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Java-E UK - Bespoke Items
In addition to ordering items from our standard stock, you can order bespoke items from us. You can ask us to make a change to one of our standard items (e.g. use a different coloured stone, or a different metal), or you can ask us to design and produce a completely new item from scratch just for you - a true one-off.
Asking for a change/twist to existing stock/items
If you like one of our items, but want a small twist to it, just email or phone us and let us know what change you'd like, and we'll then investigate any difference in materials' costs and we'll then quote you a price for the item. You are under absolutely no obligation to buy the item from us until after we have provided a quote to you for the item, AND you have explicitly accepted the quote and have explicitly asked us to produce the item for you.
Asking for completely bespoke items
(see examples images at the bottom of the page, and detailed breakdown/sample of costs below the images)
For a special occasion, you might want to give a loved one a truly unique gift that can never be duplicated by anybody else, ever. Or you may want to buy an item for yourself but you find that nobody sells exactly what you are after. In either event, we can design an item for you completely from scratch using whatever specifications you'd like to give us - your specifications could be fairly vague (e.g. a pair of cufflinks made of both silver and gold), or it could be very specific (e.g. a plain round silver pendant with a round red coral stone in the middle) - it's up to you how much detail you want to give us for your specification.
We will then consider your specifications and give you a rough estimate of how much the finished item would cost you. This initial estimate will be expressed as a range (e.g. £900 to £1200 depending on the size and type of stone). We can also give you estimates for different options (e.g. silver, gold, or platinum).
At that stage, we will discuss the specifications with you, and if you are then happy with the estimate range, and if you would like us to design the item for you, we will ask you for a payment to cover the initial design costs.
Then, our designers will make draft sketches for you, so that you can choose your preferred option/type. You can then look at the sketches, decide which sketches more closely match what you are after, and then you can ask for any final changes that you'd like.
Then, upon receipt of a second design payment, our designers will make final full colour sketches for you, showing the final item that you are requesting, and we will give you a final fixed price for producing the item. At that stage, you are not obliged to buy the final item - you can walk away, or you can accept the final fixed price and take it forward to production. You are only committed to buying the item when you explicitly ask us to produce the item at the final fixed specified price. But please note that the Design Payments are not refundable.
We act in a reasonable way, giving as much information and help as we can to you throughout the bespoke design/production process. The bespoke process is one where you get actively involved in the design process, and where we do everything that we can to ensure that the final item that you get is exactly what you desire. Please see example costs and more details below the example bespoke images further down this page.
Example 1 (bespoke cufflinks)
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Initial Sketches (using customer's specifications)
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Chosen Sketch/Design (chosen by customer)
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Final Item - Solid Sterling Silver cufflinks, plated with Rhodium, with 18ct Yellow Gold chains
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Example 2 (bespoke ring)
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Initial Sketches (using customer's specifications)
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Chosen Sketch/Design (chosen by customer, who then requested silver instead of gold)
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Final Item - Sterling Silver ring with pyramid-shaped red garnet
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Sample Costs/Breakdown of a Bespoke Item:
Due to the nature of bespoke items there is a relatively large cost for the 1st item produced.
The design/production of "item 1" of a given piece of jewellery is more-or-less the
same regardless of whether you end up producing a single item or 100 items, because in order
to produce any piece of jewellery you still need to go through the same initial design/production stages.
It's only after you start producing "item 2" onwards of a given piece of jewellery that the costs
per item start to decrease.
To explain this we have provided an example breakdown of what the costs might be for something simple,
in this instance we've used a pair of small silver earrings as an example just to explain what the full
process is. This allows you to see why "item 1" is always going to be expensive no matter how simple it
may be. This list of costs is provided for illustration purposes only, there may be additional
costs/processes involved depending on the item in question.
