Custom Design or Made-to-Order Jewelry:
What’s Right for You?
Two Ways to Make It Personal
At JBJ Fine Jewelry, there’s more than one way to make a piece your own. With custom design, we start with you and create something completely original. With made-to-order, you choose a JBJ design you already love and personalize the details, like gemstones, colors, numbers, or initials.
I’m Jill Jarmel, founder of JBJ Fine Jewelry in Walnut Creek, and I’ve been designing fine jewelry for over 10 years.
Not every idea fits neatly into one category, and that’s part of the fun. I’d love to talk through what you’re envisioning and help you find the best way to bring it to life.
What Is Custom Jewelry Design at JBJ?
Custom design starts with a conversation. Maybe you have a very specific idea, or maybe you just know how you want the piece to feel. We’ll figure it out together.
From there, we move through four steps.
JBJ’s Custom Design Process
- The Conversation
Let’s Chat - The Design
Watch Your Idea Take Shape - The CAD Rendering
See It From Every Angle - The Finished Piece
The Moment It Becomes Yours
Custom is especially meaningful for engagement rings, heirloom redesigns, milestones, and those ideas you’ve been carrying around that you can’t quite find anywhere else.
Custom projects start at $1,200 and typically take 4–8 weeks, depending on the design and stone sourcing.
Custom pieces are created primarily in 14k and 18k gold and Electrum. Once you’re ready to move forward and have placed your deposit, I’ll create a CAD rendering so you can see our design from every angle before it’s made.
What Is Made-to-Order Jewelry at JBJ?
Sometimes you find a JBJ design you love, and you just want to make it a little more you. That’s where made-to-order comes in.
Depending on the design, we can personalize details like gemstones, colors, numbers, or initials.
Made-to-order also offers a wider range of price points than fully custom design. Pricing varies by piece, but starts at $1,450. And your jewelry will typically be ready in 2–5 weeks.
Custom vs. Made-to-Order at a Glance
| Custom Design | Made-to-Order | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts with | Your idea, story, or heirloom | A JBJ design you love |
| You choose | The full design, from silhouette to stones | Select details, like gemstones or initials |
| Starting price | $1,200 | $1,450 |
| Typical timeline | 4–8 weeks | 2–5 weeks |
