A usable jewellery design brief specifies metal, stone, dimensions with tolerances, finish, findings, packaging and certification in writing. If your brief answers those seven items, you remove most sample revisions before the first CAD file is drawn.
Factories do not struggle with creative direction. They struggle with ambiguity: which of two ring sizes, which of three whites, whether 1.5 mm means the stone or the setting. Every unanswered question becomes a revision, and revisions become weeks.
The brief template
| Field | Write it like this | Not like this |
|---|---|---|
| Metal | 925 sterling silver, 2.0 mm band | Silver |
| Stone | Round brilliant moissanite, 1.5 mm, GRA | Small white stones |
| Dimensions | 18.0 mm pendant height, plus or minus 0.3 mm | Medium pendant |
| Finish | High polish, rhodium plated over silver | Shiny |
| Findings | 45 cm box chain, lobster clasp, matches body grade | Chain included |
| Packaging | Logo-printed card, one pouch per piece | Nice packaging |
| Certification | GRA per moissanite piece, in-house lab silver content per batch | Certificates |
The visual pack that travels with the brief
- A sketch or CAD file with overall dimensions and a scale marker.
- A reference photograph for mood, clearly labelled as reference only — not as a specification.
- A marked-up view of the exact detail that must match, for example the prong style or the bail shape.
- Ring size on the system you use, stated explicitly, with the target finished weight if it matters to your pricing.
- A short list of what is flexible, because a brief with no flexibility costs more and takes longer.
Five mistakes that cause rework
First, mixing reference and specification, so the factory copies a detail you disliked. Second, using jewellery terms loosely — 'vermeil', 'gold filled' and 'gold plated' are three different products. Third, omitting the finding, which is the most common single omission. Fourth, leaving stone grade open, which changes cost dramatically at the same visual size. Fifth, no tolerance, which makes a perfectly good sample technically non-compliant.
One page is enough
A brief does not need to be long. One structured page plus one dimensioned drawing is more useful than ten pages of prose. Send it as a PDF with the drawing attached separately, and name the file with your brand and style code so it can be traced through sampling and production.
Holycome's OEM and ODM team works from briefs like this every day, across rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and jewellery sets in 925 sterling silver, moissanite, lab grown diamonds, lab grown gemstones, synthetic stones and gold plated brass. More than 18 years of manufacturing experience, a 7-day rapid sampling process and a 30-day risk-free guarantee mean your first sample comes back close to the drawing.
Email your brief to service@holycome.com, or upload it through our contact page, and we will confirm the specification and the sampling window in reply.
