Things to Consider

• Wearability: Do you want a stone that will withstand everyday wear, or for special occasions only? The hardness and durability of a stone is possibly the most important thing to consider when designing bespoke jewellery. The type of setting used will also factor into this; for example, a bezel setting will protect a stone more than a claw setting.

• Colour: Many gemstones come in a whole range of colours that people aren’t aware of. Both sapphires and diamonds come in almost every colour you can think of!

• Birthstones: Every month has a birthstone - this is a great way to make a bespoke design truly personal, as a main part of the design or as a hidden detail. Take a look at our Birthstone Guide to fine out more.

• Brilliance + Fire: Every gemstone interacts with light in a different way. ‘Brilliance’ refers to how much white light is returned out of the stone, i.e. how much it sparkles! ‘Fire’ refers to how much the white light is dispersed into the different colours of the rainbow. Modern round brilliant diamonds are cut to specific “ideal proportions” to maximise fire and brilliance.

• Budget: Whatever your design preference and requirements may be, there are options that will fit every budget. For example, if you really love the colour blue but don’t have the budget for a sapphire, we could look at topaz or aquamarine. If you want a diamond but don’t have the budget for your desired size and quality in a natural stone, we could look at lab-grown diamonds (check out our useful guide on Diamonds: Lab-Grown vs. Natural for more information on this).