Custom jewelry sounds like it should be complicated, expensive, and slow. Done right, it is none of those things. It is simply the process of building a piece that does not exist anywhere else, designed around your idea, your budget, and the person who is going to wear it.

Here is how the custom process actually works at our Santa Rosa shop, from the first conversation to the finished piece.

Step One: The Consultation

Every custom piece starts with a conversation, not a sales pitch. We want to know:

• What is the occasion, if there is one? Engagement, anniversary, a milestone birthday?
• Do you have a general idea already, a photo, a sketch, or even just a feeling for what you want?
• Is there an existing piece involved? Sometimes custom jewelry starts with a family stone or an heirloom piece that needs new life.
• What is your budget range?

There is no wrong answer here. Some customers come in with a very specific vision. Others come in with nothing more than "I want something for her that nobody else has." Both are a fine place to start.

Step Two: Sourcing Stones and Materials

Once we understand the vision, we help source the stones and metal. This might mean:

• Selecting a diamond or gemstone from available inventory
• Sourcing a specific stone based on your preferences for cut, color, and clarity
• Using an existing stone from a family piece
• Choosing the metal, whether that is platinum, white gold, yellow gold, or rose gold

We will walk you through the tradeoffs at each step, including how choices affect both the look and the price, so there are no surprises later.

Step Three: Design and Approval

Before anything is made, you see the design. Depending on the complexity of the piece, this might be a detailed sketch or a rendering that shows the piece from multiple angles. This is the stage to make changes. Want the band thinner? The setting lower profile? This is where those adjustments happen, before any metal is cast.

Step Four: Crafting the Piece

Once the design is approved, the piece is made. Timelines vary depending on complexity, from a couple of weeks for a simpler design to longer for an intricate or one of a kind piece. We will give you a realistic timeline upfront, not an optimistic one.

Step Five: Final Fitting and Finishing

When the piece is complete, we go over it together. Ring sizing, stone security, finish, everything gets checked before it leaves our shop. If anything needs a small adjustment, we take care of it before you take the piece home.

Why Work With a Local Jeweler on Custom Pieces

Custom jewelry benefits enormously from being able to sit down face to face, hold a stone up to the light, and talk through a design in person rather than over email with a company you will never meet. It also means that years from now, if the piece needs resizing, cleaning, or a repair, you can walk back through the same door.

Olde Towne Jewelers has been designing and building custom jewelry in Sonoma County since 1993. We have helped design engagement rings around family diamonds, rebuild heirloom pieces that had been sitting in a box for decades, and create one of a kind gifts for milestone occasions.

Common Custom Projects We Take On

• Engagement rings built around a specific stone or budget
• Redesigning inherited jewelry into something wearable today
• Matching wedding bands designed to complement an existing ring
• One of a kind gifts for anniversaries and milestone birthdays
• Repurposing old gold or stones into a completely new piece

If you have an idea, even a rough one, that is enough to start the conversation.

Start Your Custom Piece in Santa Rosa

Come in for a no pressure consultation at our Historic Railroad Square location at 125 4th St, or our St. Francis Shopping Center location at 110 Calistoga Rd. You can also call 707-577-8813 or 800-286-7355 to talk through your idea before you visit.