A custom gold piece is priced from its gold weight and karat, then the stones, the design work and the finishing. Gold is the floor: a 15 g pendant in 14K holds about $1,110 of gold at today's live price, before any stones or labor. On time, our shipping policy estimates approximately 4–6 weeks of production for made-to-order pieces and 3–4 weeks for handmade Cuban links, before shipping. In our records of 109 past custom pieces, the median took 46 days from first payment to shipped or handed over: about 40 days for rings and bridal, 48 for pendants and 59 for one-off chains. Your exact price and date are set at the consultation, from your render.
- Gold is the floor: weight × karat × today's gold price. It's the one part of the price you can check yourself, live, on this page.
- Weight matters most: doubling the grams roughly doubles the gold cost. Ask for the estimated weight on your render.
- Stones can match the gold: moissanite, lab-grown and natural diamonds look alike in pavé but are priced far apart.
- Time follows the design: our policy estimate is about 4–6 weeks of production. In practice, half of our past custom pieces took between 32 and 73 days from first payment, and three out of four were done within about ten and a half weeks.
- Have a date in mind? Say so at the start. Your timeline is set at the consultation.
Two piece types work differently because the design is already set. You design a custom gold dog tag in our online builder and see the price as you go. Custom picture pendants use set frames, so the price shows on each product page. Everything else is quoted one piece at a time.
What Sets the Price of a Custom Gold Piece
Every custom quote is built from the same parts: the gold, the stones, the design work and the finishing. Gold is the one part you can check yourself, at today's price.
Gold weight and karat
The gold in a piece is its weight in grams times the price per gram for its karat. That is the piece's gold value, or melt value. It is the floor of the price, not the price. The table shows example weights for common custom pieces at today's live gold price.
Example weights for illustration; your piece's weight comes from its render. The dog tag uses its listed tag weight in 10K and 14K. Gold values refresh with the live price at the top of the page.
Two things follow. First, weight matters more than anything else you choose. A 30 g pendant has twice the gold of a 15 g one. Ask for the estimated weight when you get your render, because that's where most of the price comes from. Second, karat changes the price, not the size. 14K has more gold and a richer color; 10K costs less and is harder-wearing; 18K is the premium choice. For the per-gram details, see our 14K gold price per gram guide.
Stones
Stones can cost as much as the gold, or more. Moissanite costs the least. Lab-grown diamonds are grown in a lab rather than mined, and cost less than natural ones. Natural diamonds cost the most. Through our sourcing network we have access to over 2 million diamonds, lab or natural, so the stone can be matched to the budget.
Design work and finishing
A flat name in polished gold is quick to design and to finish. A 3D figure, a two-tone medallion or a pendant covered edge to edge in stones takes more design rounds, more casting work and hours of setting. Enamel color, two-tone plating and engraving each add a step. That work is why two pendants with the same gold weight can be quoted far apart.
How Long Custom Pieces Actually Took
Our shipping policy gives the estimate we work to: handmade Cuban link chains and bracelets "typically take 3–4 weeks to produce before shipping", and "other made-to-order items take approximately 4–6 weeks before shipping." Here is what actually happened on 109 past custom pieces, counted from the first payment to the day the piece shipped or was handed over.
What the clock includes. It starts at the first payment, not at design approval. So it holds the back-and-forth on the render, any wait for stones, and, for clients who paid in several deposits, the time between payments. Pieces paid in one go had a median of 44 days. Pieces paid in deposits had a median of 46. Engagement rings alone had a median of 40 days (middle half 34–47, 22 rings). That time includes choosing the stone, approving the design and, for many clients, finishing the payments.
Bigger pieces take longer. More gold and more stones mean more casting, setting and polishing, and usually more design rounds first. That is why one-off chains took the longest.
Why custom chains take longer than our handmade Cubans. A standard handmade Miami Cuban link chain follows a set design, and our shipping policy puts its production at 3–4 weeks. The custom chains in this table are one-off builds, like iced bracelets, tennis chains, custom locks and heavy specialty links. Each one is designed and set from scratch.
Ordering a custom gold dog tag? Plan on about the same time as rings and bridal. This is a record of past orders, not a delivery promise. Your timeline is set at your consultation, based on your design.
The Four Steps, and Where the Time Goes
Every custom piece follows the same four steps as our custom projects page. For the full bench process, from wax to casting to polishing, read inside the GOLDZENN workshop.
Tap each step to see what happens and how long it takes.
