A commission at Thomas Elliott Fine Jewellery unfolds in three movements - the same three conditions that, for centuries, have been understood to constitute beauty itself: integrity, proportion, and clarity. Each stage of the process exists to pursue one of them, until a piece emerges whole, rightly ordered, and worthy of the story entrusted to it.

I. Integrity: The Consultation

Approximately 30 minutes

Every piece begins with a conversation. In a private virtual consultation, we come to understand the occasion the piece will mark, the story it is meant to carry, and the person who will wear it - because a piece cannot be whole, cannot possess integritas, if it is designed without first understanding what it is truly for.

Where a client wishes to work from an existing vision - a photograph, a sketch of their own, a design they admire - we can certainly work with their inspiration to either recreate it, or adapt it to make it their own.

Clients occasionally arrive with only a feeling. This is where that feeling begins to take shape.

II. Proportion: Design & Sourcing

Design - 1 to 3 weeks

From the consultation, a design begins to emerge - first through sketches, and then rendered through Computer-Aided-Design (CAD). Every line, every setting, every proportion is considered not only for how it will look, but for how it interacts to the stone it holds, to the hand that will wear it, and to the whole it is part of. The design is refined in a collaborative effort, with as many revisions as is necessary. Once the design is finalized, the client will receive an approximate price for the piece. 

Sourcing - up to 2 weeks

Once the design is approved, we turn to sourcing the stones and any other necessary materials for the piece. We offer clients the choice between natural and lab-grown diamonds, each accompanied by certification. We also offer other precious stones such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls, etc. Where a client wishes to carry a family stone forward into a new piece, this is also the stage where that stone is carefully assessed, and where its next chapter begins. At the end of this stage, the client receives a final price and invoice for the piece. 

III. Clarity: Crafting & Delivery

Crafting - 8 weeks (expedited timelines available upon request)

The piece is crafted within our Toronto workshop, by hand and in close collaboration with Canadian master craftsmen. This is the stage at which claritas - the shining-forth of a thing's own form - becomes visible for the first time: where a design on a screen becomes a piece that catches light, holds weight, and can, at last, be worn. Our standard crafting period is 8 weeks. Depending on the complexity of the piece, it can be delivered before or after this period. 

Delivery - standard shipping timelines

The finished piece arrives with the same care with which it was conceived - presented in its box, accompanied by a certified appraisal. 

What Accompanies Every Piece

• A certified appraisal

• A presentation box

• Certification for all diamonds

• The option to source Canadian-mined, ethically sourced, natural, or lab-grown stones

• The option to incorporate an heirloom stone into a new design

A Note on Timing

From first consultation to delivery, most commissions take between 10 and 18 weeks, depending on design complexity and sourcing. For occasions with a fixed date - a proposal, an anniversary, a milestone that cannot be moved - expedited crafting timelines can be arranged; simply raise it during your consultation, and we will tell you plainly what is possible.