20 Hours of Custom Jewelry Work With No Deposit

There’s a wax carving sitting on my bench right now.

It’s carved. It’s customized. It’s been waiting to be cast for a long time.

It also represents about 20 hours of work I never got paid for. And I forgot to ask for the one thing that would have protected it. The Wax on My Bench

A man found my website and came by the studio. He wanted to make something special for his wife’s anniversary. He was friendly, a little like a favorite uncle, and he seemed completely trustworthy.

We went through my gemstones together. That’s one of my favorite parts of custom work. Those stones you bought at a show or in Tucson that sit in a drawer until the right project comes along.

We picked a druzy with a rectangular shape and a round blue aquamarine that had been tucked away for years. I was excited. That aquamarine was finally going somewhere.

I started carving. It takes me about 20 hours to carve one piece like this.

We planned for him to come back and see the wax on his way to the airport. Then I realized I had never asked for a deposit. He seemed like a sure thing, so I left that step out of my process.

When the wax was finished, I contacted him so he could approve it before casting. He acted like he had never approved anything. He stopped responding.

The wax stayed on my bench, built around that druzy and that aquamarine. Custom work is made for one person. There’s no one else to sell it to.

Why We Skip the Deposit

I want to be honest about why I didn’t ask.

Some of it was excitement. When someone wants to make something for a person they love, it’s easy to get swept up with them.

Some of it was trust. I’m a trusting person. He seemed sincere, and I wanted to believe him. I still trust people, and I refuse to stop.

Some of it was not wanting to seem pushy. I didn’t want anyone to think I cared more about the money than the piece.

And some of it was simple love for the making. We want to get to the bench. Money conversations feel like they muddy the water.

I’ve learned that all of these are normal. They’re also the reasons we skip a step that protects us.

The Math

Let’s look at what 20 hours actually costs.

Those are 20 hours I wasn’t spending on new work or on orders that were paid.

Add the time pulling stones, talking through the design, and the mental energy of carrying the project around in my head for weeks.

Then there’s the part we don’t talk about much. It stings when this happens. It can make you second-guess yourself with the next customer, and that isn’t fair to them or to you.

If this has happened to you, it doesn’t mean you’re bad at business. It means you were generous with your time before there was an agreement to protect it.

That’s fixable.

A Deposit Means Commitment

Most of my custom clients have been wonderful. Some of my favorite pieces came from custom work. Some of those clients became friends and return buyers. They sent their kids, their siblings, and their friends.

So this isn’t about expecting the worst from people. It’s about setting things up so good projects stay good.

Before money changes hands, a custom piece is a concept. A what-if. It’s easy to love an idea when walking away costs nothing.

Once there’s a deposit, you’re both committed to the same project.

Today, I take a design deposit and a project deposit. I don’t buy stones before they’re paid. I don’t source anything until there’s an agreement and an exchange. Both deposits go toward the work itself, and both are built into the total price. They aren’t extra fees.

My clients respect that. It shows them their piece matters, and it shows them I’m committed too.

Where to Start

The right structure depends on your work, your prices, and how you like to run your business. But here are three places to begin.

1. Decide where your free time ends. A conversation to understand what someone wants may be included. Pulling out stones together can be part of it, too. The real work, like pencil to paper, sourcing, carving wax, or fabricating, happens after there’s a commitment.

2. Bring it up early. Raise the deposit before anyone is attached to a design. It’s far easier to say at the beginning than halfway through a piece.

3. Write it down. A simple written agreement or a few confirming emails means nobody can later say they never ordered it.

If asking for money makes you squirm, you’re not alone. Many of us got into jewelry because we love making things, not invoicing.

But you can be warm and generous and still protect your time. Those two go together. When you ask for a deposit, you’re telling your customer their piece matters enough to schedule around. You’re also telling them your time matters.

What You Can Do With This

Try this: Think about the last time you started real work on a custom piece. When did the work begin? Was there a commitment in place?

Decide this: Pick one point in your process where you pause. Confirm the agreement and the deposit before you keep going. Write it on a sticky note, add it to your process document, or post it at your bench.

Remember this: If the answer was no, don’t beat yourself up. This applies whether you’ve taken commissions for 20 years or accepted your first one.

The wax is still on my bench. Maybe one day I’ll cast it for myself.

Until then, it’s a good reminder that my time is worth protecting. Asking for a commitment is part of doing custom work well, and it’s kind to both of you.

So take one thing from this episode: get the deposit before you get carried away with the making.

If you’re ready to build resilience, grow your creative business, and stay inspired, explore everything I offer from coaching and courses to workshops and The Jeweler’s View podcast. You don’t have to do this alone.

Watch the Full Episode: https://youtu.be/4wrkfQOJk6I

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2413644/episodes/19973746