AU2010226882A1

AU2010226882A1 - Method and system for enabling the design, manufacture, and/or acquisition of custom made jewellery

Info

Publication number: AU2010226882A1
Application number: AU2010226882A
Authority: AU
Inventors: George Tsohas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-10-01
Filing date: 2010-09-30
Publication date: 2011-04-21
Also published as: WO2011038464A1

Description

PI101I Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Method and system for enabling the design, manufacture, and/or acquisition of custom made jewellery The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 Method and system for enabling the design, manufacture, and/or acquisition of custom made jewellery Field of the invention The present invention relates to methods and systems for enabling the design, i manufacture, and/or acquisition of custom made jewellery. Background of the invention Generally speaking, jewellery purchasers fall into two categories: those who wish to purchase a ready-made/pre-designed piece of jewellery, and those who wish to purchase a piece of jewellery in which they have design input. For ready-made/pre-designed pieces of jewellery, purchases can be simply made by visiting jewellers' display rooms or shops (or perusing magazines/sales brochures), selecting a piece of jewellery and purchasing that piece of jewellery. Where a customer wishes to have design input, a number of approaches are possible. A customer may, for example, completely design their own piece of jewellery from i scratch. Alternatively, a customer may see a sample piece of jewellery with some features they like, but also with features (e.g. materials, shape, etc) they would like to modify. In either case a customer may engage a jeweller to assist in finalising and/or fine-tuning their desired design. Once the design of the piece has been finalised, the customer will provide the 0 completed design specification to a jeweller to provide a quotation for the manufacture of that piece of jewellery. If the customer is happy with the quotation they can accept the quotation and engage the jeweller to manufacture the desired piece of jewellery. It would be desirable to provide an alternative method and/or system to facilitate the design of custom-made jewellery and/or jewellery transactions.

3 Summary of the invention In one aspect the present invention provides a computer-implemented system for enabling the manufacture and acquisition of a piece of custom made jewellery, the system including: a computer server including a processor, memory, a bus coupling the processor and memory, a network interface connecting the computer server to a communication network, the server being in communication with a database used to store information, the server being configured to maintain a website accessible by at least one customer and a plurality of providers, the server configured to: receive design specification information relating to the design of the piece of jewellery and store said I design specification information in the database; receive material specification information relating to one or more materials to be used in the piece of jewellery and store said material specification information in the database; communicate the design specification information to at least one first provider; communicate the material specification information to at least one second provider; receive at least one design quotation from the or each first provider, the or each design quotation being based on the design specification information, the or each design quotation being stored in the database; receive at least one materials quotation from the or each second provider, the or each materials quotation being based on the material specification information, the or each materials quotation being stored in the database; and communicate at least one of the received design quotations and at least one of the received materials quotations to the customer. The or each first provider may be a jeweller. The or each second provider may be materials vendor. The or each design quotation may relate to a first provider's estimated costs for 5 manufacturing the piece of jewellery in accordance with the design specification information once provided with the materials in the materials specification information. The server may be further configured to receive the customer's acceptance of a design quotation provided by a first provider; and receive the customer's acceptance of a materials quotation provided by a second provider.

4 The server may be further configured to: notify a successful first provider that the customer has accepted the design quotation provided by that first provider; and notify a successful second provider that the customer has accepted the materials quotation provided by that second provider. 5 The server may be further configured to: enable payment of the successful first provider in accordance with the accepted design quotation; and enable payment of the successful second provider in accordance with the accepted materials quotation. The server may be further configured to enable transfer of the piece of jewellery made in accordance with the design specification information and the materials specification ) information to the customer. A single provider may provide both a design quotation and a materials quotation. The material specification information may include a description of at least one of: one or more gem stones; and one or more metals to be used in the piece of jewellery. The server may be further configured to provide the customer with a design template i selection interface, the design template selection interface including one or more design templates; and receive a selection of at least one of the one or more design templates from the design template selection interface, and wherein the design specification information may include information derived from the at least one design template selected from the design template interface. O The server may be further configured to receive textual and/or graphical design information from the customer, and wherein the design specification information may include the textual and/or graphical design information received from the customer. The server may be further configured to provide the customer with a materials selection interface, the materials selection interface enabling the customer to select and define 5 one or more materials; and receive a selection of one or more materials from the materials selection interface, and wherein the materials specification information may 5 include information derived from one or more materials selected from the materials selection interface. The server may be further configured to receive textual and/or graphical materials information from the customer, and wherein the materials specification information may i include the textual and/or graphical materials information received from the customer. In a second aspect the present invention provides a method enabling the manufacture and acquisition of a piece of custom made jewellery, the method including: receiving design specification information relating to the design of the piece of jewellery from a customer; receiving material specification information relating to one or more materials to be used in the piece of jewellery from the customer; providing the design specification information to at least one first provider; providing the material specification information to at least one second provider; receiving at least one design quotation from the or each first provider, the or each design quotation being based on the design specification information; receiving at least one materials quotation from the or each second provider, i the or each materials quotation being based on the material specification information; and communicating at least one of the received design quotations and at least one of the received materials quotations to the customer. The or each first provider may be a jeweller. The or each second provider may be a materials vendor. 0 The or each design quotation may relate to a first provider's estimated costs for manufacturing the piece of jewellery in accordance with the design specification information once provided with the materials in the materials specification information. The method may further include: receiving the customer's acceptance of a design quotation provided by a first provider; and receiving the customer's acceptance of a 5 materials quotation provided by a second provider. The method may further include notifying a successful first provider that the customer has accepted the design quotation provided by that first provider; and notifying a 6 successful second provider that the customer has accepted the material quotation provided by that second provider. The method may further include arranging for payment between the customer and the successful first provider; and arranging for payment between the customer and the i successful second provider. The method may further include providing the piece of jewellery made in accordance with the design specification information and the materials specification information to the customer. A single provider may provide both a design quotation and a materials quotation. The material specification information may include a description of at least one of: one or more gem stones; and one or more metals to be used in the piece of jewellery. The method may further include displaying one or more design templates to the customer; and receiving a selection from the customer of at least one of the one or more design templates, and wherein the design specification information may include i information derived from the at least one design template selected by the customer. The method may further include receiving textual and/or graphical design information from the customer, and wherein the design specification information includes the textual and/or graphical design information received from the customer. The method may further include displaying a materials selection interface, the materials 0 selection interface enabling the customer to select and define one or more materials; and receiving a selection of one or more materials from the materials selection interface, and wherein the materials specification information may include information derived from one or more materials selected from the materials selection interface. The method may further include receiving textual and/or graphical materials information 5 from the customer, and wherein the materials specification information includes the textual and/or graphical materials information received from the customer.

