Bronwyn often works on commissions which is always a very rewarding and enjoyable experience for both her and the person who commissions the piece. It results in personalised jewellery that has more meaning to the owner than something bought over the counter from a High Street jeweller.

Sometimes a piece is bought by the wearer, but often the jewellery is commissioned in secret as a gift. People occasionally come to Bronwyn with a fixed design idea, but usually they just have an occasion in mind, for example an anniversary, a newborn, or an engagement, and they perhaps specify whether they want a ring, necklace or bracelet.

Bronwyn finds out as much as possible about the style of the person who will wear the piece. There are lots of questions to be asked about favourite colours, stones, metal, clothes, designers and other personal tastes. Anything that gives a feel for the recipient's likes and dislikes. Descriptions or photos of current jewellery owned are also useful. It may be appropriate to reflect within the jewellery design, some aspect of the occasion for which the piece is being commissioned.

It's important to get an idea of the budget at this point, so that the design with its appropriate metals and stones are chosen to suit.

The next step is to sketch out some ideas and use CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to produce design renderings onscreen.

Here is an example of a CAD rendering. It looks pretty real at this point, but it is still just an electronic design in the computer:

And another example. The ring on the red background is a computer image of what the ring will look like. The ring on the blue background is the real thing!

Once the design is finalised, the piece is either handmade from sheet metal and wire, or a one-off wax model and casting is produced from the CAD file using the latest CAD/CAM technology. Sometimes a combination of both CAD/CAM and hand fabrication is used. Bronwyn employs whichever methods will give the highest standard of fit and finish.

Commissioning a piece

Bronwyn regularly undertakes jewellery commissions for clients all over the world. Designing and discussing a piece over email works well and Bronwyn is happy to discuss a project over the phone. She can email CAD renderings of designs which allows the client to have a clear idea of how the final piece will look. Jewellery sent from Australia to the USA and other overseas countries is exempt from customs duty.

How much does a piece cost?

The cost of a piece varies greatly depending on the design time required, the complexity of fabricating the piece and of course the cost of the materials used.

Unless you have a clear idea of exactly what you want, the design process generally takes 10 to 20 hours (usually spread over a few weeks). This time involves emails back and forth discussing style and taste, likes and dislikes; sketching ideas and drawing them up in CAD; producing renderings of two to three design ideas; researching appropriate stones and estimating the cost of fabricating the designs.

The cost of creating the piece will, of course, vary depending on how complex the design is, the materials and the type, size and number of stones used. Before the design process starts, Bronwyn likes to have some idea of budget so that she can design within accurate parameters. Obviously the total cost of a commission varies widely from project to project, but generally clients spend in excess of USD $2500, once design and fabrication are taken into account.

Bronwyn's rates are competitive and she will try to accommodate smaller budgets if at all possible, but please don't expect miracles!

Limited edition jewellery

Please visit our artisans' pages on the Goldsmith's Gallery to see recent commissions and a number of limited edition pieces.

Contact us at The Goldsmith's Gallery to enquire about anything you see on the website for which you would like further information.