Custom Jewelry Design Process Durham NC | Handcrafted On-Site
Jewelry Design and Creation
What to expect on your customized jewelry journey.
Handcrafted on-site in Durham, NC by AGS-certified designers since 1976.
Step 1
Talk to a Designer
The first step in your new creation is to have a conversation with one of our talented designers who know how to listen and figure out exactly what you want, even if you're not sure!
- New gemstones: we have a large selection in stock, plus we can contact our trusted sources to send us several for you to choose from with no obligation.
- Sentimental jewelry: if you have sentimental jewelry you'd like to include in your project, or pieces you just don't wear anymore, let us know and we can either use it or give you a recycling credit toward your project.
- Reset your own diamonds or gemstones: we love the extra meaning that repurposing family gems can bring
Step 2
The Custom Design
Either a hand-drawn sketch or a CAD (Computer Aided Design) rendering is created so that you can see your vision start to come to life.
Contact a Designer
Step 3
Creating Your Jewelry
Once the ideas are all sketched out and you love what you see, one of our expert goldsmiths will get started on building your new piece!
You can see the goldsmiths working from our showroom and you can even get a tour and see all our cool tools and meet the team!
Contact a Designer
Step 4
Enjoy your new jewelry
There's nothing quite like jewelry that's personalized just for you.
Jewelry isn't just about the sparkles, it's about the sentiment, thought and care that goes into it.
Rest assured that we'll be here when you need us and that we stand behind our work.
Contact a DesignerFrom Sketch to Sparkle: A Closer Look
Curious what actually happens between approving your design and picking up the finished piece? Here's what goes on in our Durham workshop.
Building the Model
Once your design is approved, our CAD designers, who've also worked as goldsmiths themselves, build a 3D digital model of your piece. That model is then 3D printed in wax so you can hold it, try it on, and make sure the fit and proportions feel right before any metal is touched. If your design is to be built by hand, the goldsmith will get started with the fabrication process.
Getting Ready to Cast
Wax models are attached onto a small tree and surrounded with a plaster-like mold. Once that mold is heated, the wax melts away, leaving a perfectly shaped hollow behind, ready for metal.
Pouring the Metal
Recycled molten gold, platinum, or silver is poured into that hollow using a casting machine that keeps every variable under control for a clean, high-quality result. Once it cools, we break away the mold to reveal your piece in raw metal.
Setting & Finishing
One of our goldsmiths hand-sets each diamond and gemstone, then polishes the piece until it shines. Every item goes through several rounds of quality control before it's considered finished.
Records & Appraisal
Kristine, or a member of our admin staff photographs your finished piece and record every detail, metal, labor, and gemstones, so there's always a record on file. A complimentary appraisal is included with certain Jewelsmith purchases, ask your designer for details. Appraisal updates, such as insurance renewal, are available for a fee.
Ready to see your own piece come to life? Talk to a designer and start the process.
Custom Jewelry FAQ
How long does it take to get my custom jewelry project?
On average, custom jewelry takes about 6–8 weeks to complete. Factors like gemstone or diamond recutting, or sourcing unusual gems, can affect the timeline, your designer will give you a specific estimate based on your project. See our full turnaround times for all our services.
What should I bring to my consultation appointment?
You can bring as much or as little as you'd like, we'll meet you where you are. Here are some things you might consider bringing to your appointment.
- Gemstones and diamonds that you'd like to use in your new custom design.
- Gold, platinum or silver that you'd like to recycle for credit toward your project. Or gold that you'd like refine to use directly using Same Molecule Refining.
- Inspo pics that help us understand your style preferences.
How much does custom jewelry cost?
Our prices are based on labor and materials. A project that only takes our goldsmiths a couple of hours and a small amount of metal will cost less than one that requires many hours, lots of gems and a lot of metal.
In 2025 we created more than 500 custom projects and, our average custom project was around $4000. Some were a few hundred dollars, and others were several thousand with everything in between.
Whether you're on a tight budget or ready for a splurge, we'll work with you to create a personalized design that works for you.
Do you make custom jewelry on site in your store in Durham, NC?
Yes, our team of designers, goldsmiths and gemologists collaborate on each custom project in our workshop that you can see from the showroom.
Ask for a tour of our shop and meet the artisans that will create your custom jewelry. Plus you can see all the cool tools!
Do you use ethically sourced materials?
Yes, 100% of our gold, silver and platinum is recycled.
- Most of the precious metal we use to create our jewelry is recycled in house and refined from jewelry purchased in our community.
- When we do purchase gold, silver and platinum, it is from SCS certified sources.
- We encourage our clients to recycle their own precious metals to use as credit toward their purchases and to use Same Molecule Refining which allows us to turn their own gold into any color or karat.
Our gems are ethically sourced.
- We only purchase Kimberley Process compliant natural diamonds. We also offer Canadian diamonds and lab grown diamonds.
- Our colored gems are primarily sourced from members of AGTA (American Gem Trade Association) and sources that we have built a relationship of trust with over our many decades in business.
- We encourage our clients to reset their own diamonds and gemstones.
On a whim, I asked Jewelsmith to create new pieces from family rings that did not match my taste. Working with their team each step of the way, the finished jewelry literally took my breath away. I could not believe that they were the same stones. My vintage jewelry is now being enjoyed instead of sitting in the safety deposit box. THANK YOU to everyone at Jewelsmith for your craftsmanship.
I was originally hesitant to make such an important purchase remotely but the virtual presses was easy and Katherine was so knowledgeable and helpful that it felt as if we were.there in person. The team worked hard to custom create my vision while staying within my budget. Thank you Jewelsmith!..I love my wedding ring. It is everything I imaged.
A fabulous experience from start to finish. I brought my grandmother’s stick pin in, along with many other pieces no longer worn and living in the back of the drawer and had them taken apart and used the jewels to make two beautiful pairs of earrings for my daughter. Both pieces were designed in-house and look gorgeous. The ‘jewelry designers and makers’ are professional, talented, and will work with you to make what you want. Many thanks to Patrick for the time and talent. Everyone in the store made my multiple visits special. I am so happy that these family pieces will now be passed down and enjoyed and worn in their new, lovely iteration.
The whole team and experience is top notch! Highly recommend them. Mary helped my fiancé and I create a beautiful engagement ring with family diamonds. We will be returning to purchase a wedding ring I’m sure our children will fight over. Our entire family loves them immensely.
The customer service, attention to detail, fine craftsmanship, and creativity at Jewelsmith make it a unique gem of Durham! I had my engagement ring designed here (gorgeous!), a custom band made, and have had jewelry appraised here a number of times. In all encounters, the staff was outstanding- always going the extra mile. I wouldn’t go anywhere else, they are amazing.
Excellent staff. My partner and I could not be more thrilled about our custom made engagement rings. Mary at Jewelsmith has been with us every step of the way and helped us design rings that reflect our aesthetics, values, and budget. I recommend this “gem” of a local business to everyone.