7 In a further aspect the present invention provides instructions executable by a processor to implement the method described above. The present invention also extends to a storage medium readable by a processor, the storage medium storing such instructions. Also described herein is a computer-implemented system for enabling a customer to i design a custom made piece of jewellery, the system including: a computer server including a processor, memory, a bus coupling the processor and memory, a network interface connecting the computer server to a communication network, the server being in communication with a database used to store information, the server being configured to maintain a website accessible by the customer, the server configured to provide one or more interfaces by which the customer can: enter a description of the type of the piece of jewellery; enter a design specification for the piece of jewellery; and enter a materials specification for the piece of jewellery. The server may provide the customer with a list of types of pieces of jewellery from which the type of the piece of jewellery can be selected. The server may provide a the design template selection interface including one or more design templates, the design template selection interface enabling the customer to select of at least one of the one or more design templates, any selected templates being included in the design specification. The server may provide a materials selection interface enabling the customer to select 0 and define one or more materials, any material selections and/or definitions being included in the materials specification. Also described herein is a method for enabling a customer to design a custom made piece of jewellery, the method including: receiving a description of the type of the piece of jewellery; receiving a design specification in respect of the piece of jewellery; and 5 receiving a materials specification in respect of the piece of jewellery. The customer may be provided with a list of types of pieces of jewellery from which the type of the piece of jewellery can be selected.

8 One or more design templates may be displayed to the customer, from which the customer may select at least one of the one or more design templates to be include in the design specification. A materials selection interface may be displayed to the customer, from which the i customer may select and define one or more materials to be included in the materials specification. Brief description of the drawings Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a system suitable for use with an embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 provides a diagram outlining the various steps of the method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a user interface provided by the system. Figures 4A to 4E provide schematic representations of customer user interfaces provided by a system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 3 Figure 5 is a diagram depicting various steps a customer may take in using a system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Figures 6A to 6C provide schematic representations of provider user interfaces provided by a system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 is a diagram depicting various steps a provider may take in using a system in 0 accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Figure 8 is an example of a jewellery design provided by a customer. Figure 9 is a schematic representation of an administrator interface provided by the system.

9 Detailed description of the embodiments Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system whereby a customer wishing to have a piece of jewellery custom made can submit a specification of the piece of jewellery designed and obtain a compound quotation for the costs of i manufacturing that piece of jewellery. The compound quotation includes a quotation for the cost of any gem stones (or other raw material such as metals) in the piece of jewellery (provided by one or more materials vendors), and a separate quotation for the cost of manufacturing the piece of jewellery using those materials (provided by a jeweller). 1. System overview The present invention can be implemented as a web-based system accessible, for example, over the Internet. Such a system may include a variety of computer hardware components running different computer software programs. Figure 1 illustrates an example embodiment that includes a computer server 100 and a computer host 210, 5 both of which can be any type of computing device including, but not limited to a personal computer (PC) using an operating system such as Microsoft Windows, Unix or Linux, or a Macintosh computer, or a combination of such devices, for example being connected via a communication network. The computer server 100 includes a processor 110 that can be a single processor or a plurality of processors. The processor 110 is in 0 communication with a memory 120 (that can include a plurality of combinations of volatile and/or non-volatile memory devices), by a system bus 150. The server 100 also includes a network interface 140 that enables the computer server to access a communication network 200. It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that a typical computer system will 5 usually include at least one processor and memory coupled by a bus, but that the invention can be implemented with other computer system configurations or in a distributed computing environment. A software program 130 is executed on the computer server and facilitates the operation of the system. A database 121 is stored by the memory 120 and stores data relevant to transactions and operations performed with 0 the system.

