Commissioning A Custom Design
Here at Philip’s Diamond Shop & Design Center, we are passionate about custom making unique and beautiful jewelry. We do all of our custom design manufacturing on site at our 3000 square foot facility in Marion, Iowa. This ensures that we have the strictest quality standards. It also means that you can be involved in your design every step of the way! Many designs can be completed in three to five weeks, depending on the complexity.
Consultation:
A consultation is the first step in creating a custom design, and it is one of our favorite steps here at Philip’s. We’ll sit down and try to understand the person we’re designing for. What do they do for work? What are three words that describe them? What type of clothing do they wear? This not only helps us to create a truly unique piece of jewelry but also one that’s totally functional for the wearer’s lifestyle.
We love collaborating with you on design ideas. Many times we’re trying to recreate a sentimental piece of jewelry. Perhaps it’s that diamond ring you saw in a magazine years before you became engaged, mom’s necklace that was lost in a fire, or remaking great grandma’s wedding set so that it’s more durable for everyday wear. Whatever the challenge, we are happy to work with you on creating the perfect design!
Sketch:
After the consultation we’ll get to work on drawing up a design idea. This can be done freehand by the designer or with a simple jewelry design computer program. At this time we’ll also give you an estimate for making the piece. At this point we can make any changes to the design that you might want. Our goal is to make sure you love your custom design. As Phil would say, “You gotta love it.” Once the sketch has been approved, we take a deposit of half down to begin the next step of the process.
3D Computer Rendering:
The approved sketch or computer image is then handed off to our CAD designer. He sits down in front of a computer and works with a very sophisticated jewelry Computer Aided Design software called Matrix. He brings together the components of the design on his computer screen. This actually builds a model of the piece and saves it in a file. The freehand sketch is now a computer 3D rendering. It is so detailed and realistic you’d think it was a photograph and not a computer generated image! This step helps you visualize what your finished piece of jewelry will look like. It also helps the designer in determining if there will be any manufacturing challenges.
Milling a Wax Model:
At this point, the 3D computer image has been approved and the manufacturing process can begin right here in the store. We use a method called “lost wax casting” to create jewelry. This is an ancient art still used in the jewelry industry. Lost wax casting gives us the ability to capture the smallest of details in a design and transmit them clearly from the wax to the mold, and finally to the metal itself.
It begins with the wax mold which is carved by state of art Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) machines. We have two here in the store and we’ve affectionately named them Rosie and Betty. Once we’ve uploaded the design file from Matrix, Rosie and Betty get to work carving even the most intricate wax models with pinpoint precision. Although the model itself is green in color, it allows you to see the exact size and detail of the piece.
Casting:
After the wax model is approved,it moves forward to the casting process. During the casting process, the wax is placed in a cylinder, covered with a fine plaster investment and baked in an oven overnight. The wax melts away during this process, hence the term “lost-wax.” The hardened plaster represents the original design down to the tiniest detail. The cylinder is then placed in either a vacuum or a spin casting machine to draw down the molten metal into its form. Once it hardens and cools, the metal has a rough feel to it and appears dull. That is taken care of in the final stage of finishing.
Finishing:
Once the piece has been cast, we file it until smooth and polish it to a high shine. Any gemstones or diamonds are set by our experienced jewelers. All that’s left is for you to pick up your beautiful piece of jewelry you will enjoy for years to come.
Visit Philip’s Diamond Shop & Design Center today, and let us custom design your next heirloom.