Designing Bespoke: The Art of Creating Something That’s Yours
Bespoke jewellery isn’t just about carats or settings — it begins with your story. At Signature Vintage, each custom design is a translation of memory, meaning, and style into gold and stone. From first conversations to sketches, stones, and final craftsmanship, discover how a bespoke piece is created in Melbourne and why it becomes more than jewellery — it becomes yours.
Where Stories Become Stones
It often begins with a velvet box. A ring passed down through generations, worn soft at the edges but heavy with meaning. Or it begins with a milestone — an anniversary, a new chapter, the desire to create something that will be worn every day and remembered forever.
Bespoke jewellery isn’t just about metal and stone. It’s about translation — turning sentiment into form, memory into something tangible, values into a piece you can carry with you.
The First Conversation
Every bespoke journey starts simply: a conversation. Sometimes over the phone, sometimes across the workbench. We listen to the story behind the piece — what you love, what you’d like to change, what you want this new chapter of the jewel to hold.
There’s no pressure to arrive with a perfect idea. All we need is a sense of what matters to you. The rest unfolds together.
From Vision to Direction
This is where ideas find their shape. Together we explore your style, your lifestyle, the materials that feel right in your hands. Some clients come with mood boards and sketches. Others arrive with nothing but a memory.
We refine the vision and outline your ideal budget. From there, we share a realistic guide so you know exactly what to expect — no surprises, only clarity.
Sketches, Stones, and Setting
From sketch to stone: every bespoke design begins with ideas on paper before moving into CAD and final craftsmanship.
With a direction confirmed, we move from conversation to creation. Hand sketches bring first lines to paper. Stones are laid out in soft light — lab-grown, natural, or those already part of your family history.
We create a CAD rendering so you can see your piece in three dimensions, every detail considered. This is the moment many clients describe as the turning point: when the imagined becomes real.
At this stage, a 50% deposit secures your design and begins the sourcing process.
Discover more about process and craft in our Journal feature on the Kitti Cuff story →
The Craft
Once your design is approved and your stone selected, the work moves into the hands of our Melbourne jewellers. Every edge, curve, and claw is refined by artisans who have spent decades at the bench.
The final 50% is due before delivery or collection. And from there, it’s not just a piece of jewellery — it’s part of your story, shaped in gold and stone.
Timing and Investment
Every bespoke journey is unique, and so is the timeline. Most pieces are completed within 4–8 weeks, though timing can vary depending on design complexity, gemstone sourcing, and decision-making. For clients working toward a particular date, we do our best to fast-track the process.
When it comes to investment, bespoke jewellery reflects the care it receives. From one-on-one design conversations to master craftsmanship and ethically sourced materials, each piece carries the value of time, skill, and artistry. The result is not just jewellery, but a personal heirloom designed to endure.
Why Bespoke?
Because jewellery should be more than beautiful. It should be yours. A piece that carries memory and meaning, crafted with intent, designed to be worn and destined to be remembered.
For more on legacy and meaning in design, read our Journal feature on the Story of the Vivian Ring →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with heirloom stones?
Yes. Many of our bespoke designs begin with heirloom pieces — rings, pendants, or loose stones passed through generations. We carefully assess each gem for quality and durability, then reimagine it in a way that honours its history while making it wearable for today.
How long does a bespoke piece take?
Most bespoke designs are completed within 4–8 weeks, depending on complexity, gemstone sourcing, and decision-making. If you need your piece sooner, we’ll do our best to fast-track the process.
What does a bespoke piece cost?
Our bespoke service begins at $4,500 for custom designs and $3,000 for heirloom reimagined pieces. Pricing reflects the craftsmanship, premium materials, and one-on-one care your story receives.
The Story of the Kitti Cuff
The Kitti Cuff is where it all began—a modern heirloom born from heirloom gold. Sculptural, intentional, and quietly powerful, it sparked the Signature Edit and still defines our design ethos today.
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THE STORY OF THE KITTI CUFF
The piece that started it all.
Almost a decade ago, the very first Signature Edit piece came to life—not in a jewellery studio, but through a personal design ritual. I had inherited a few heirloom pieces from my nana’s collection—beautiful, but no longer worn. They sat in a drawer, full of sentiment but disconnected from my daily life.
I wanted something else. A way to honour those pieces, but in a form that felt like me. Sculptural. Cool. Quietly powerful. Something I could wear every day.
That became the Kitti Cuff.
Named after my grandmother, it fused memory with modernity—softened edges, clean lines, and a bold silhouette that’s both refined and strong. I still wear it almost every day. It’s become part of how I move through the world.
The Kitti Cuff was more than a piece of jewellery—it was the seed of an idea. It showed me what was possible when design and meaning aligned. It became the blueprint for what would evolve into the Signature Edit collection.
A modern heirloom. A personal symbol. A story cast in gold.
Love a piece with a story?
Explore the Signature Edit and discover modern staples designed to be lived in.
The Story of the Vivian Ring
Legacy in every facet. The Vivian Ring is a sculptural tribute to family, freedom, and the quiet power of memory—crafted from heirloom stones and made for modern life.
A Legacy in Every Facet
The Vivian Ring began not with a sketch, but with a velvet box.
A few years ago, I uncovered a small collection of uncut stones—quietly tucked away in a box my grandfather had held onto for decades. His name was Vivian James Marsh. A Bayside local with an explorer’s heart, he was known for spontaneous outback road trips with his wife—sometimes disappearing for weeks on end across New South Wales, Central Australia, the Northern Territory, even as far as Western Australia.
When I found those forgotten stones, I knew I wanted to honour his legacy in a way that felt bold, wearable, and full of meaning. I sent them to Sri Lanka to be cut by master lapidaries. What came back were brilliant parti sapphires and warm champagne zircons—each one refined, radiant, and rich in story.
The first Vivian Ring was designed around them. A pavé-set piece that brought together the very first sapphire he gave me with stones collected across time and place. A quiet tribute to his sense of freedom, individuality, and wonder.
It became the foundation of the Vivian range—a series of sculptural, heirloom-inspired designs made for everyday life.
A new version featuring an emerald-cut centre stone is coming soon, alongside the Petite Vivian—a pared-back, customisable style scattered with pavé-set stones in your choice of sapphires, emeralds, or diamonds.
Each piece continues the story. Rooted in memory. Reimagined for now.
Every piece tells a story. What’s yours?
Explore Bespoke to discover modern heirlooms made with meaning.