The Bespoke Process
Gem First Design
In the tradition of haute joaillerie, the gemstone is not chosen to complete a design. The design is built to serve the gem. The setting exists to secure it with the minimum of metal, to orient it so that light enters and leaves correctly, and to protect it across decades of wear without competing with its presence. The jewellery becomes architecture. The gem remains the subject.
This is the philosophy behind every Skyjems commission. We call it Gem First Design.
It is the way jewellery was made before catalogues existed — before the standardisation of sizes and the mass production of settings reduced the setting to an afterthought. A fine Colombian emerald with its characteristic jardin demands different structural thinking than a clean Ceylon sapphire. A demantoid garnet with its high refractive index performs differently under light than a deep Burmese ruby. Each gem has its own optical behaviour, its own vulnerabilities, and its own requirements. A setting designed for one will not serve another. This is why every commission begins with a gem.
Selecting the Gemstone
Every commission begins with a consultation and a presentation of gemstones drawn from the Skyjems archive. These may include rare Colombian emeralds traceable to the mines of Muzo or Chivor, unheated Ceylon sapphires from Ratnapura, collector-grade rubies, alexandrite, Paraíba tourmalines, or unusual gems that rarely appear outside the private market. Many are acquired at the source before they are ever publicly offered. The presentation is not a catalogue. It is a conversation shaped by the collector's preferences, the occasion, and what the archive holds that is genuinely worth acquiring.
The gemstone chosen becomes the fixed point of the commission. Everything that follows is in service of it.
Design as Problem Solving
Once a gem is selected, the design process begins. Working with the curator, the client explores aesthetic preferences, practical considerations of wear, and the structural requirements specific to the chosen stone. These are not independent conversations. The gem's exact dimensions, weight distribution, depth of pavilion, and the character of any inclusions all determine what the setting must do and what it must not. The goal is a piece that allows the gemstone to perform at its highest visual potential, holds it correctly against the body, and remains structurally coherent across generations of wear.
Every commission is architecturally modelled before bench work begins. The gem's precise dimensions, optical character, and weight are fully documented, producing the specifications the bench jeweller works to directly. This eliminates approximation before a single gram of metal is worked.
Execution at the Bench
Each piece is executed by master bench jewellers in Toronto using traditional hand-forging techniques refined over decades, alongside modern precision methods — including CAD modelling and laser welding in assembly and finishing — where they serve the work. There are no templates. The structure is built specifically for the individual gem: its exact measurements, its weight, and the precise angles required to hold it without obscuring it dictate every stage of the build.
Commissions are worked in platinum, 18-karat gold, or other precious metals determined in consultation. All metals are recycled by default; clients who prefer newly refined metal may request Canadian-origin gold or silver. We work exclusively with recycled platinum. The choice of metal is not a finishing decision — it is a structural one, informed by the optical requirements of the gem, the conditions of wear, and the collector's intent for the piece.
Most commissions are completed within three to six months of gemstone selection, depending on the complexity of the design.
The Record
Before delivery, every completed piece undergoes final inspection and full documentation. Every commission is accompanied by a Skyjems Certificate of Authenticity. Significant gemstones are additionally accompanied by independent laboratory reports from Harold Weinstein Ltd. — Canada's most respected independent gemological laboratory — or from international institutions including the GIA, Gübelin, and AGL, together with a comprehensive insurance appraisal. The completed documentation file travels with the piece permanently.
The relationship does not end at delivery. Skyjems supports every commission throughout its life — cleaning, maintenance, re-appraisal, resetting, and estate evaluation are all part of the ongoing commitment to an object, and a provenance, built to outlast its first owner.
A gemstone without documentation is simply an object. A Skyjems commission arrives with a full record: where the gem came from, who certified it, how the piece was made, and what it is worth. That record is part of what you are acquiring, because it is part of what you will one day pass on.
International clients are welcome by remote consultation, arranged directly.
From the Atelier
Selected recent commissions
Emerald Diamond Lotus Ring
Star Ruby Diamond Ring
Aquamarine Pendant
Moonstone Necklace
Teal Sapphire Ring
Alexandrite Pendant
david@skyjems.ca · 416-366-3335
Explore further:
- Our Commitment to Every Piece — lifetime care and warranty
- The Craftsmanship Behind Every Piece of Jewellery
- Browse the Gemstone Archive
A record of discernment, carried in metal and light.