10 The communication network 200 can be any type of network including, but not limited to, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. The communication network facilitates bidirectional communication between the computer server 100 and the computer host 210. i The computer host 210 also includes a processor 230 (which may be a single processor or a plurality of processors) and a memory 240 (which may include a plurality of combinations of volatile and/or non-volatile memory devices) in communication via a system bus 260. The host 210 further includes a network interface 220 that enables the host 210 to access the communication network 200. The computer host 210 further includes input/output devices 250 by which a user can interact with the host 210. Input/output devices 250 may, for example, include displays, mouses, keyboards, speakers, disc drives etc. The input/output devices enable a user of the computer host 210 to access information hosted by the computer server 100 (via the communications network 200), and to submit information relevant to a transaction to the server 100 i (again, via the communication network 200). The information submitted by the user of the host computer may be stored in the database 121. 2. Process overview As shown in Figure 2, and generally speaking, a method 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention allows a customer to prepare and submit a design 0 specification including the details of a piece of jewellery that the customer is interested in purchasing/having manufactured, and for the customer to be provided with a compound quotation of the estimated costs of having that piece of jewellery manufactured. The compound quotation includes quotations from various providers relevant in the manufacture of the piece, for example a quotation from a jeweller who 5 will manufacture the piece of jewellery, and a quotation from a materials vendor relating to the costs of materials (e.g. gem stones and metal) used in the manufacture of the piece of jewellery. By way of general overview, the broker (i.e. the party running the system) receives a specification from a customer (at 310) regarding a piece of jewellery that the customer 11 would like to have manufactured. This specification includes design information regarding the design elements of the piece (for example a certain type of ring of a certain size), as well as materials information regarding the gem stones to be set into the piece (for example a 1 carat diamond in a round brilliant cut) and metals to be i included in the jewellery (for example 24 carat gold). If required or requested the broker can assist the customer in finalising the design specification and/or material specification, or can put the customer in touch with a jeweller for this purpose. Once the customer's design specification has been received, the broker makes this available to a number of providers (320). Specifically, in this embodiment, the broker provides the design specification to jewellers and the materials specification to materials vendors. In one embodiment the broker may screen customer requests, with a view (for example) to screening frivolous requests and/or requests which appear to the broker to be strange (in which case the broker may contact the customer to discuss the request with them). In alternative embodiments, requests submitted by a customer may be i automatically delivered/posted by the system to be accessed by the relevant providers. On receipt of a customer's design specification various providers can, if they so wish, respond with a quotation (step 330). For example, a jeweller may provide a quotation for manufacturing the piece of jewellery in accordance with the design requirements (not including the cost of the materials described by the materials information and to be 0 supplied by a materials vendor) and a materials vendor may provide a quotation for supplying materials in accordance with the materials requirements provided by the customer. While a single provider may, should they have the capability, provide both a design quotation and a materials quotation, these would (in the preset embodiment) be provided to the customer as separate quotations. 5 Any quotations received at step 330 from the providers may then be provided to the customer (step 340), following which the customer is able to independently select a jeweller to manufacture the piece of jewellery and a materials vendor to supply certain materials to be used in manufacturing the piece of jewellery (step 350).

12 The quotations accepted by the customer are then forwarded to the relevant providers (step 360), following which the broker is able to facilitate the completion of the transaction (step 370) - i.e. payment and delivery of the finished piece of jewellery. These broad processes will now be described in further detail. 5 3. User interfaces The above method is enabled by a broker or similar maintaining a computer server 100, with the relevant parties to the method (e.g. the customer, the jeweller, and the materials vendor) accessing the system via a host such as the computer host 210 as shown in Figure 1. It will be appreciated that the user interfaces described and illustrated herein are provided by way of non-limiting example only, and are simplified for the purposes of explanation. The user interfaces may be implemented in a number of alternative ways and may include additional functionality and/or features as desired. By way of one non limiting example, various interfaces may include advertising space to display information i (and or links) regarding advertisers. Further, the user interfaces depicted are schematic in nature only. Different arrangements of the various interface features are possible, and features may have different sizes to those depicted. By way of one example, where areas for displaying information have been described (such as text boxes) the actual area may be larger 0 than that shown and/or may include scroll-bars to allow a user to easily see all available information. 3.1 System home page A user wishing to use the system of the present invention may do so by using a web browser (such as Internet Explorer) to navigate to the website for the system (hosted by 5 the server 100). The server 100 then provides an initial user interface 400 as shown in the diagrammatic representation of Figure 3. On the initial user interface 400 the broker may display general information such as information regarding the system and its 13 purpose in box 410. There is also a contact button 412 that provides contact details for the broker, such as an email address, phone number, fax number, and/or physical address. The initial user interface includes a login interface 420 by which a user of the system i (e.g. a customer, provider, or administrator) can enter in a user name (in box 422) and a password (in box 424) in order to login to the system. The system determines the type of user and corresponding permissions/tasks available to that user according to the user's login name and the user account details associated with that user. If desired, it would also be possible to have different login interfaces and/or different initial interface pages (i.e. accessible from different web addresses) for different user types (e.g. a customer homepage/login interface, a jeweller homepage/login interface, a materials vendor homepage/login interface, and an administrator homepage/login interface). A registration button 432 is also provided, which if selected takes users to a registration page to allow them to enter details to create a user account and register for use of the i system as described below. 3.2 Registration In order to use the system, customers and providers must first register. This can be done by selection of button 432 on the initial user interface 400. On selection of the registration button 432 a registration interface may be launched 0 where the system requires a user to enter various details required to register. These details may include, for example, the type of user (customer or provider), the user's name, address, contact details, a username, a password etc. For providers additional details may be required such as the type of provider (e.g. jeweller or materials vendor), the provider's professional qualifications, and links to the providers own websites (if 5 applicable). Details provided at registration are stored as user account details on the database 121.

