Special design jewelry is not for everyone. The process can take up to several months (depending on your design and how busy your jeweler is at that time) and you can spend serious money if you are not careful. Although, since custom jewelry is quickly gaining in popularity then you may be pleasantly surprised at how affordable it will be. If you do the research and set yourself a budget then you could have an amazing piece of jewelry in no time at all.
You might never think that you could design jewelry yourself (schmuck selbst gestalten in German) until you see certain items one day you want to change a little. This is where custom design jewelry is very useful. You can't easily copy other jewelry work, but you can take basic designs and make enough changes to call it yourself.
The very first step is researching the jewelry stores in your area to find one to do the work (well, I guess the very first step is finding something you wish to create!). When you have a fairly rough idea of what you want to be fabricated, you can then choose your jewelry store.
This takes some people a lot longer than others depending on the density of jewelry stores in your area. Just because a jewelry store says they can do custom design jewelry does not mean they are your only option. Take this time to see what they have done in the past. This will tell you a lot about their work. Once you have chosen a jeweler, it is on to the fun part!
You will need to make an appointment with your jeweler to sit down and chat about your design. This could take 30 minutes to an hour depending on the intricacy of your design. Your jeweler will have tips and tricks to share with you and will also tell you how the process begins. Before you know it you will have a stunning new piece of jewelry in your collection!