details. Look closely enough and you will notice why an item has its price tag. Ask the sales team to walk you through the details; this alone will show you what level of quality and service you are getting. Ask us anything! Our team creates beautiful pieces of jewellery of the highest quality and we can walk you through every step. When we say we know jewellery, we really do know jewellery. Come visit us in our showroom and workshop!
The top takeaways for why bespoke is better than high-street mass-produced jewellery:
Customisation and Uniqueness: Bespoke jewellery is tailored to your specific desires resulting in a really unique piece. This level of customisation requires more time and attention to detail.
Design Process: Creating bespoke jewellery involves a detailed design process, including consultations, sketches, and sometimes even computer-aided design (CAD) and resin models. This process is labour-intensive and requires skilled craftsmanship and experts.
Craftsmanship: Bespoke pieces are often handcrafted by experienced jewellers, which involves meticulous work and higher labour input compared to mass-produced or machine-made items. The goldsmiths have decades of experience and understand the materials they work with well so have become experts at what they do and have created amazing pieces over the years to prove it. You cannot fast-track or cheat your way into a trade. It takes hours of honing skills and learning by doing.
Materials: The materials used in bespoke jewellery are selected to meet your specifications and you can choose your own stones with our professional guidance. We can go as high, luxurious and rare as you like! We are well connected in the industry, know great suppliers and stone dealers and have a great reputation for excellence.
Exclusivity: The exclusivity and personalised service associated with bespoke jewellery add to its value. Our customers are paying for a one-of-a-kind piece that is unique to them and they won’t find it anywhere else.
Experience: You get to experience that VIP feeling to have something commissioned especially for you and enjoy learning about creating jewellery and being involved in every step of the process. You will be surprised how much you will learn about jewellery and gemstones and can share and show off this knowledge to friends and family.
Time and Effort: The process of making bespoke jewellery typically takes longer than producing pre-fabricated machine-made pieces en masse but with it comes more attention to detail and a higher level of finesse and durability so your beautifully crafted pieces will last a lifetime.
Come and have a friendly chat with us, see our workshop, view our portfolio of work, peruse our stock and let us work together on making your jewellery dreams become a reality! Show us your saved Instagram and Pinterest photos and let’s get creative! Your dreams might be more attainable than you think!
