A One-of-a-Kind Piece of Jewelry Takes Time, But It’s Worth It

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Los Angeles jeweler Maggi Simpkins has received her share of unusual requests over the years: One couple asked her to build a miniature golden version of the arch in New York's Washington Square Park, one of their favorite spots, for their engagement rings. Other soon-to-be-newlyweds asked her to hide a tiny bird under the center stone because Over the Rainbow was their song.

And those aren't even the wildest things she's created in the past year. For Sotheby's “ Brilliant & Black: A Jewelry Renaissance” selling exhibition in September, Simpkins designed a ring with a price tag of $1 million. It took her more than four months to make it, using a 2.43-carat fancy pink internally flawless diamond with 2.73 carats ruby and 0.77 carat pink sapphire accents arranged around it like the petals of a flower.

“I've created some really wacky, wild pieces,” she says, “but my other job is functionality and wearability.”

Simpkins, a multidisciplinary artist without traditional training, is among an array of modern jewelers with a robust business in custom jewelry. Whether it's an engagement ring, a wedding band, a travel souvenir, or what will eventually (hopefully) become a family heirloom, jewelry can tell a unique story, and bespoke creations are one of the best ways to do it.

But you don't need to spend six—or seven—figures to produce a stunning piece. A skilled designer can help you strike the balance between form and function, and many of them can be found at a local boutique. Pretty much any shop with a bench jeweler on staff can create simple custom pieces, and historic houses such as Oscar Heyman in New York have made pieces on request for decades.

There's also a new crop of designers, like Simpkins, dedicating their businesses to bespoke jewelry. Boston-based Millie & Noah deals solely in singular pieces, while others such as Liv Luttrell or Thelma West, both in London, have significant bespoke operations.

“Making a one-of-a-kind piece is really fun and special,” Simpkins says. “My favorite part is that it allows us to infuse stories into pieces.” Among her formidable skills, Simpkins is an expert in ring jackets, in which multiple rings with different designs nestle around a central ring to construct a unique look that you can add to or subtract from, all while the main stone remains in a classic setting. Frequently, clients design custom pieces to memorialize a special time or an important milestone. “I like to think of myself as a storyteller,” she says.

Not every custom commission of jewelry needs to be symbolic. Sometimes clients come to Simpkins for an extremely simple piece that they just can't find anywhere else. “Customers understand it's worth sitting down and working with a bespoke designer to have exactly what they want,” she says, “rather than spending money for something off the shelf that might not really be a reflection of them in the long run.”

But Simpkins warns that her Midas Touch doesn't extend to working miracles. Frequently, people will request ultrathin bands or to remove supporting structural elements from rings. “My job as a designer is to understand when something won't tangibly work and how to work around it,” she says. “If someone wants something and I know it's going to break, or it's feasibly not wearable, I have to understand that.”

So, How Does the Process Work?

First, Simpkins asks clients to send her pictures of pieces they like—from books, online, or window shopping—so she can visualize the style. Describing one's personal taste can be difficult, but one of the benefits of hiring an expert like Simpkins is that she can pull out common threads among reference images.

After that there's a call to discuss what type of bauble the client wants—ring, necklace, brooch, etc. Budget and timeline are discussed, too: It can take 6 to 12 weeks to create, depending on each party's schedule, the complexity of the design, and, perhaps most important, the client's decisiveness. (Translation: Respond quickly!)

Next, Simpkins provides a sketch, and when the client approves it, she turns the design into a 3D rendering before printing a 3D wax model. Once the client signs off on the prototype, the wax model is cast in gold or platinum, the piece is finely polished, and the gemstones are set. And the client now has jewelry that's uniquely them.