With the high street cutting their prices to compete with the ever dominant online market – we explore why the journey of bespoke may be the easiest option.
Choosing a piece of precious jewellery, whether it be an engagement or wedding ring for a loved one or jewellery that symbolises a personal meaning, making that right decision can feel like an overwhelming experience. Shopping around a busy high street or scrolling through endless images on websites can just leave you feeling muddled and even more confused. More often than not the experience of ‘top deals’ and the saturation of fine jewellery can take the sparkle out the experience.
When some hear the word ‘bespoke jewellery’ it can be met with trepedation. Surely there must be a minimum spend for such an intimate and personal service? What if the designer just doesn’t understand what I want. What if I don’t know what I want? Will I be wasting their time? Believe us – there’s nothing we haven’t heard! We understand that no matter what the budget, each piece created is important and personal; something that can be lost in some shops.
SO WHERE DO I BEGIN?
Firstly it’s always good to have a vague idea as to what you’re after and your expenditure. Even if you don’t have a precise figure a ball part always works best for us. Secondly – book your appointment. That always helps! Your own House of Solus designer will then be in touch and introduce themselves. They can either call or Skype (for our overseas clients) and will work with your diary to book a date in for your design appointment. We hope after the initial consultation you’ll be feeling a lot more confident and reassured in the bespoke service that we can offer.
THE DESIGN APPOINTMENT
Situated on Warstone Lane in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter – The House of Solus design studio is a calm and tranquil setting to begin your customised jewellery design. Unlike the high street we only offer a one on one service. You’ll firstly be introduced to your designer who will get an understanding of your budget and what kind of design you’re after. Don’t worry if you have no idea! That’s why we’re here!
Oour designer will engage the type of style your warming towards and start designing it on our latest CAD technology in front of you. We understand that designing a piece of jewellery from scratch can seem daunting which is why we’re here to make your life as easy as possible. This is where you can really see your bespoke jewellery come to life. If you’d prefer to see a sketch of your design instead of a computerised image – we can do that too! We will work with you until you are completely satisfied.
THE BEAUTY OF BESPOKE
This personal service really is the beauty of bespoke. I’m sure we’ve all been there where we’ve been scrolling through the internet over endless pages of designs and we’ve felt our brains slowly become overloaded. I’m pretty sure we’ve all also been in a busy high street store where we’ve not felt that special shopping experience that high street retailers are trying so desperately to achieve. The high street has just delivered it’s worst performance in 12 years. With consumer spending habits being upredictable and volatile there loads the question within the jewellery industry – are you getting true quality for your money? Non certified diamonds and plated metal is unfortunately becoming more and more common. Imported diamonds and precious gems are also on the rise – with many jewellery stores wanting to undercut. With all these factors in mind it can be difficult for retailers to offer that one on one service without a time restraint. As they say time is money. Because our design studio is by appointment only, you will get that service your after without any interruption. The reason we also ask your budget for your jewellery is not to be rude or gauge if you’re worth spending time on. It’s to guarantee that we will find the most ethical way of sourcing your jewellery design.
At the end of the final production – your designer will get in touch to arrange a collection. Your jeweller will discuss how to best care for your specific piece of jewellery so it lasts a lifetime. This is the perfect time to ask any questions too.
In the last three years we constantly hear about how easy the process was from start to finish. Word of mouth is a pretty powerful thing so there’s no better feeling than a customer leaving saying that they will recommend us to family and friends. It reassures us that in a world of retail uncertainty that we can be certain the beauty of bespoke is the way forward.