- Idea and consultation
- Final design (CAD render)
- Crafting, about 4–6 weeks
- Delivery
Bar widths are illustrative. Crafting is the longest step; the design step is as long as your changes take. In our records, the whole journey took a median of 46 days from first payment.
Real Custom Pieces Made for Our Clients
These are finished custom pieces made for our clients. They show the range a quote has to cover, from a medallion with one stone to a pendant covered in stones.
Getting engaged? Our engagement rings let you choose the setting and the center stone online, and we can still customize from there.
Starting a Custom Piece With Us in Miami
Our store is at 1056 SW 67th Ave, Miami, FL 33144. You can sit down with our team for an in-store consultation, bring your photos or sketches, and see gold and stones in person. You can also start from anywhere: call (321) 521-4651 or send your idea through the custom quote form, which takes design files and photos.
Our handmade Cuban links from 7 mm up are produced locally in Miami. Every custom piece is designed with you here, and our team has over 50 years of combined experience in solid gold. For how custom, semi-custom and personalized pieces differ, see our custom and personalized jewelry guide.
Bring these to the consultation:
- Two or three photos of what you like, and one of what you don't.
- A budget range. It decides karat, weight and stones faster than anything else.
- The size: pendant height, ring size, or chain length.
- Your date, if there is one.
How to Plan Your Budget and Your Date
- Start from the gold. Pick a weight and karat, and check the gold value in the table above. Then add the stones and the design work. If the total is too high, step down in weight or karat before you cut the design.
- Choose stones by look, not by name. Moissanite, lab-grown and natural diamonds can look alike in a pavé pendant. The price gap between them is large.
- Spend your time on the render. Approving the CAD quickly but correctly is the easiest way to shorten the wait.
- Work back from your date. In our records, 3 out of 4 custom pieces were finished within about 10 and a half weeks of the first payment, and heavier pieces took longer. If you need a piece for a birthday, a proposal or a holiday, say so at the start.
- Paying over time? Our layaway terms explain how deposits work. For online orders, you can pay over time with Affirm, Klarna or Afterpay: 0% APR plans for those who qualify, subject to approval. See financing.
Method, Data and Last Updated
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does custom gold jewelry cost?
It depends on the gold weight and karat, then the stones and design work. The gold sets the floor: at today's price, 15 g of 14K gold is worth about $1,110 before any stones or labor. Heavier pieces, full stone coverage and 18K raise it. Send your idea and budget, and we'll quote a range.
How long does custom jewelry take?
Our shipping policy estimates approximately 4–6 weeks of production for made-to-order items, and 3–4 weeks for handmade Cuban links. In our records, the median custom piece shipped or was handed over 46 days after the first payment: about 40 for rings and bridal (plan the same for a custom dog tag), 48 for pendants and 59 for custom chains. Your timeline is set at the consultation.
Is custom jewelry more expensive than buying a finished piece?
Not always. The gold costs the same per gram either way. Custom adds the design work and a one-off build, while you pay for exactly the weight, karat and stones you choose. A light custom pendant can cost less than a heavy catalog piece.
Does the gold price change my quote?
Yes. Our prices follow the live gold market, so the same design can be quoted higher or lower on a different day. If you pay over time, our layaway terms explain how the remaining balance follows the gold price.
Can I pay over time?
Yes. Many of our custom clients pay in deposits under our layaway terms. For online orders, Affirm, Klarna and Afterpay offer 0% APR plans for those who qualify, subject to approval.
Can I send my own design or a photo?
Yes. The quote form on our custom projects page takes design files and photos, and you can bring them to the store. We turn your idea into a CAD render before anything is made.
Do I have to come to the Miami store?
No. You can start by phone at (321) 521-4651 or through the quote form, review the render online, and have the piece shipped fully insured. If you'd rather see the gold and stones in person, visit us at 1056 SW 67th Ave.
What karat should I choose for a custom piece?
14K and 10K are the usual choices. 14K has more gold and a richer color. 10K costs less and is harder-wearing. 18K is the premium choice, with the most gold and the deepest color.
Related Guides and Collections
- Custom projects and quote form — Start your piece
- Inside the GOLDZENN workshop — Every bench step, from wax to polish
- Custom and personalized jewelry guide — Custom vs semi-custom vs personalized
- 10K gold price per gram — Live 10K value
- Gold military dog tag guide — Sizes, karats and wording
Send your idea and budget, and we'll come back with a price range and a render plan. Prefer to talk? Call (321) 521-4651 or visit us at 1056 SW 67th Ave, Miami.
Start your custom piece →Call the store
