Custom jewellery manufacturing for designers and brands
Custom jewellery manufacturing at Gemlea Creative Atelier runs from the very first samples, prototyping and product development to managing the full production process on your behalf, in gold, platinum, silver, titanium and alternative materials. It is for jewellery designers and brands, from a first collection to an established range, and it sits beside design and gem sourcing in the same London house.
Jewellery prototyping and samples
First a sample to be handled rather than looked at. Then a prototype in the finished metal, checked against the drawing and against the stone it was drawn for, and only then the run. Each stage answers a different question. The sample shows whether the piece wears as it was meant to: its weight, how it sits, whether a clasp or an earring back is easy to use. The prototype shows whether it can be made the same way every time.
For a small business this is where money is saved or lost. A change made to a sample costs a sample; a change made after a run has been cast costs the run.
Product development: a design that can be repeated
Product development is the work between an approved design and a stable product: choosing how each part is made (cast, fabricated by hand, stamped or machined), settling findings and fittings, writing down the finish, and fixing tolerances so that the last piece of a run matches the first. It also covers variants: the same ring in every size, or a pendant in two metals and three stones.
Fine jewellery production in gold, platinum, silver and titanium
Each metal changes the making. Gold is chosen by caratage and colour, and 9, 14, 18 and 22 carat behave differently at the bench. Platinum is dense and hard-wearing and needs its own casting and polishing. Silver is soft, so thin parts and settings need care, and tarnish has to be considered in the finish. Titanium is not cast or soldered like the precious metals and is usually machined; it is light, and takes colour by anodising.
Alternative materials follow the same principle: the material decides the method, and the method shapes the cost. Whatever the material, Gemlea manages the full production process on your behalf, from the first sample to the finished run.
Jewellery manufacturing for small businesses
Gemlea meets designers and brands at any point of their jewellery business and journey, whether that is a single sourcing brief or a full collection from concept to production. Minimums, lead times and fees are agreed in the brief, project by project, because they depend on the piece, the metal and the size of the run.
What helps most is a clear brief: the design in whatever form it exists (a sketch, a technical drawing, a CAD file or a sample), the metal, the stones, the quantity, and the date the pieces have to be ready.
UK hallmarking: what the law requires
Under the Hallmarking Act 1973 it is an offence, in the course of business in the UK, to describe an article as gold, silver, platinum or palladium unless it carries an approved hallmark or is exempt. The main exemption is by weight of precious metal: under 1 gram of gold, 7.78 grams of silver, 0.5 grams of platinum or 1 gram of palladium.
A UK hallmark is struck by one of the four assay offices, in London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh, after the metal has been tested. It has three compulsory marks: the sponsor’s mark, identifying the business that sent the piece; the fineness mark, such as 375, 585, 750 or 916 for gold, 925 for sterling silver or 950 for platinum; and the assay office mark. A date letter is optional. Pieces made abroad need a UK hallmark, or a recognised International Convention mark, to be sold as precious metal in the UK, and dealers must display the notice that explains the marks. Titanium is outside the Act and is not hallmarked.
How it works
- 01
The brief
The design as it exists, the metal, the stones, the size of the run and the date the pieces are needed.
- 02
The sample
A first sample to be handled, so wear, weight and fit are judged in the hand rather than on screen.
- 03
The prototype
A prototype in the finished metal, checked against the drawing and against the stones it was drawn for.
- 04
The run
Production of the approved piece, with the full process managed on your behalf.
Questions
What materials do you produce in?
Gold, platinum, silver, titanium and alternative materials: from first samples and prototyping through to managing the full production process on your behalf. Gemlea Creative Atelier works with jewellery designers and brands, alongside the design and gem sourcing the pieces need.
Do you manufacture jewellery for small businesses and new brands?
Yes. Gemlea supports designers and brands at any point of their business, from a first collection to an established range. Minimums, fees and lead times are not published: they are agreed in the brief, project by project, as they depend on the piece, the metal and the size of the run.
What is the difference between a jewellery sample and a prototype?
A sample is made to be handled: it shows how a piece wears, how heavy it is and whether its fittings work. A prototype is made in the finished metal and checked against the drawing and the stones, to prove the piece can be produced the same way every time before a run begins.
Does jewellery sold in the UK have to be hallmarked?
Yes, above the exemption weights. Under the Hallmarking Act 1973, articles described in business as gold, silver, platinum or palladium must carry a UK hallmark or a recognised International Convention mark, unless they contain less than 1 g of gold, 7.78 g of silver, 0.5 g of platinum or 1 g of palladium.
Can titanium jewellery be hallmarked?
No. The Hallmarking Act 1973 covers gold, silver, platinum and palladium only, so titanium carries no UK hallmark. A piece that combines titanium with a precious metal falls under the Act’s rules for mixed-metal articles, so check how it will be described before it is sold.
What do I need to send to start jewellery production?
A sketch, a technical drawing, a CAD file or a sample, with the metal and the size of the run you need. Gemlea replies with what it can see in the design, what it would change, and what a first sample would take.