14 Depending on the revenue model selected for the system, registration may require payment. In one embodiment, customers may be allowed to register for free but providers may need to pay a subscription fee in order to be able to access and quote on user requests. Alternatively or additionally, payment may be required for each i transaction. For example, a customer may be required to pay a certain fee for each quotation request entered into the system, and/or a provider may need to pay a certain fee for each quotation submitted. Further alternatively (or additionally) a fee may be payable by the customer on selecting a quotation. 3.3 Customer interface Once a customer has registered they can log into the system by entering their user name and password in the customer login interface 420. Figures 4A to 4E provide some example layouts of interfaces which customers can interact with to access and use the system. After logging in a customer is provided with interface 500 (Figure 4A) which allows the 5 customer to select between uploading a new design (by selecting link 502), and viewing the details and progress of an existing design that has already been submitted by the customer (by selecting link 504). Additionally, interface 500 may have a link to a message board or similar (not shown). Such a message board may be accessible by all users of the system and allow, for example, customers to read and post messages. This 0 could be used for customers to provide feedback on specific providers and discuss the providers with each other. Submission of a new design If the customer wishes to submit a new design to be quoted for, this can be done by operating link 502. In this case interface 510 is displayed (shown in Figure 4B) which 5 allows the customer to submit a new design. This interface provides information 512 about the process, such as how the customer goes about forming and submitting a design specification. Information may also be provided regarding services offered by the broker who may, for example, offer to assist the customer in preparing/finalising their 15 design specification. A unique identifier 509 for the piece of jewellery being created by the customer is also provided - this may be automatically generated by the system. In order to submit information regarding the desired design the customer selects the general type of the piece jewellery they would like to obtain a quote for. This may, for i example, be via a drop-down list 511 from which the user can make a selection from a variety of options. By way of non-limiting example, the general item options may include: bangles; bracelets; crosses; cuff links; ear-rings; mens rings; ladies rings; a separate ring and setting option; necklaces; pendants; brooches. The system may also provide a drop down box (514) allowing the user to select a metal alloy from which the jewellery is to be made. Metal alloy options may, for example, include yellow gold, white gold, platinum, silver, or "other". Metal alloy options may also be provided for different metal purities (e.g. 24 karat, 18 karat, 14 karat, 9 karat gold etc). If the metal desired by the customer is not provided as a specific option, the customer can select the "other" option. This will allow the customer to enter the details i of the desired metal (or metals in the case that the customer wants multiple metals in the same design) into a text field or similar. By way of alternative the system could provide for material information to be entered or uploaded via a specific/dedicated material information interface. Once the type of jewellery and the metal alloy have been selected, the customer can 0 elect to upload a design specification (via button/link 515), to use a selection of design templates as a basis for their design (via button/link 516), and/or to choose one or more specific gemstones to be used in the piece of jewellery (via link 517). In order to define the specific piece of jewellery a combination of these may be used. For example, the customer may elect to upload their own design specification which includes gemstone 5 information and then select design information from a template. Alternatively, the customer may upload a design specification that includes setting design only, and then choose appropriate gemstones via link 517. If the customer has any queries, or wants to contact the broker for assistance to prepare the design specifications, a contact button 518 will provide both electronic and physical 0 contact details. The contact button 518 can open an additional user interface where the 16 customer can upload, for example, rough ideas about a design for which the customer would like assistance (from the broker or a preliminary designer) in order to prepare a more detailed description of the jewellery that the customer would like to have made. If the customer elects to upload a design specification by selection of button/link 515, i the system may be programmed to launch a file explorer-type interface which allows the customer to browse for one or more files on their host computer to upload to the server. Such files may include pictures or other representations of the desired design and/or a textual description of the design desired. Figure 8 shows one example of a design specification 700 that may be uploaded by a customer. The specification 700 includes various drawings of the piece of jewellery, which in this example is a ring with diamonds. The drawings include a plan view 702, a perspective view 714, a front view 704 and a side view 706. The drawings also include an indication of relevant measurements, for example the under rail measurement 708 is indicated with reference to the front view 704 as being 1.85mm. The size of the ring is i indicated as "J", shown in the front view 704. Design specification 700 also includes information on the gemstones required such as the size and number of gemstones 710. The weight of the metal required is also shown at 712, and varies according to the material used (e.g. silver, 18k gold, platinum). Apart from drawings as shown in the design specification 700, additional information 0 can also be provided. This can be provided as an uploaded text file, or can be entered into fields provided by the user interface (not shown) pertaining to specific details of the design. These fields may include the following, for example, job details such as the ring size, the mould to be used, the number of jewellery pieces to be manufactured, the metal or metals to be used, and the relevant hallmark. Dimension information may also 5 be provided, such as, with respect to the front view: the thickness of the shoulder, side, back and under rail; with respect to the plan view, and relevant design-specific dimensions; with respect to the side view, the shoulder, side, back and claw width and cross section. The customer may also be able to specify the approximate required weight of the jewellery and have the option of branding/engraving the jewellery with a 17 specific logo, image, and/or text. Any other special instructions may also accompany the specification. If the customer is uploading a complete design description, material information would typically also be provided. This would include any gem stone specifications. Referring to design specification 700, for example, the centre stone 716 is a diamond and can be described with the following information: . Size: the diamond is a 0.75 carat diamond measuring 5.9mm. . Colour: colour can be specified using the GIA colour grading. A grade of "G", for example, would be used for a near colourless diamond. ) Clarity: clarity can also be specified using the GIA grading system. A grade of "SI", for example, means slightly included. . Cut: the cut of the diamond can be specified using standard cuts, such as a round brilliant cut. - Cut proportion: the cut proportions of the diamond can be specified using different grades, such as a super ideal. In the case of diamonds, it is expected that GIA, DCLA or HRD certification would be provided by the materials vendor. If the customer elects to choose a design from the design templates (via button/link 516), a template selection interface 540 such as that shown in Figure 4D may be 0 launched. The template selection interface 540 displays a range of design templates. In this case the customer has selected a separate ring and setting as the general jewellery item, and the design templates include templates of ring bodies 542 and templates of settings 544. If an alternative general type of jewellery had been selected the templates would, of course, be different and appropriate to the type of jewellery. 