Kelham Stacking Band, 2 mm
9k gold, 2 mm half-round profile. Sits flush against a solitaire without crowding it.
9k gold (375/1000)
$185.00
Bench jeweller · Sheffield, GB
Gold at $142.86/g today — a quote is a formula, not a price list.
A jewellery quote is usually a price list: a finished ring, a fixed number, "Book a Consultation." That number is a fiction the moment gold moves. This page computes a quote live instead — metal, fineness, today's spot, labour, stone and wastage — so the total on screen is derivable, not asserted, and stays honest as spot moves.
"A ring priced today was never priced. It was always going to be whatever the spot chart says on the morning it's ordered." — Imogen Vasey
- Metal (Sterling silver, fineness 925/1000)
- $6.96
- Labour
- $102.00
- Stone
- $0.00
- Wastage (6% of metal)
- $0.42
- Hallmarking fee (not required at this weight)
- $0.00
Indicative total $109.38
Gold $142.86/g · silver $2.15/g — both observed 2026-09-06, JM Bullion. This is indicative and re-derived from that day's actual spot price on the day an order is placed — not a quote you can lock in from this page.
The arithmetic
How the number is built
Every total on this page — the calculator above, the presets below, and the Pro Commission
Quote Sheet — comes from the same seven steps, computed once in src/lib/quote.ts.
- Weigh the metal Grams, on a certified bench scale, before a single stone is set.
- Apply fineness Sterling 925, 9k 375, 14k 585, or 18k 750 — a legal fraction, not a rounding choice.
- Multiply by today's spot Gold or silver, read the day the quote is generated — see the observation date next to every total on this page.
- Add labour Hours on the bench × Kelham Bench's own stated rate — see the note below the calculator.
- Add stone cost As quoted for the specific stone — mined or lab-grown, disclosed either way.
- Add wastage A percentage of the metal cost — offcuts, filing dust and polishing loss that never make it into the finished piece.
- The total Metal + labour + stone + wastage (+ a hallmarking fee, if the piece clears the legal weight threshold below).
Three examples, in full
Worked presets
The same computeQuote() function the calculator above calls, run against
three real configurations — this is also the calculator's static fallback: it renders
identically whether or not JavaScript is running.
| Piece | Metal | Metal cost | Labour | Stone | Wastage | Hallmark fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 mm sterling band Plain 3 mm court-profile band, no stone. | Sterling silver (925/1000), 3.2 g | $6.36 | 1.5 hr · $102.00 | $0.00 | $0.38 | n/a | $108.74 |
| 1 ct lab-grown solitaire 1 ct lab-grown, G colour / VS2 clarity, 4-claw setting. | 18k gold (750/1000), 4.1 g | $439.29 | 4 hr · $272.00 | $1,100.00 | $26.36 | $22.00 | $1,859.65 |
| Signet ring Hand-engraved signet, no stone. | 9k gold (375/1000), 8.5 g | $455.37 | 3 hr · $204.00 | $0.00 | $27.32 | $22.00 | $708.69 |
Not the jeweller's word
Hallmarks
The fineness figure in the calculator above isn't a marketing claim — it's a legal fact that, past a weight threshold, an independent Assay Office tests and strikes into the metal itself. In the UK any gold article over 1 g, silver over 7.78 g or platinum over 0.5 g must carry one before it can lawfully be sold as that metal. Kelham Bench's own sponsor's mark, IV, is registered at Sheffield.
| Metal | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Gold | over 1 g |
| Silver | over 7.78 g |
| Platinum | over 0.5 g |
| Palladium | over 1 g |
Size, and the price gap
Stone reality
"1 carat" describes weight, not size — the face-up diameter below is what a carat actually looks like on a hand.
Lab-grown vs. mined, at the same grade
At 1 ct, G colour / VS2 clarity, a mined stone runs roughly $4,000.00–$8,000.00. A lab-grown stone at the same grade runs roughly $750.00–$1,500.00 — chemically, optically and physically the same material, at a fraction of the price.
Under the FTC Jewelry Guides (16 CFR Part 23), a lab-grown stone must be disclosed as lab-grown at first mention — it is chemically, optically and physically the same material as a mined stone, at a fraction of the price, and it is not something a studio quietly upgrades a customer into.
