Most custom orders begin the same way: a buyer sends a photo of a ring they like and asks, "How much, and how soon?" A reference image is a good start, but on its own it rarely holds enough for an accurate production quotation. It doesn't tell us the silver weight, the exact stone, the sizes you need, or how many pieces you plan to sell.

This is a planning guide, not a general "how jewelry is made" history. It walks through what actually happens after you send a design to our Jaipur production operation: what to prepare, which decisions are yours to approve, where the timeline can move, and when it makes sense to start a real quotation.

One point worth settling first, because buyers often ask: our manufacturing is in Jaipur, India. Our Bangkok location is a showroom and ready-stock point — not a factory. Everything below describes the Jaipur production side.

  • Design brief
  • Quotation
  • Approval & deposit
  • CAD / sample decision
  • Production
  • QC / dispatch

How a custom production order moves from brief to dispatch

What to send before the quotation

The more complete your brief, the faster and more accurate the quotation. You don't need every item on this list — send what you have, and we'll tell you what is still missing:

  • A design reference — a sketch, a photograph, a sample product, a technical drawing, or a CAD/STL file.
  • The product type and approximate dimensions — ring, pendant, bangle, earring; a rough size, width or length.
  • Your preferred stone or material direction — a specific gemstone, a colour family, or simply "open to suggestions." If the stone is still undecided, browsing wholesale jewelry by gemstone is a practical way to narrow it down.
  • Quantities by design — how many pieces of each design. (Order minimums, order value and the mould charge are a separate subject with their own qualifiers; our companion ordering-requirements guide covers them so this article doesn't oversimplify them.)
  • Ring sizes or the size mix you expect, where relevant.
  • Logo stamping or barcode requirements — only if you need them.
  • Any timing or destination context you already know.

This isn't a rigid form. It's the information that lets us quote the real order instead of guessing at it.

Quotation, approval and deposit

Once we have enough to assess the design and the order, we normally prepare a quotation within 24–72 hours after the required details are received. An incomplete brief takes longer, simply because we come back with questions first.

Production begins after you approve the quotation and specifications and a 30% advance is received. The remaining balance and dispatch terms live in your quotation rather than on a general page, because they depend on the specifics of the order — the design, the materials and the destination.

CAD and optional sample decisions

Two decision points often sit between approval and full production:

  • CAD. Where a design needs it, our Jaipur team prepares a CAD model for your review, and production waits until the necessary design details are approved. This is your chance to correct proportions, settings and detailing before anything is cut.
  • An optional sample. Some orders — a brand-new design, or one where you want to hold the finished piece before committing to a full run — call for a physical sample first. Whether a sample is needed, and its cost and timing, is confirmed in your quotation.

Not every order needs CAD or a sample. Whether CAD or a physical sample is needed is confirmed for the design before production.

What happens in Jaipur production

Blue wax jewellery patterns prepared in a silicone mould at Silver Jewelry Doctor's Jaipur workshop
Pl. 02Wax patterns prepared before casting

For the full visual, stage-by-stage sequence, the Custom Order Process page is the place to look — this section stays a summary on purpose.

Depending on the design, the Jaipur workshop handles the production sequence from casting and filing through stone setting, polishing, 925 stamping and final quality control. Not every step applies to every piece: a plain band skips stone setting, and a cast design and a hand-fabricated one take different routes through the workshop. The Jaipur operation works with approximately 90 artisans across these stages.

What changes the timeline

Normal production runs approximately 3–5+ weeks after the deposit and the production details are confirmed. That window moves with:

  • design complexity — intricate settings, filigree and multi-stone pieces take longer;
  • materials and stone sourcing — an unusual stone may need to be found before work starts;
  • order volume;
  • how quickly CAD or sample approvals come back to us.

Because of these variables, we don't promise a dispatch date before the quotation. A realistic date is part of the quotation, once the design is locked.

Before dispatch

Finished sterling silver gemstone ring produced by Silver Jewelry Doctor
Pl. 05A finished piece after production

Finished pieces go through final quality control before leaving the workshop. Wholesale orders can be dispatched internationally; dispatch arrangements are confirmed for each order.

Start a real quotation

When you're ready, the quickest route to an accurate number is a complete brief. The Custom Order Process page shows the full production workflow and gives you the quotation form and WhatsApp pathways to send your design, quantities, stones, sizes and any private-label needs.