What to Expect in Your Initial Custom Jewelry Design Consultation

An initial custom jewelry design consultation is a collaborative meeting where we discuss your style preferences, material choices, budget, and draft early sketches. We sit down with you in our Copenhagen atelier to translate vague ideas into a clear, buildable plan.

The first design meeting sets the foundation for your entire ring or pendant. We've led hundreds of these sessions, and the most successful projects always start with direct, honest conversations about what you want to wear every day. The initial design consultation takes 45 to 60 minutes and focuses entirely on translating your specific ideas into a viable structural sketch.

Many clients assume they need a fully formed idea before they book a meeting. You don't.

You only need an understanding of your personal taste. We handle the structural engineering and gemstone sourcing.

Bringing Your Stories and Inspiration

We ask a lot of questions during our first sit-down. Designing a custom engagement ring or a bespoke pendant is a highly personal process, and we need to understand how the piece fits into your life.

"Nearly 85% of couples now indicate that having a unique or custom-designed engagement ring is highly important to them." — The Knot 2023 Jewelry and Engagement Study

If you work with your hands every single day, we won't recommend a high-set diamond secured by delicate prongs. We will suggest a low-profile bezel setting that protects the stone from daily impact. If you want a roset ring to celebrate an anniversary, we ask about the other rings you wear on that hand so we can ensure the new piece sits flush against them.

Since January 2024, we've seen a clear pattern in our atelier: clients who bring three to five specific inspiration photos finalize their structural design 30% faster than those starting from a completely blank slate. You can bring pictures of vintage jewelry, architecture, or even specific textures you like. We look for the common threads in your examples. Do you favor sharp geometric lines, or soft organic curves? Do you prefer the warm tone of classic yellow gold, or the cool finish of white gold?

Defining Materials and Setting Realistic Budgets

We talk about numbers early in the meeting. Custom engagement rings in Copenhagen typically cost between DKK 15,000 and DKK 50,000, depending on the center stone and metal choice. Across our entire range of services, pricing runs from DKK 1,200 for simple ready-made items to well over DKK 62,000 for heavy, diamond-intensive bespoke pieces.

We work primarily with solid 18K gold because it offers the best balance of rich color and daily durability. However, many clients come to us with family heirlooms they want to repurpose. We review these materials right at the bench.

If you bring old gold, we examine the karat stamps. Sometimes, older pieces contain solders or alloys that make them brittle when melted down. We explain exactly what is usable and what isn't. If you want to learn more about how we handle raw materials, you can read about our goldsmithing workshop approach.

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The Collaborative Sketching Process

Once we know your lifestyle and material preferences, we start drawing. This is where the ideas become real. We don't send you away to wait for an email attachment; we sketch at the bench while we talk.

This immediate feedback loop prevents miscommunication.

If you want the band thicker, we draw it thicker. If you want to see how a sapphire looks next to a diamond, we pull stones from our parcel and place them on your hand.

Here is the exact sequence we follow when sketching:

1. Establishing Proportions: We determine the width and thickness of the band based on your finger size and daily habits. A 1.5mm band looks delicate, but a 2.5mm band survives decades of daily wear without warping.
2. Top-Down View: We sketch how the ring looks from above. This determines the size of the center stone and the arrangement of any side stones or halos.
3. Profile and Gallery: We draw the ring from the side. This is crucial for physical comfort. We decide how high the stone sits and how the setting connects to the main band.
4. Refining Details: We add specific finishes to the drawing, noting whether the metal needs a hammered texture, a matte surface, or a traditional high polish.

Our focus on handcrafted detail ensures the final piece looks exactly like the approved sketch. If you're curious about the background that informs this method, we share more on Nanna Schou's design philosophy.

Sourcing and Selecting Your Gemstones

Selecting the right gemstone takes time. If your design requires a specific center stone—like a 1.5-carat teal sapphire or an ethically sourced oval diamond—we use the initial meeting to note the exact cut, color, and carat weight you prefer.

We source our stones ethically, relying on a tight network of trusted suppliers. When you ask for a specific type of diamond or tourmaline, we reach out to them to find stones that match your exact criteria. We never push you toward a stone just because we have it sitting in our safe. We find the stone that fits the sketch.

Sometimes, clients look at examples of our custom jewelry designs and realize they want a completely different cut than they initially thought. A step-cut emerald shape flashes with long, elegant lines of light, while a brilliant cut sparkles aggressively. We explain these optical differences so you know exactly what you're buying.

For clients who decide they want something immediately, or want to mix a custom ring with existing accessories, we also review our ready-made collection pieces during the meeting to see if an existing piece fits the vision.

Timeline and Next Steps

At the end of the 60-minute meeting, you leave with a clear structural sketch and a solid understanding of the costs involved. We then take the notes from our session and calculate the exact material weights and stone prices.

Within one to two weeks, we follow up with a final price quote and a confirmed design summary. You have total control over the budget at this stage. If the quote comes in higher than you wanted, we review the sketch together. We can adjust the thickness of the band, change the clarity grade of the side diamonds, or swap stone sizes to meet your financial target.

Once you approve the quote and pay the deposit, the manufacturing begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know my exact ring size before the consultation? You do not need to know your exact ring size before our meeting. We measure your finger in the atelier using professional sizing rings to ensure a perfect fit, taking into account the width of the band we plan to design.

Can I bring my own gold to use in a new design? Yes, you can bring inherited or old gold for us to melt down and reshape. We assess the karat and quality of your materials during the initial meeting to confirm they are structurally sound for a new piece.

How much does a custom design consultation cost? The initial design consultation in our Copenhagen atelier is completely free of charge. You carry no obligation to proceed with the build or pay for the meeting if you decide not to move forward.

How long does the entire custom jewelry process take? A custom jewelry piece generally requires four to six weeks of production time after you approve the final design sketch and quote. The initial consultation and quoting phase adds one to two weeks to the front end of that timeline.

What if I don't like the final sketch? We revise the sketch until it matches your vision perfectly. Because we draw the initial design right in front of you and incorporate your immediate feedback, it is very rare for the final draft to miss the mark.

Before attending any design consultation, weigh your existing heirlooms on a simple kitchen scale and note their karat marks—knowing exactly what raw materials you already own gives you an immediate head start on managing your budget. Book an appointment via our contact page to start sketching your piece today.