Timeless creations shape impressions in our memories and there is nothing more timeless than designing a custom buckle or piece of jewelry to commemorate a special event, a passion or simply a meaningful symbol. Worn with pride for the uniqueness of the design these become treasured items passed down through generations.
Our process to design a custom accessory is not only simple, but exemplifies our dedication to the creative process and ultimate enjoyment of the piece. Once our customer has browsed through the variety of style options, types of precious metals and gemstones, and has decided on the general shape and size of the piece, our in house artist will develop a detailed drawing for review.
With our customer’s feedback and suggestions we make any desired changes to the design, allowing our customer full control over the style. Sometimes this step in the process is quite simple, for example when a customer brings us a logo or family crest as the focal point of the design. Other times it is more of an iterative process when the customer begins with a general idea for a design but needs to see and react to different stylings. Once the drawing has been perfected we submit it to one of our buckle and jewelry artists who painstakingly creates the final product, either directly with the precious metals and jewels or first as a wax mold if several are to be cast.
The design of a custom buckle or piece of jewelry is only limited by the imagination of our customer, and I have witnessed some pretty imaginative designs over the years. In one case, a Texas cattle rancher requested 20 identical buckles as gifts for each of his family members. What was unique about this request was that the rancher sent us a photograph of the rump of a cow marked by his ranch’s brand as his design! Our artist got right to work, and made an exact rendition of the image in a wax mold in order to cast all the buckles identically for each family member. His work was quite impressive and the rancher was thrilled.
In another case Jerry Bruckheimer’s wife Linda contacted us to commission buckles to celebrate completion of filming the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. Our buckle artist cut the image of that logo and then added detailed engraving. It was truly stunning. Jerry liked the piece so much that he returned to commission a Prince of Persia themed buckle as a gift for actor Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as a buckle themed for the movie The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as a gift for Nicholas Cage. We did others timed with the release of the movie The Lone Ranger.
The beauty of these unique pieces truly improves with time. When our artist creates a piece with a sterling base, topped by gold scrolls, you will see that once the silver oxidizes, the gold contrasts the silver tones and is further accentuated in a way that is even more beautiful than it was when originally created.
Though most of our customers who commission one-of-a-kind buckles, jewelry or accessories desire a simple initial, monogram, or family crest, many others order more sophisticated pieces. In some cases they may see one of our current pieces and want it made with a different precious metal, or they prefer a different precious gemstone to make a signature statement. The range of possibilities to create your own particular statement is practically endless.