The "Man" Egg (No. 1)
The first Egg Commission, 1980, one of 3 for the Man Family ordered as anniversary gift. Constructed in 18K Gold, Black Jade (base) Sterling silver (25th wedding anniversary), Ruby and Diamond. Mechanism opens the egg to view the "Surprise" inside.
Long-time member
A Maker who has been a valued part of this community for several years.
Fast shipper
Customers say that this Maker ships promptly after completing a project.
Great service
This Maker has consistently demonstrated excellence in craftsmanship and customer service.
Hi,
My name is Jim Grahl. I'm nearing 78 years old, 62 of those years have been continuously devoted to jewelry and industrial design. My training initiated with a Los Angeles workshop that was the contract (or outsource) manufacturer for Van Cleef and Arpels, Gump's, Pierre Touraine and many others that were the foundation of the West Coast's fine Art~Jewelry establishment. I have formal apprenticeships in Pave' setting (Gerardo Terranova) and ancillary training in platinum-smithing, machining, and antique musical restoration. My personal business ( J.Grahl Design ) was founded at the outset and has been in continuous operation for 48 years. (as of 2012). I'm a maker-builder at heart.
All of the items shown in the photographs and illustrations here, on "Custom Made", are exactly that… Custom Made. You will see many cross over categories in metal, wood, glass and illustration-art. I am deeply involved with both vintage autos and surfing, so items relating to those topics are exposed here as well. There are generally a few of my projects available for live viewing at the Museum at the Gemological Institute of America as well as The San Diego Natural History Museum. The Gemological Institute requires prior notification for a visit.
So enough of me, one's work should speak for itself.
Having a piece of work custom made is an enjoyable process if communication is clear, to that end, a phone call, short check list of objectives, mutually agreed upon budget and a few rough sketches are useful in beginning a project. To move forward accurate renderings and a deposit ( along with a delivery date) start the process in motion. A great deal of my work has been commissioned out of state and out of country, so again, clear communication has been critical to those successes.
Thank you,
Jim Grahl
J.Grahl Design
For reference,
My business offers services in the following areas;
Design
Illustration
Project and product development
Art, originals and prints (Automotive )
Automotive design (vintage restoration)
Metal smithing
Bronze, brass, aluminum, titanium, steel fabrication
Custom wood working, design, prototyping, (small scale)
Production development for line items
Pewter & white metal design & production
Cast Iron design and production
Organizing outsourced production for direct client turnover
I have a particular specialty in Natural, South Sea and collectable cultured pearls. Please view,
www.NaturalPearlSociety.org
- AF
Alexander Fishburn
For Bracelets/rings5.0 
KHKiwi Heilman
For 25th Anniversary - revitalized wedding ring5.0Working with Jim was a great experience from start to finish. His ability to listen and visualize the ring in context with my personality and individual design ideas was perfection. The quality of the design work, stones and end product exceeded my expectations. Every day I look at this ring and remember the creative process it took to bring it together - with a smile. Thank you, Jim!
NNick
For Engagement Ring5.0Jim was absolutely amazing to work with during my first Custom Made experience. The ring I commissioned Jim to build turned out better than anything I had ever imagined. I had been shopping for over a year at the chain stores before I found J.Grahl Design. I wanted something truly unique and from the heart. With his years of experience and fine detail craftsmanship, Jim pulled of one of the most amazing engagement rings I've ever seen. (Trust me I looked at a lot!) Working with someone on the opposite side of the country worried me at first but Jim was extremely professional and very easy to communicate with. Anytime I had a different idea or new concept in the early stages of the ring design he would tell me very candidly if it would look good with my original idea for the ring, which was petite and elegant with a touch of Celtic influence. He was up for any challenge I could throw at him and judging by his other works he will always go above and beyond. I highly recommend J Grahl Design to anyone considering having a one-of-a kind piece commissioned.
- NH
Nathaniel Heald
For Emerald cut diamond eternity band5.0Great Experience - Fiance is Mesmerized I decided to work with Jim for the creation of a unique engagement ring. My then girlfriend decided she wanted an emerald cut eternity band rather than the typical diamond solitaire. Unfortunately she is one of the pickiest people I know - this was a job that needed to be done just right... I posted the project to CustomMade and was very impressed by the responses I received. Of those, Jim rose to the top due to the many positive recommendations and the breadth of his experience in hand fabricating complicated and impressive jewlery. In starting to work with Jim I also needed to be sure that he was someone who was willing to work in a partnership so that I could make tweaks to the piece as it was in process so that it would stand up to my girlfriend's scrutiny. Jim was extremely willing and easy to work with in that he took my input to the process and was able, each time, to improve upon it. During the creation Jim kept me updated on his progress both through emails and through photographs - its incredible to see the amount of work and true attention that Jim poured into this ring. When the time came to propose to my girlfriend she was knocked over - she absolutely loves it. She's shown it off to her friends every day since we got engaged and is very proud of the fact that it was custom made for her. The final product has exceeded her expectations in every way - and the special touch that it was custom made as opposed to being "off the rack" means a lot to her (and to me). Jim is a pleasure to work with - I highly recommend him and his work
- TV
Tom Van Arsdall
For small medallion for necklace based on Bee Friendly Farming logo5.0He worked well with me to create the design and quality product I desired.
- JM
John Marshall
For Ronnee's Birthday5.0This was a pendant and necklace in 18k gold that I commissioned Jim to make for my wife's birthday. The pendant was a letter "M" that was encrusted with the birthstones of our children and 2 grandsons. He did an absolutely beautiful job and my wife was truly surprised and overjoyed. Jim was a true professional through out the entire processed and was sure to listen to what I wanted. He sent me several sketches until he was sure that his design was what I was looking for. Upon completion, he made sure that the jewelry was delivered insured and on time from California to Alabama. He is a true professional and I am SO GLAD that I discovered CUSTOMMADE.COM and Jim Grahl! I look forward to doing business with him and others on the site in the future!
- PR
Paul Reffett
For custom pearl necklace setting5.0Jim was wonderful to work with, I would not hesitate to use him again and I'm sure I will have another project for him in the near future. Jim seemed very attentive to detail and keept me informed on the progress of the piece from start to finish, he emaild pictures of the piece at various points during the process so that I could see how it was made. Jim always had time to discuss my concerns and worked diligently to get the piece to me at the scheduled time which was only 10 days or so from the final go ahead.
- DB
Dorrie Burke
For Black Onyx Ring5.0The ring was gorgeous and exceeded all of my expectations. The workmanship was truly magnificent, and the price was extremely reasonable. Jim was great to work with and communicated throughout the project. Would highly recommend.
- JM
John Marburger
For Alexandrite and/or Topaz engagement ring5.0Jim was fantastic to work with, and created a uniquely beautiful ring! It was a lot of fun to work with him over several weeks to design the ring and choose the exact stones. Jim helped us choose an astonishing alexandrite, then transformed it into an elegant ring with two pear-shaped green sapphires as side stones and pave-set diamonds encircling all three stones.
- RJ
Rhonda Jackson
For Custom charm5.0The charm was exactly what I was looking for and was here when promised. I would recommend Jim for any job!
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