How to Prepare a Made-to-Order Jewellery Design Brief

Start a made-to-order jewellery enquiry with a design reference, the changes you want and the questions the jeweller must confirm. A useful brief separates your preferences from measurements, construction details and prices that still need checking. It helps a jeweller explain what can be made and prepare a comparable written quote.

You can use a product from GoldNepal's jewellery listings as the starting point. Save its link and the exact image or version you discussed. A design image alone does not establish finished weight, dimensions, stock, purity certification or whether a particular jeweller can make it exactly as shown.

Copy this design brief

Fill in what you know. Write “to confirm” rather than guessing a measurement or treating a pictured detail as a verified specification.

Brief field	What to write
Reference and quantity	Product link or your own sketch; version/date; one piece, a pair or a complete set.
Keep and change	The silhouette, motif or finish to retain; specific changes to size, stones, texture or matching pieces.
Use and fit	How you plan to wear it; sizing method to confirm; any chain, clothing or other jewellery it should fit with.
Metal and stones	Requested metal and purity; stone type and quantity if known; whether materials are yours or supplied by the seller.
Measurements	Requested dimensions with units; which are preferences and which have been measured and agreed.
Weight basis	Any listed design-basis weight; whether it excludes stones and chain; ask for the jeweller's estimated and final weight basis.
Price scope	Currency and budget; whether the displayed amount is metal only, includes stated charges, or is a fixed product price.
Timing and approval	Desired date; what drawing, model or written specification you will review; questions still open.

This is a preparation sheet, not an order acceptance or a manufacturing specification. The jeweller should check the proposed construction and confirm the details before production.

Worked example: an open-leaf pendant

The following is an invented enquiry, not an available GoldNepal product or an approved production design:

“I would like one open-leaf pendant in 925 silver, without stones. Keep the open centre and a smooth outer outline. I prefer an approximately 25 mm overall height including the bail, but please confirm the dimensions and construction you recommend. I want to use my existing chain, which I can bring for a fit check. Please quote the pendant separately and show an optional chain as a separate line. The reference image is a concept; I have not confirmed a finished weight. Before production, please send the front, side and back views or another suitable review format, the proposed dimensions, estimated weight and itemised price.”

That brief makes the intended product clear without pretending that the image proves its weight or buildability. The seller's reply still needs to resolve:

• Whether the requested size and open shape are suitable for the proposed construction.
• The bail's internal opening and whether the existing chain and its end fitting will pass through it.
• The proposed finish on the front, back and edges, and any changes from the reference.
• Whether the estimate covers the pendant alone, and how the final measured weight affects the price.

Keep these as open questions until the jeweller answers them. If a change alters the outline, thickness, weight or price, ask for the revised version before approving the work.

Make the price basis explicit

A design product can be offered with a metal-only calculation, an amount including specified jewellery charges, or a fixed price. Read the particular listing and quote. Do not assume every displayed amount excludes making charges, and do not add a charge again when it is already included.

• Metal-only amount: ask for making, wastage, stones and any other applicable lines separately.
• Amount including charges: record which charges and materials are included and what remains outside it.
• Fixed price: confirm the exact size, materials, quantity and options covered, plus quote validity.

Where weight affects the calculation, distinguish an estimated design-basis weight from the finished item's measured weight. Use the weight converter if the listing and quote use different units. Use the jewellery quote checklist for rate, purity and invoice lines. This brief does not specify a current rate, tax rule or standard making fee.

Keep a simple approval record

1. Save the reference and brief as version 1, with a date.
2. Record the jeweller's proposed changes and unresolved points beside that version.
3. Review the agreed dimensions, fit, materials, finish, included pieces and written price together.
4. Confirm the seller's production, payment, change and delivery terms before placing the order.
5. Keep the approved version so that a later change has a clear starting point.

A drawing or render may help communicate shape; ask whether a model or fit check is appropriate for your item. Do not treat a screen image as a substitute for agreed measurements. If the piece is a gift and its size is unknown, tell the jeweller that before settling the design.

Why these details belong in the brief

Jacobs the Jewellers' published design process illustrates how a commission can move from discussion of materials, use, timing and budget to drawings and design approval. It is one jeweller's process, not a rule for Nepal; ask your chosen seller how their own process works.

GoldNepal's template and pendant example above are original editorial planning aids. They help you prepare a specific enquiry while leaving construction, final specifications and the sale agreement with the jeweller. For the arithmetic behind a weight-based quote, see the worked jewellery-price guide.