Measure more than once
Sizing
Finger size is smallest in the morning and largest in the late afternoon, after a day's activity swells it slightly — Kelham Bench measures in the afternoon and asks for the size to be checked on three separate occasions before cutting metal that can't be un-cut.
| US | UK | EU | Circumference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | F | 44.0 | 44.0 mm |
| 4 | H½ | 46.8 | 46.8 mm |
| 5 | J½ | 49.3 | 49.3 mm |
| 6 | L½ | 51.9 | 51.9 mm |
| 7 | N½ | 54.4 | 54.4 mm |
| 8 | P½ | 57.0 | 57.0 mm |
| 9 | R½ | 59.5 | 59.5 mm |
| 10 | T½ | 62.1 | 62.1 mm |
| 11 | V½ | 64.6 | 64.6 mm |
The cost nobody quotes up front
Metal care & rhodium schedule
White gold isn't naturally white — it's plated in rhodium, and that plating wears through with daily contact. This is the recurring cost most white-gold buyers are never quoted when they buy the ring.
| Interval | Cost per visit | 10-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Daily wear | 12–24 months | $60.00–$120.00 |
| 10-year total | $400.00–$1,000.00 | |
Already cast, already settled
Ready-to-wear store
Every piece below was cast at a known weight against a spot price already paid — the price is fixed and settled, unlike the formula-priced commissions above.
Kelham Stacking Band, 2 mm
The same 2 mm profile in sterling silver — an everyday stack, not a special-occasion one.
Sterling silver (925/1000)
$65.00
Rivelin Signet Ring
14k gold, hand-engraved oval face, ready for a monogram or left plain.
14k gold (585/1000)
$890.00
Rivelin Signet Ring
The same oval-face signet in sterling silver.
Sterling silver (925/1000)
$210.00
Loxley Hoop Earrings, 12 mm
9k gold, 12 mm diameter, hinged post — small enough for daily wear.
9k gold (375/1000)
$245.00
Loxley Hoop Earrings, 12 mm
The same 12 mm hoop in sterling silver.
Sterling silver (925/1000)
$75.00
Portobello Wide Band, 6 mm
18k gold, 6 mm flat-court profile — worn alone, not stacked.
18k gold (750/1000)
$1,240.00
Crookes Chain Bracelet
Sterling silver curb-link bracelet, 18 cm, lobster clasp.
Sterling silver (925/1000)
$145.00
Custom work
Commissions
Engagement and wedding pieces are commissioned, not stocked — the calculator above gives an indicative figure, and the final number is re-derived from that day's actual spot price when an order is placed. Every commission story on this page, like every piece of engagement copy, is written for a couple: a man and a woman.
- Consultation Metal, stone and sizing discussed together — the quote below is generated live, in the room or on a call.
- CAD or hand sketch A wax or CAD model approved before a single gram of metal is cut.
- Cast or fabricate Cast for most rings; hand-fabricated for anything with soldered joints or engraving that a cast can’t hold crisply.
- Set the stone Mined or lab-grown, disclosed either way — see the Stones section below.
- Hallmark Sent to Sheffield Assay Office if the piece clears the legal weight threshold — see the Hallmarks section.
- Polish & deliver Final polish, ring sizing checked once more, then collection or insured shipping. Realistically 4–6 weeks end to end.
The bench
About Imogen Vasey
Imogen Vasey works a single bench in Sheffield's Kelham Island quarter, historically the city's steel-working district and, not incidentally, a short walk from the Sheffield Assay Office where every hallmarked piece on this page is sent. Sponsor's mark IV, registered since 2019.
Trade and press: LinkedIn is fastest, email works too.
FAQ
Questions
Can any ring be resized?
Most plain and light pavé bands, yes — a jeweller can usually move a size or two either way. Eternity bands set with stones all the way around, channel-set bands, and some tension settings cannot be resized without unsetting and resetting every stone, because there is no bare metal left to stretch or cut. Ask before you order if resizing matters to you.
What does a hallmark actually certify?
A hallmark is an independent Assay Office's own struck mark, registered against the maker's sponsor's mark — it certifies the metal's fineness was tested and found to match what's claimed, not a design or a maker's reputation. It is a third party's word, not the studio's.
Is lab-grown "real"?
Yes — a lab-grown diamond is chemically, optically and physically identical to a mined one; the difference is where the carbon crystallised, not what it is. See the Stones section for the price gap at the same grade, and the FTC disclosure rule this studio follows.