5 Each design template is displayed as a thumbnail image. Optionally, a specific template interface (not shown) may be launched by clicking on a thumbnail image of design template. The specific template interface may display one or more enlarged views of the template (e.g. various perspective views) and/or any other information relevant to the 18 specific template. In order to select one or more design templates to be incorporated in the piece of jewellery to be created, the customer clicks on a check box 547 beneath the thumbnail image of each design template of interest. The template selection interface 540 further includes a textbox 545, in which a customer may enter questions i and/or comments about their desired design. By way of example, a customer may be interested in a ring having a left shoulder as per design template 546, a right shoulder as per design template 548, and a ring setting as per template 550. In this case the customer would select all three templates (by clicking the associated check boxes) and enter text into textbox 545 explaining that the design incorporates the left shoulder from design template 546 and the right shoulder from design template 548 and that the setting 550 will be positioned between the two shoulders. Once the customer has selected the desired template or templates and entered any additional comments or questions, the information can be submitted/saved (and the i template interface 540 closed) by activation of link/button 552. The selected design templates and text information are then saved in database 121, and (for example) the customer returned to interface 510. If the customer selects button/link 517 in order to choose one or more gemstones, a gemstone selection interface 800 such as that shown in figure 4E is launched. Interface 0 800 allows the customer to enter the total number of the specific stone to be described in the 'number of stones' textbox 804 (as described below, if different types of stones are required these can be entered by the user by selecting the additional gemstones button/link 822). The customer can then select the type of gem desired from the gem variety option box 806 in which a variety of gem types (e.g. 'diamond', 'emerald', 'ruby', 5 etc) are offered. The customer may select the specific type of gem by clicking on the button (such as button 807) beside the desired gem name. When the specific gem has been selected from the gem variety option box 806, and as appropriate for the type of gemstone selected, the interface 800 will display additional option boxes to allow the customer to further define the characteristics of gemstone 19 selected. In this example, the customer has selected 'diamond' as the gem type via button 807, and option boxes 808, 810, 812, 814, 816 and 818 are displayed. In option box 808, the customer selects the cut property of the diamond (e.g. 'super ideal', 'ideal', 'slightly shallow', etc). In option box 810 the customer selects the shape of i the diamond (e.g. 'round', 'oval, 'marquise', etc). In option box 812 the customer selects the number of carats desired (e.g. 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, etc). In option box 814 the customer chooses the colour grading of the diamond (e.g. 'D', 'E', 'F', etc). In option box 816 the customer can choose the desired colour of the diamond (e.g. 'PP1' (faintly coloured purplish pink), 'light champagne', 'medium champagne', etc). In option box 818, the customer selects the diamond clarity (e.g. 'IF', 'VVSI', 'VVS2', etc). Each option box is provided with a link 819 to further information which, if selected by the customer, launches a screen (not shown) which may provide both general information on what the option is and specific information on the available options. Some option boxes also include an 'other' option 821 which allows the customer to enter text defining an option i not specifically enumerated in the interface. As with the template selection interface 540, the gemstone selection interface 800 also includes a text box 821 in which the customer can enter any questions or comments about the gemstone selected and/or the characteristics thereof. By way of alternative to displaying explicit options to describe the gemstone, the system 0 may simply provide text fields in which the customer can enter in the type(s) of stone(s) and the desired characteristics. If the piece of jewellery being designed by the customer includes gems of different types, interface 800 allows the customer to specify different types of gemstones by button/link 822. Selection of button/link 822 saves the information entered on the current 5 gemstone selection interface to the database 121 and launches a clean gemstone selection interface 800. For example, the customer may be designing a ring which includes a single diamond as the main stone and six amethysts positioned on the shoulders of the ring (three on each side). In this instance the customer could describe the diamond (noting 1 stone only would be required via box 804) and select to add 0 additional gemstones via link/button 822. On selection of link/button 822 a new selection 20 interface 800 is launched in which the customer can specify 6 stones (at box 804) and the characteristics of those stones. Once all desired gemstones have been selected and described, the customer may save the information on the most recent gemstone selection interface 800 to the database i 121 and close the gemstone selection interface via button/link 824. Once the gemstone selection interface 800 has been closed, the system returns the user to interface 510. From interface 510 the customer can select to preview their design (via link/button 513). Selection of the preview link/button 513 opens a preview interface (not shown) which displays the design and material information that the customer has uploaded/entered. Optionally, the customer may amend the information in the preview interface. Finally, the customer can choose to submit their design information to be quoted by selecting the submit button/link 519. As an alternative to the above, the system may be designed to lead a customer through the design submission process in a linear fashion. For example, if a customer elects to i create a new design via button 502, the system may provide a series of web pages by which the customer can select the general type of piece to be designed (e.g. a ring), the specific design (e.g. the shape/appearance of the ring), the metal alloy to be used (e.g. platinum), and any gemstones to be used (e.g. a central diamond and two amethysts on each shoulder). In this instance each web page would provide a next/previous 0 functionality (e.g. via links or buttons) allowing the user to proceed to the next screen or return to the previous screen. Each screen may also allow for the customer to enter in text information and/or upload a file in respect of the particular design element. For example, and as with the interface described above, a customer may select a specific template design for a ring and then add comments as to changes they would like to the 5 template selected. Review existing design submission If the customer selects to view information regarding an existing design 504 (i.e. a design that has been previously submitted by the customer) an interface such as 21 interface 520 (shown in Figure 4C) is provided. Interface 520 includes a drop down list box 521 which allows the customer to select the particular piece of jewellery they have submitted information on and would like to view the status of. Drop down box 521 is populated with the unique identifiers of jewellery submissions made by the customer as described above. After selecting the particular piece of jewellery by drop down box 521, the customer can see whether any quotations have been submitted by providers in respect of the selected item of jewellery in box 522. Individual quotations can be viewed by appropriate links, also provided in box 522. On selection of link relating to a particular quotation, the customer is provided with information regarding the quotation such as the jeweller/material vendor submitting the quotation (should the system allow for this), the amount quoted, and any comments the jeweller/material vendor may have made (for example the estimated time to manufacture the piece of jewellery). Information (and/or links to pages displaying such information) regarding the provider of a particular quotation may also be made available. This may, for example, be by way of a link to the provider's website and/or the provider's portfolio. Additionally, the system may store historic information regarding the provider and quotations they have provided, e.g. whether the provider has, historically, delivered on time and at the quoted price, how many quotations provided by the provider have been accepted by customers, and any J feedback that other customers may have left regarding the provider. If desired, the system may be configured such that no identifying information regarding the providers is available. This may be useful if the broker wishes to control contact between the customer and the provider. Alternatively, the system may allow the provider identity to be made known to the customer so the customer (for example where 5 a supplier is a well known jeweller and wishes to be able to rely on their broader reputation). If the customer is happy with any of the quotes they customer can then select one or more of the quotes which returns the customer to interface 520 and populates text box 526 with jeweller's and/or material vendors quotes as selected by the customer.

