Would you like a unique piece of jewellery creaated just for you?
People have many reasons for commissioning an original piece. You may want to mark a special occasion such as an anniversary or life milestone; to commemorate a particular person; or just to treat yourself. You might have a very specific idea of what you want, or you might need to discuss it at length. It is assumed that if you choose Anne V Massey Jewellery to make your unique piece of jewellery it’s because you like the work and want something in that style – sculptural, sinuously curved, made from flat metal sheet, without straight lines, flat surfaces or sharp corners; with or without stones.
In any case, the first step is to contact Anne. Please fill in this online form, with as much information as you can. Then please send sketches of your ideas, or images of things you like which could serve as a starting point. Please note, Anne does not copy other people’s designs.
Please give a deadline. In general you need to allow between 8 and 16 weeks for the process from start to finish. This may vary depending on the time of year. It will probably take a lot longer before Christmas due to the volume of work at this time of year. There are other considerations such as hallmarking and plating which will add to the time taken. Silver weighing over 7.78g must be hallmarked by law, as must gold over 1g; to get items hallmarked overnight (“early hall”) is much more expensive than the normal process, which can take a fortnight or more, depending on the time of year. Gold plating normally takes ten days to two weeks; again, in the approach to Christmas this tends to increase.
There will be a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the (estimated) price before the making process begins to cover the cost of materials and any design/consultation work done. This is in case you change your mind and decide to cancel. Cancellations must be made in writing and agreed by Anne before a piece is returned.
Depending on the nature of the piece, fittings may be needed – most obviously for rings, but scale matters for other pieces too; what looks delicate on one person may appear too bold on another.
Here are some examples of the sort of piece that you might make commission. These were not commissions, but show what sort of thing is possible. There is an actual case study of a commission, showing the process from start to finish, on the page "Commission case study: a bespoke brooch in sterling silver".