Every bespoke piece starts with a conversation. Not a brief. Not a form. A conversation — because the things that matter most about a piece (how it sits on the hand, which stone suits your colouring, what your budget actually allows) don't fit in a box.
Start the conversation"The process is designed to protect you from a mistake, not just to make you feel good about a purchase." We make a physical resin model with the actual stones in place before anything is cast. You try it on. You see it on your hand in real light. Only when you're satisfied does production begin. This is not a rendering on a screen. It is the actual piece, minus the metal — and it exists specifically so you can change your mind before it's too late.
Six stages. No surprises. Most pieces are ready in three to six weeks — four being typical — depending on the stone and the complexity of the setting.
Tell us anything — a colour you keep coming back to, a ring you saw on someone else's hand, a feeling you want to wear, a budget you don't want to exceed. The conversation can start anywhere. We'll find the thread.
Part of what Basil does in person is observe your colouring — skin tone, undertone, contrast — and present the stone colours that will actually work on you. The stone that photographs beautifully and the stone that suits your hand are not always the same one. Most jewellers don't make this distinction. We do.
Based on what we discussed, we source options. We work with stones we've seen in person — not catalogue images, not vendor descriptions. If we haven't held it and looked at it through a loupe, it doesn't make it to your shortlist.
We show you what we have. We tell you what each stone is, whether it's been treated, what the treatment does to the price and the durability, and which one we think suits you. Then you decide.
Basil works from the stone outward. The proportions of the setting follow the gem's actual geometry — not a standard size it happens to fit. Traditional craft combined with CAD, so the precision is there but the design isn't constrained by what software defaults to.
You'll see the design before it becomes anything. We discuss, adjust, refine. The design is not fixed until you're satisfied with it.
Before anything is cast in metal, we print a resin model of the setting and place your actual stones into it. You try it on. You look at it in different light. You see exactly how it sits on your hand, how it moves, how heavy it feels.
If you want to change anything — the stone, the profile, the shank width — this is the stage to do it. Changes at this point cost a fraction of what changes at the casting stage cost, and infinitely less than living with the wrong ring.
Once you've approved the model, production begins. Casting, finishing, setting — all done in Singapore. We check quality at every stage. The stone goes in last, once the metal is exactly as it should be.
Timelines vary. A straightforward setting takes less time than a complex one. We give you an honest estimate at the start and we let you know if anything changes — which is rarely, but sometimes it does.
You collect your piece. We show you how to care for it, what to watch for with this particular stone, and how to get it cleaned when it needs it. The relationship doesn't end at the handover — if something comes up later, we want to know.
For rings: if the sizing isn't quite right once you've worn it for a few weeks, come back. Fingers change with temperature, humidity, time of day. We account for this.
You don't need to know exactly what you want before you reach out. Most people don't. Start with a colour, a feeling, a budget, or a question — and we'll take it from there.