22 Once both a design quote and a materials quote have been selected, the total price of the selected quotes is calculated and displayed in field 530. Depending on the revenue model selected, the total fee may include a broker's fee. If the customer is satisfied with the quotations and total fee, payment button 532 is i selected to organise final acceptance of the quotations and payment. Selecting the payment button could open an additional dialogue or reveal a drop-down menu to facilitate payment. Payment can be done electronically, for example by using a credit card, in which case the credit card payment is facilitated by the website. If the customer would like to amend the information provided for a particular piece of jewellery (either the design specification or the material specification), selecting button 534 will provide access to a suitable user interface, for example an interface similar to interface 510 shown in Figure 4B. If desired a link may be provided to allow the customer to contact one or more of the providers of the quotes. The system may be set up to require such contact to be made i through the broker (i.e. by submitting a request/question/comment in respect of a quote which the broker then passes on to the relevant provider) or may allow for the customer to contact the relevant provider directly, for example by providing provider contact details. Figure 5 shows a flow chart 560 outlining steps a customer using the system may take. 0 After registering on the system 562, as described above, the customer can log in 564 to the system. At step 566 the customer is provided with the option of either providing details for a new design or viewing quotations that have been provided for a design previously provided by the customer. This may be done, for example by an interface such as interface 500 described above. 5 If the customer selects to submit information on a new design at step 568 an interface screen such as interface 510 described above is provided. The customer is provided with information on the process and the information required from the customer at step 570, which may include, for example, details about the information that the customer 23 needs to provide in respect of the design and the materials. The information viewed at step 570 can also include details on how the customer can provide the information about their design, for example by uploading text and/or images. The customer can then provide their design specification at step 572. As described above, this may be achieved by uploading a specification of the desired item of jewellery, by using the system to individually describe/select various components of the piece of jewellery (e.g. design, metal, gemstones), or by a combination of both. If a customer so desires, instead of uploading their own specification they may contact the broker via facsimile or email and provide the specification via an alternative channel (e.g. email, mail, facsimile). The broker may also be able to provide additional services to the customer, for example to prepare a formal design specification and/or drawing for submission to the various providers (e.g. the jeweller and the materials vendor) from an informal description provided by the customer. As part of the information provided, the customer may also be able to set a time frame, i for example the customer can specify that quotations must be submitted within 5 days for them to be considered. If, when selecting amongst the possible options at step 566, the customer selects to view the details of an existing design that has already been entered onto the system, the customer can view any quotations that have been provided at step 574. These 0 quotations are from both jewellers providing manufacturing services, and also from materials vendors providing the materials that will be used for the jewellery. The system may also be configured to allow the customer to change the uploaded details regarding their desired jewellery and/or modify their user account details. At step 576 the customer is able to make one or more selections from the quotations 5 provided and, if satisfied with the quotations, the customer can then provide payment for the selected quotations at step 578. Payment may be achieved in a variety of ways, for example by entering credit card details on the website, or by electronic funds transfer. In one embodiment payment may be made directly to the broker and the broker can then 24 pay the vendor/jeweller upon completion of the jewellery. Other payment arrangements are also possible, for example the customer can pay the vendor/jeweller directly, or the broker can pay the vendor/jeweller in instalments. On acceptance of a quotation the system may be configured to immediately notify the 5 provider. This may be done, for example, via an automated email or sms sent to the provider. Alternatively, the broker may be notified of the acceptance of a quotation and then pass this information on to the provider. As will be appreciated, a variety of revenue models may be used in respect of customer interaction with the system. Customers may not be charged at all for any use of the ) system or, alternatively, customers may be required to pay one or more fees for using the system, such as: * a subscription fee allowing access to the system for a set period of time; . a fee for submitting a new design to be quoted on (e.g. a set fee); a a fee for viewing quotations provided by providers; i - a fee for accepting a quotation; . a commission fee to the broker prior to receipt of finished piece of jewellery. Once the customer has finished using the system for the time being, they can log out of the system at step 580. 3.4 Provider interface 0 Figures 6A to 6C provide example layouts of interfaces by which providers (jewellers and materials vendors) can use the system. Figure 6A shows an initial interface 600 which a provider is shown once they have logged in to the system. This interface allows the provider to select between accessing new design specifications (if the provider is a jeweller) or new material specifications (if 5 the provider is a materials vendor) that have been submitted by a customer (via link 602). Alternatively, the provider may view information relating to existing specifications 25 that the provider has already provided a quotation for (via link 604). "New" specifications in this instance include all specifications that the provider has not provided a quote on. If the provider elects to view new customer specifications via link 602, the new request interface 610 (shown in Figure 6B) allows the provider to view customer specifications i that the provider has not quoted on. The provider can view various customer specifications by, for example, a drop down list box 612. The system may be configured so that list box 612 show only information of relevance to the provider - for example, if the provider has registered with the system a jeweller list box 612 will only be populated with customer design specifications. Alternatively, if the provider has registered with the system as a materials vendor box 612 will only be populated with customer materials specifications. Alternatively, the system may be configured to allow any provider to view all information submitted by customers. After selecting a particular customer specification via list box 612 the provider can download any files the customer may have associated with the specification by i selecting button 614. The provider is also shown information submitted by the customer in respect of that specification and any other relevant information, such as customer specific information, in text box 616. The system may also provide information on customers that the providers will be able to view. This information may include, for example, information that may be relevant to the decision as to whether to provide a 0 quotation, such as how many quotation requests the customer has submitted, how many quotations have been accepted for these requests, whether the customer has paid on time for previous requests, etc. The system may be configured to not supply the providers with any information that would allow the provider to identify the customer. As noted above, this may be 5 implemented if the broker wishes to control contact between the provider and customer. If the provider (either a jeweller or a materials vendor such as a gem merchant) decides to provide a quotation for the particular customer specification they can access a quotation submission interface by selecting the button 618 to upload a quotation. The quotation submission interface (not shown) can facilitate the uploading of an electronic 26 file with a quotation and/or provide fields into which the required information can be entered and submitted. Alternative provider interfaces to that described above are, of course, possible. For example, on electing to view new customer specifications a provider may be simply i provided with a single screen showing a table of all customer submissions and associated information. The system may allow for the provider to sort the customer specifications by a variety of fields, such as the date the specification was submitted, the specifications with the shortest time left to provide a quotation (where a customer has indicated the quote must be provided by a certain date), the type of jewellery, the type of stones, the number of stones and suchlike. The supplier may then be able to provide a quote simply by selecting a link/button associated with a particular specification. If the provider selects to view the details of an existing request (i.e. a customer specification in respect of which the supplier has already submitted a quote) by i selection of link 604, the existing request interface 620 (shown in Figure 5C) is displayed. The provider can access a list of quotations they have previously provided in respect of customer specifications via drop down box 622. Details about the request, such as the specification of the jewellery to be made, or customer-specific information, can be displayed in information field 624. The provider is able to view the quotation that 0 they have provided by selecting button 626. The provider may also be able to amend or withdraw the quotation that has been provided by selecting button 626. Button 626 may either call up a popup dialogue with the quotation information, or can redirect the provider to an additional user interface where the information can be viewed and/or amended. 5 If the customer has already viewed the quotations provided by vendors and made a selection, the outcome of the tender process for that particular specification is shown in field 628. For example, field 628 may show that the provider's quote has been accepted, that an alternative provider's quote has been selected, or that the customer has not yet made a decision. If the specific provider who is viewing the user interface 0 620 has been selected by the customer, then field 630 will display the payment status.

