On Bespoke
A note from Catherine on custom commissions, appointments, and the pieces that begin as conversations.
The pieces I’m proudest of begin as conversations.
Beyond the drops and the Core Collection, there’s a quieter side of this house: custom rings, heirloom redesigns, and one-off commissions that start with a conversation and end in an object that didn’t exist until someone asked for it. That work is where the house really lives.
Who comes for bespoke.
Most bespoke clients arrive with a specific problem — something they’ve been after that doesn’t exist. It might be a stone that belonged to a grandmother and needs a new life, or a ring someone has wanted to buy herself for years without finding it at a price that made sense. Now and then it’s an engagement ring, but more often it’s simply a piece that means something and can’t be bought ready-made.
The best commissions tend to start with “I’ve never seen exactly what I want.” If you’ve seen exactly what you want, I can usually help you find it. If you haven’t, we can make it.
The appointment.
The first conversation covers what you want, what you’ve seen that comes close, and your budget. I bring up budget early, because it drives the stone decision and the stone decision drives everything after it. I’d rather know the range before I sketch something beautiful that turns out to be impossible.
If we decide to go ahead, the second conversation is where the design starts to take shape — reference sketches, stone options if I’ve begun sourcing, and a real sense of timeline and cost. Most commissions take three to five conversations from start to finish.
On stones, for bespoke.
Every stone in a commission is sourced by me, personally — I don’t pull from stock. For bespoke work the default is a certified stone, IGI or GIA, unless we agree otherwise. If you tell me you want something more unusual or full of character, I’ll ask your permission to source uncertified stones, where some of the most interesting diamonds live. Either way, I look until I find the one that belongs in the piece, which can take anywhere from a week to a month.
On metal, for bespoke.
A commission can be made in any metal that suits it: sterling silver where wearability matters more than karat, 10k / 14k / 18k in yellow, white, or rose, or platinum for heirloom-weight pieces that need maximum security. Metal is a design decision here, not a budget tier — though in practice most of my clients choose 10k, for its durability and its cost. Every karat is priced openly against current metal markets, so the math is visible and the markup isn’t hiding anywhere.
Pricing and timeline.
The diamond and the setting are invoiced separately, because they’re two different costs that move on their own — the setting by metal and labor, the stone by weight, quality, and specs.
Settings start around $800 in 10k, $1,000 in 14k, and $1,600 in 18k, and pendants tend to run a little less. (Very few clients ask for 18k.) Certified lab diamonds start around $250 per carat and climb from there with the diamond’s specifications, and any side stones add to the total. Because so much rides on these choices, the budget conversation really is the first one we have.
From an approved design, a finished piece usually takes about four weeks. When the design depends on finding a particular stone, sourcing can push that to six or eight.
On recreating another designer’s work.
I get asked fairly often to remake a specific piece from another house — usually one a client has admired for years and either can’t access or can’t comfortably spend on. Where I draw the line is the genuinely definitive design: the kind with a brand’s visual signature built into it, where the piece reads as that designer’s no matter who made it. A Spinelli Kilcollin linked ring, the Stephanie Gottlieb candy-button rings, Nadine Ghosn’s crayon bangles — I won’t reproduce those, because the recognizable identifiers belong to them.
A generic design is a different story. If you send me an emerald solitaire with a hidden halo from some site, I’m glad to make it. Everyone takes inspiration from somewhere, and on some level everything is derivative; that doesn’t trouble me. What I won’t do is borrow another house’s signature in a way that would make someone think they’re looking at that house’s work.
And if you simply love a piece and want something in its spirit, I’ll design a Catherine Peck version — the same feeling, redrawn in my own language. It usually ends up more interesting than a copy, because it’s made for you instead of for whoever the original was built for.
A note on speed.
Bespoke isn’t fast, and it isn’t a cheaper route to a piece you saw on the site — if something close already exists here, I’ll point you to it. A real commission usually needs the weeks above to become what it should be.
If you’re on a tight timeline — say you need something in a couple of weeks — I can still help, just differently. I’d source a ready-made ring from one of my manufacturers, which usually means a generic, popular design rather than an original Catherine Peck piece. It won’t be one-of-one, but if that’s what you need and the clock is short, I’m glad to make it happen.
How to start.
Fill out the bespoke form with a little about what you have in mind. I’ll follow up personally, by text or email, and we’ll find a time to talk it through. That first conversation is free, runs about fifteen minutes, and comes with no expectation — most people leave with a clearer picture of what they want and whether this is the right house to make it.
— Catherine
Past commissions
A partial catalogue.
Every one of these began as a conversation. Yours can too — tap any piece to inquire.
