MJSA Aims to Raise Standards for Bespoke Jewellery

New York: Manufacturing Jewellers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) has launched a drive to improve the consumer experience when buying custom-made jewellery.

MJSA has set up the Council of Custom Jewellers as part of the program to advance the art of custom-jewellery design and consumers’ appreciation of it, the trade organization said.

“Almost every jewellery store in my city claims to do custom jewellery now, but the experience and outcome can vary widely,” said Cincinnati, Ohio-based Lee Krombholz, the owner of Krombholz Jewellers and Just Like You Designs. Krombholz will chair the Council of Custom Jewellers. “Many simply take orders, while others who try to develop a design don't have the expertise to create well-crafted jewellery.”

MJSA said it will establish a basic definition of customer jewellery and promote a system for classifying the custom-designed projects into three disparate groups.

“By creating and publicizing standardized levels, custom jewellers can better stand apart from ‘order takers’ and create a better understanding among consumers of true custom design,” Krombholz added.

MJSA plans to set up a consumer-facing website about custom jewellery by the end of 2017.

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