Bespoke Service
The Process
Bespoke commissions give me a great opportunity to work closely with customers to bring special pieces to life. We try to complete commissions within 4 months, but depending on the scope and intricacy of the design, this can sometimes take longer.
Including as much detail as possible when you get in touch helps me produce the most accurate designs during the conception and sketching phase.
Starting Points
- Commission type
- Main metal type
- Plating, if any
- Stones, if any
- Design inspiration - you can reference Castro's instagram portfolio or send over photographs and other imagery you have
- Textures or finishes
- Special dates, names and places
- Inscription, if any
- Ideal completion date
- Budget range
What to expect
For bespoke commissions, the process usually begins by talking through ideas and discussing the answers to the above questions. I can then start to advise on metal types, shapes and finishes that fit your brief so I can quote for the piece to fit within your budget. Once you’re happy to proceed, I can begin the sketching process.
Due to the fact that Castro works alone, and sketching is labour intensive, for anything custom there is a charge of £500 + VAT for me to produce initial drawings which includes two rounds of amendments. The drawings will at first be thumbnail sketches, which will then be narrowed down to more detailed designs until you have the final one you are happy with. The £500 deposit will then be deducted from the total price, which will be invoiced to you for payment once the design is finalised and before I order materials and start work on the piece itself.
These sketch consultations can take place via email, phone call or WhatsApp.
Finally, all designs, even bespoke commissions are owned by Castro Smith. If you would like to pay for exclusivity then this can be discussed.
Metal type
If you're unsure about the metal type you'd like, here is some information about the ones Castro works with most.
- 9k white gold has a natural yellow pigment to the metal
- 18k white gold has a darker hue to it, in my head, it's almost chocolatey. I really like working with this metal
- With yellow gold, there is a slight colour difference between 9k and 18k. 9k gold contains less pure gold than 18k therefore the intensity of colour is less – hence the difference in cost, too.
You will find that the higher the karat of gold, the more the weight increases.