27 The payment status can include the status of the payment made by the customer to the broker indicating that the transaction has commenced and the selection has been confirmed. If the materials have been delivered and/or the jewellery has been completed and supplied to the customer, the payment status field 630 can also display i the progress of the payment made to the specific provider (jeweller or vendor). Figure 7 shows a flowchart 660 outlining steps that may be taken by a provider, such as a materials vendor or a jeweller, when using the system. As described above, the provider must first register to use the system. The provider can then log in to the system at step 664 to be presented with the provider interface 600 as depicted in Figure 5A. The options available to the provider are displayed at step 666, and can include accessing customer specifications that the provider has not yet provided a quotation on, or viewing details of customer specifications that the provider has provided a quotation for. If, at step 666, the provider elects to view customer specifications that the provider has not quoted on, these are viewed at step 670. The system may be configured such that the provider is shown only customer specifications relevant to them - e.g. jewellers will only see requests for manufacturing, and vendors will only see information about materials required. If a provider has registered as both a vendor and a jeweller they may see both. Alternatively, the system may be configured such that any provider can view 0 all customer submissions. The list of customer specifications may be a short summary of each request which, if selected, launches a complete description. If the information provided is in the form of electronic files, such as drawings, then the vendor will also be able to download these documents at step 670. As described above with reference to field 616 in Figure 6B, 5 information about the customers can also be viewed at step 670. If the provider decides they would like to submit a quotation in response to a customer request they can do so at step 672 by uploading or otherwise entering their product or service details and costs.