Illustration Estimate for a Bespoke Pair of Small Silver Earrings
(Illustrating minimum costs/processes involved in making any bespoke piece of jewellery)
Provided by Simon Barnaby of Java-E UK (sales@java-e.com - www.java-e.com)
| Type |
Description |
Estimated Cost (GBP) |
Notes |
| Design |
Initial Design/Sketches |
150.00 |
Our designers take your requests on board, and create some initial black and white rough sketches for your consideration. |
| Design |
Secondary/Final Sketch |
150.00 |
After your feedback from the initial sketches, our designers finalise a proposed design in a colour sketch for your consideration.
Example feedback that you give from the initial sketches might be something like:
"I'd like the shape from sketch 2, but put the bevel like sketch 4 on it, and embed some mother of pearl
in the middle of the bevel like you had on sketch 1." |
| Production |
Wax Materials/Labour |
90.00 |
A block of specialised wax material is used to hand-carve
a wax mould. |
| Production |
Master Materials/Labour |
55.00 |
A master earring is created (using the wax mould) to
create a first-pass earring. The master is then hand-carved/finished to be precisely what is
needed |
| Production |
Rubber Materials/Labour |
30.00 |
A rubber mould is created from the master. |
| Production |
Silver(5g) |
40.00 |
A pair of silver earrings are then cast using the rubber mould.
This cost includes the cost of the silver itself, plus the cost of casting the pair of earrings. |
| Production |
Misc Labour (finishing etc) |
10.00 |
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| Production |
Shipping/Postage/Delivery |
80.00 |
This relates to the costs of moving all the relevant
materials to the various people involved. |
| Preparation |
Postage to/from Assay Office |
10.00 |
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| Preparation |
Hallmarking/testing |
60.00 |
Testing by the Birmingham Assay Office, and Hallmarks applied by laser. |
| Preparation |
Box |
20.00 |
Hard-Wood Jewellery Box. |
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Total Estimated Cost to Customer: |
695.00 |
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Notes:
1. Additional Copies - The estimate above is for a single pair of earrings. If you wanted us to produce extra
pairs (ie spare pairs) then please let us know before we start production. Subsequent pairs that are produced
at the time of the initial production will be very cheap compared to the price of the initial pair; we estimate that each additional pair would
cost you approximately £40, as it's the bespoke creation of the moulds, master, and design that make up the bulk of the costs.
We can also produce gold pairs from the same moulds; if you wish to have these then please let us know and
we'll create an estimate for you. Hallmarking/testing per-item also becomes cheaper when dealing with
multiple items.
2. You do not have to pay any VAT on the total cost, as we are currently underneath the Inland Revenue VAT threshold.
3. A 50% deposit is required before production can begin.
4. The remaining final outstanding cost will be payable when the item is in the UK and has
been tested and hallmarked and is ready to send to you.
5. Before you are required to send a cheque for the final cost, we
will email you a picture of the earrings to prove to you that we have actually made the earrings and that
they fit the design/request. At that stage we will confirm the final outstanding amount.
6. Timescales - Our estimate for the time taken between
the start of the design process, to you having the items in your hands, is 6-8 weeks (assuming
a fast turn-around on feedback that we need from you), although that can be shortened somewhat if you're
comfortable with increased costs which result from more urgent shipping etc.
7. Contact - We prefer all contact to be by email where possible,
as this saves time (and money) on all sides.
8. Payment - All payments are to be made by UK cheque, made payable to:
Java-E UK
9. Commitment (Design and/or Production) - Design and Production are treated as separate processes, you're welcome to
commission the design
aspects without being compelled to take things forward to production. The result of the design
process will have an impact on the production costs, so after the design has been finalised
you will get a final
fixed price for production, and you can then make a decision on whether or not you'd like
to go ahead with production. There is no pressure from us regarding commissioning production
after the design process has been completed.
10. Other Types of Items - If the item is for something bigger and more complex, for example a large silver
pendant
with a stone such as Onyx, then the total cost would generally be around double the cost of the earrings example.
If it's for a particularly ornate large item then the price would generally be around triple the cost
of the earrings example. Remember that the production process involves creating miniature sculptures
of the design in wax and is an extremely specialised job. It's akin to having an oil painting commissioned.
Please note that these prices are purely for illustration.
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