People have uncovered jewelry that’s over 100,000 years old. Jewelry is the oldest type of body adornment and includes everything from rings and necklaces to earrings and bracelets. Civilizations have used jewelry for generations as protection, currency, or bodily decoration. Even today, most people you pass on a busy street are wearing some sort of jewelry. They might be wearing a necklace passed down from their grandmother or a pair of diamond earrings from their partner. Some people go the extra mile and create custom jewelry.
If you’re wanting to create unique jewelry for yourself, make sure to keep reading. We’ll provide five useful tips to help you get started.
1. Collect Inspiration
Before setting out to create your own custom pieces, spend time collecting inspiration. There’s no need to rush a personal project because you’re on your own timeline!
There are several ways you can collect inspiration for your jewelry. Let’s dive into those.
Think About What’s Important to You
Many people find inspiration for jewelry by thinking about what’s important to them. Think of it as a personalized gift to yourself.
Ask yourself, “If I were to receive this as a special gift, what would make me happy?”
Would a certain type of metal make you happy? A special type of stone? Or what about a design inspired by your favorite genre of art?
Pull inspiration from your favorite paintings, people, nature settings, and activities. Use this inspiration to fuel your creations.
Honor Someone Special
Speaking of your favorite people, why not create a customized piece to honor someone special in your life?
Look at photographs of your mother’s vintage diamond ring, or ask your grandfather about the necklace your grandmother wore every holiday. Pull meaning from the small, significant moments to create a piece you’ll hold close to your heart forever.
You can even create a piece of jewelry to honor your best furry friend!
Inspect Current Trends
Design a more modern piece by inspecting current jewelry trends. Flip through magazines and social media to see what types of jewelry most influential people seem to be wearing.
If you have a handful of fashionable role models you look to for style advice, investigate their recent social media pictures. There’s a good chance you’ll spot some incredible statement jewelry pieces.
2. Draft a Design
Once you have plenty of inspiration for your custom project, it’s time to draft a design. Taking the time to draft a design helps you envision the finished product, allowing room for corrections and adjustments.
Are you creating custom gifts for other people? Avoid small mistakes when making the piece by creating a thorough design beforehand.
Include measurements, sketches, and notes on the materials you wish to use when drafting your design. You can either draft your design by hand or create a design on your computer/tablet.
If you’re unsure about your design, reach out to a fellow crafty friend for a second opinion.
3. Create a Budget
Establishing a budget is an essential step for any project. It’s easy to spend hundreds, or even thousands, or dollars when creating custom jewelry. This goes for those making the jewelry themselves or hiring someone else to make it for them.
Keep your budget close by as you select your metals and stones. Chat with a professional jewelry maker about your available options and how much your materials will cost.
It’s important to weigh your options. Just because something is cheaper doesn’t mean you should pick it. Cheap metal may easily turn colors or become damaged after only a few months.
4. Choose Your Metal Wisely
This leads us to our next point. Choose your metal wisely when creating custom jewelry.
Learn about the different types of metals available to you. Different possibilities include sterling silver, yellow gold, platinum, rose gold, white gold, etc.
Think about what colors and tones make up the majority of your wardrobe, and select metals that mix well with your other pieces of jewelry if you’re creating something you plan to wear every day.
You also want to consider the sensitivity of your skin. Some metals irritate specific skin types, causing allergic reactions and irritation. Select premium-made metal if you struggle with sensitive skin.
5. Set Up a Safe Storage Space
While this tip isn’t about the creation of custom jewelry, it’s an essential tip many people forget. You worked hard on creating your custom pieces so make sure there’s a safe place available in your home to store them.
Free up some space in your jewelry cabinet or an old box with a lock. If you’re creating a new necklace, create enough space for it so that it doesn’t become tangled up with nearby necklaces.
Store jewelry away from small children and nosey pets! It’s also best to keep important jewelry locked away and out of sight while you’re out of the home for long periods of time.
Creating One-of-a-Kind Custom Jewelry Pieces
Have you searched for the perfect piece of jewelry, only to come home empty-handed? Skip the shopping hassle and create your own custom jewelry pieces.
Start your creation process by drawing from the inspiration all around you. Chat with a professional maker about any questions or concerns you have as you draft out your design, and don’t forget to set aside a safe place for the final product.
If you’re ready to turn your jewelry dreams into reality, you’re in the right place. Contact us today to set up a custom jewelry appointment.