Start with a drawing — yours or ours
Most custom pieces start as a scribble. Bring in a drawing you have done yourself, a photo of something you saw, or an old piece you want something built around. If all you have is an idea, that is fine too — we will draw it with you at the counter and keep changing it until it looks like the thing in your head.
Nothing gets made until you have seen the design and said yes to it. That is the whole point of drawing it first.
What we make
- Rings — engagement rings, bands, signet rings, and remakes of something you already own.
- Necklaces and pendants — built around a stone you have, or from scratch.
- Nameplates — script or block, in the size and weight you want.
- ID bracelets — plate and chain, engraved on the front, the back, or both.
- Charms and one-offs — the piece that does not exist anywhere else.
Gold, silver or platinum
We work in 10k, 14k and 18k gold — yellow, white and rose — as well as sterling silver and platinum. Which one suits the piece depends on what it is, how hard it is going to be worn, and how heavy you want it to feel in the hand. Bring the idea in and we will talk it through properly, because a nameplate that is going to be worn every day and a ring that comes out twice a year are not the same job.
Engraving, on jewelry and on almost anything else
Rings inside and out, bracelets, chains, pendants, watch backs — and away from jewelry, bottles, wine, glassware and gifts. A name, a date, initials, handwriting, a short line that only two people will understand. Most engraving is done while you wait.
If you are not sure whether the thing you have in mind can be engraved, bring it in. The surface matters more than the object does — curved, plated and hardened surfaces all behave differently.
How long a custom piece takes
Roughly one to two weeks once the design is settled. A straightforward nameplate sits at the short end of that; an intricate ring with stones to set sits at the long end. We give you a date when you approve the drawing, and it goes on your ticket.
Engraving on something you already own is different — that is usually done while you wait, same as any other counter job.
What will it cost?
What is the piece — a ring, a nameplate, an ID bracelet? Gold, silver or platinum, and what karat? How heavy do you want it in the hand? Are there stones going in, and are you bringing them or do they need finding? Is there engraving, and how much of it? Is this built from scratch, or from something you already own? We cannot answer a single one of those without seeing you and the idea together. Bring it out to Julio’s Jewelry inside Orland Square Mall, let us draw it with you, and you will get an honest estimate before anything is made.
Straight to your question
- I have a drawing of a ring I want made
- Can you remake my grandmother’s ring into something I’d wear?
- I want a nameplate necklace made
- I want a custom ID bracelet
- Can you use my own stones in a new piece?
- Can you swap the center stone?
Questions we get asked
Can I bring my own drawing?
Please do. A sketch on the back of an envelope tells us more than a paragraph does. Bring a photo of something you have seen as well if you have one — between the two we will get to what you actually want much faster.
What if I cannot draw at all?
Then describe it and we will draw it. We sit with you at the counter and keep adjusting until it looks right, and nothing is made until you have approved that drawing.
How long does a custom piece take?
Roughly one to two weeks once the design is agreed. It depends entirely on how intricate the piece is — a simple nameplate is quicker than a ring with stones to set. You get a date when you approve the drawing and it goes on your ticket.
What metals can I have it made in?
10k, 14k and 18k gold in yellow, white or rose, sterling silver, and platinum. Which one suits it depends on the piece and how hard it is going to be worn, and that is worth a conversation at the counter rather than a guess over the phone.
Can you use a piece I already own?
Bring it in and let us look at it. Sometimes the stones or the metal from an old piece can go into the new one, and sometimes the old piece is better left as it is. That is a conversation to have with it sitting on the counter between us.
Do you engrave things that are not jewelry?
Yes — bottles, wine, glassware and gifts as well as rings, bracelets, chains, pendants and watch backs. Bring the item in and we will tell you what the surface will take.
Bring the idea in — or ask first
Come and see us at Orland Square Mall and we will draw it with you. If you would rather ask before you make the trip, tell us roughly what you are thinking and we will tell you whether we can do it.
Bring the idea in and let us draw it
Most custom pieces take about one to two weeks once the design is settled, and engraving on something you already own is usually done while you wait. Come and find us inside Orland Square Mall — no appointment, free parking.
Where we are
Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm.
Pendant and charm work brings customers in from Tinley Park, Orland Hills, Palos Heights, Oak Forest, Homer Glen and right across the south suburbs.