I am Hamed Arab, a jeweller from Iran who has built a life in Birmingham. Every piece I make starts as a conversation in my Jewellery Quarter studio, in person or by video call, and ends as a solid gold object made for one person. Nothing here is held in stock. Nothing is made until it is yours.
What a commission is here
A commission starts with what you want to say, not with a catalogue. Some clients bring a design they have seen and ask for it in a different metal or stone. Some bring an heirloom stone and want a setting built around it. Some bring nothing but an idea, a date, a name, a feeling they want to wear.
I work from all three starting points the same way: conversation first, then sketches, then a CAD model precise enough to check before any metal is touched. Every piece is made to order because that is the only way a ring, pendant or pair of earrings can actually fit the person wearing it, in size, in meaning and in cost.
The process
How it works
Conversation and brief
We talk before anything is drawn: what the piece is for, who it is for, what it needs to survive day to day, and what it should never look like. This conversation is what makes the brief, not a form.
Sketching
I sketch by hand before I open any software, because proportion and weight are easier to feel with a pencil than with a mouse. This is where the idea gets tested against what solid gold can actually do.
CAD model
The sketch becomes a precise digital model. Every dimension, from stone size to finger size to metal weight, is fixed and checked here, so nothing is guessed at once we move to metal.
Prototype
Before anything is cast in gold, you see and often hold a prototype. This is the last point where proportion, spacing or scale can be changed, and it is far cheaper to change now than after casting.
Casting and stone setting
The piece is cast in solid gold, then the centre stone and any accent stones are set by hand. This is the stage with the least room for error and the most skill involved.
Finishing and hallmarking
The piece is finished to the surface you chose, then sent for UK hallmarking, the legal mark confirming the gold content is what it claims to be. Only then is it yours.
Pricing
What it costs
I would rather explain what a price is made of than quote a single number with nothing behind it. A commission is priced on four things.
- The metal
- By weight and by karat. 18ct is standard and 22ct is available on some designs, in yellow, white or rose gold. A heavier, more sculptural piece carries more gold, and the weight is known from the CAD model before anything is cast.
- The centre stone
- Usually the largest single cost, and the one that moves a quote most, often by a wide margin. Diamond or coloured stone, natural or laboratory grown, the choice is yours and I will explain the trade-offs for your brief.
- Design and CAD
- The conversation, the hand sketches, and the digital model precise enough to check every dimension. This is the work that happens before any metal is touched, and it is where a commission is really decided.
- Making, setting and hallmarking
- Casting, setting each stone by hand, finishing to the surface you chose, and the UK hallmark. The making itself takes days. Everything before it takes longer, and matters more.
I give a starting figure in our first conversation, based on what you are describing, and nothing is charged at this stage. Once the design is approved, I confirm the full price in writing before any work begins, so you know exactly what you are paying and what for. Where a deposit applies it is 50% on design approval, with the balance invoiced before the finished piece is dispatched.
The published "from" prices in the collection are a fair guide to where a comparable commission starts.
Where commissions start
Timing
How long it takes
The clock starts on the day you approve the design, not the day you first write to me. That distinction matters more than the number: the conversation, the sketches and the model can take as long as you need them to, and none of it is a countdown.
Heritage
The Persian element
The ornament on a Silux London piece is never decoration for its own sake. Boteh, the paisley form, carries centuries of meaning around growth and continuity. Girih is the interlaced geometry found across Persian architecture, translated here into gold. The pomegranate, the nightingale, the cypress and the Simorgh each carry their own story, drawn from that tradition rather than invented for effect.
A commission can carry your own story inside this language: a name written in Persian script, a date that matters to you, a motif that belongs to your family rather than to mine. Tell me what the piece needs to say, and I will find the right form for it, rather than fitting your story to a design that already exists.
Frequently asked
What does "made to order" mean, and how is that different from bespoke?
Made to order means every piece is made only once it is commissioned. Nothing sits in a stock room waiting for a buyer. Some made-to-order pieces come from an existing design, published or lightly adapted. Bespoke, in the fullest sense, means designed from nothing, for you specifically. I offer both: an existing design remade in your metal and stone, or a piece designed entirely from your brief.
Can I adapt an existing design from the collection?
Yes. Most pieces in the collection can be remade in a different metal, a different centre stone, a different size, or with proportions adjusted to suit you. Tell me which piece you are drawn to and what you would like to change, and I will tell you honestly what is straightforward to alter and what would mean designing something closer to new.
Can I use my own stone, or one I have inherited?
Yes. Bringing your own stone, whether bought elsewhere or passed down in your family, is common, and I am glad to work with it. I will assess the stone, discuss what setting suits it, and design around it rather than around a stone I would otherwise have chosen. This is often the starting point for the most personal commissions.
Should I choose a natural or a laboratory-grown stone?
That choice is entirely yours. Natural and laboratory-grown stones can look identical to the eye and both are used across my commissions. Laboratory-grown stones are generally lower cost for an equivalent size and quality, whilst natural stones carry their own history and rarity. I will explain the trade-offs for your specific brief, but the decision is always yours.
How does ring sizing work, and can a ring be resized later?
Rings are made to your UK letter size from the outset, taken and confirmed before the piece goes into production. Most designs can be resized afterwards within a reasonable range, though heavily set or textured bands are more limited. If your size may change, or you are buying for someone else without their size, tell me and we will plan for it.
What happens in the first conversation, and does it cost anything?
Nothing is charged for a first conversation. We talk about what you have in mind, who the piece is for, and any date you are working towards. I will ask enough questions to understand the brief properly and give you an honest starting figure. There is no obligation to proceed, and no payment is due until you decide to go ahead.
Do you deliver internationally?
Yes. International delivery is available, and every piece is arranged and insured individually for its journey rather than sent through a standard shipping service. Once your commission is complete, I will discuss the delivery method and cost for your destination, and confirm insurance cover before anything leaves the studio.
Is every piece hallmarked?
Yes. Every piece is sent for UK hallmarking, the independent legal mark that confirms the precious metal content is what it is described as. This happens after casting and setting, as one of the final stages before a piece is finished and dispatched to you.
Start the conversation.
A commission begins with a conversation, not a decision. Tell me what you have in mind and I will reply personally, usually within two to three working days.
Start a commission