Custom jewellery maker for rings and keepsakes

Couples, gift buyers and people who want a personal or meaningful piece they cannot find in a shop.

You charge a design fee or deposit plus the cost of materials and labour for each commission. Prices per piece are higher than for ready-made items, but you make fewer of them.

• Jewellery making skills such as soldering, stone setting or casting
• Sketching or 3D design software
• Listening to clients and managing expectations
• Careful quoting and record keeping

• Torches, chemicals and polishing dust need good ventilation and safe storage, so check your home insurance and local fire rules
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence, and check your landlord's rules if you rent
• Insure client-supplied gold and stones, and write down in a contract what you will do if a piece is lost or damaged
• Check the rules on hallmarking and quality marking of precious metals in Canada before you describe items as gold or silver
• Register for GST/HST when your revenue passes the small supplier threshold
• Be careful with sourcing, and ask suppliers about the origin of stones and metals

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the bench tools you need, whether you cast and set in-house or use a partner, and your insurance.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on how many commissions you take on and the pieces you make. Your own results will vary.

Check the rules on hallmarking and quality marking of precious metals in Canada before calling items gold or silver. Also check home-based business licence rules, insurance for client-supplied gold and stones, ventilation and fire rules for torches, and GST/HST registration.