How one-of-a-kind jewelry is created

Although the exact number is not known, nearly 95% of the jewelry sold as merchandise can be “mass-produced“. There is a “mold” for them, from which jewelry of the same design and shape is made, and mass-produced as standard jewelry or popular models.

Today, I would like to talk about the opposite, so-called “one-of-a-kind” jewelry, which accounts for only a few percent of all jewelry products.

At OKURADO, 20-30% of our products are one-of-a-kind.

How are they born?

I often go to trade shows where jewelry suppliers gather to buy.

Suppliers come from all over the world, so there are quite a few rare diamonds and other gemstones on display. It can take several days and thousands of gems to see them all.

Among those thousands, one sometimes finds an attractive gemstone that is clearly different from the rest. It has a completely different “sparkle,” transparency, hue, or shape from other stones.

I am strongly attracted to such stones, so I acquire them, draw up a design for them, and make them into jewelry.　

Transparent yellow icy jade surrounded by diamonds and green garnet

Since only one piece is made, no two pieces will ever be the same, and it may not always turn out the way you want it to. Sometimes the production process is different from what we had originally planned.

It is like going to your destination on a road you have never taken without a navigation system.

Avoiding such risks and trying to force the jewelry to fit into a design that has been created in the past can result in jewelry that feels uncomfortable, as if you are trying on clothes that don’t fit, or trying to make someone talk about something they don’t really care about.

It is never efficient to make only one product. It is not a way to make a solid profit.　

I think I like to find attractive stones that are clearly different from others, think of a design that makes the most of the stones, and make only one piece of jewelry for everyone to see.

Or I feel that this is one of the tasks I should fulfill.

I think it is fascinating that “there is only one in the world, and no two are exactly alike“.

The one-of-a-kind piece that started from such a unique encounter and was completed is a “one-of-a-kind product” that was selected from a large number of gemstones and created after many mistakes during the production process.

Deep green-blue tourmaline (you don’t see this color anymore)

*please click here for more information ↑

Hitoshi Okura

OKURADO

My criteria for selecting gemstones

Why do I cretate jewelry?

▲recommend articles about stones  and jewelry