28 If a provider has already submitted a quotation in response to a customer request, the option to view the results of existing tender processes can be selected at step 668. If the customer has already made a selection, the provider can view the results at step 674. Results may also be communicated directly to the provider, for example via email, i facsimile, sms, or another type of automated message. If the provider's quotation has been accepted, the provider can see what the progress of the transaction is by viewing the payment status. At step 676 the provider receives the status of the payment from the customer to the broker. At step 678 the provider receives the status of the payment from the broker to the provider. If payment has been received by the broker a materials vendor can then supply the relevant materials. The supply may be directly to the jeweller, directly to the customer, or to the broker. Upon delivery, payment will then be made to the materials vendor. Once the jeweller has received the relevant materials (such as a gem stone) they can complete the manufacture the jewellery. Upon completion, the jewellery will then be i supplied either to the broker or to the customer directly, following which payment to the jeweller is finalised. It will be appreciated that a number of different payment and delivery options could be used for this system, for example providing materials vendors and jewellers with a percentage down payment before delivery, and paying the balance upon delivery of the 0 final product. As with customers, a variety of revenue models may be used in respect of provider interaction with the system may be provided for. Providers may not be charged at all for any use of the system or, alternatively, providers may be required to pay one or more fees for using the system, such as: 5 . a subscription fee allowing access to the system for a set period of time; . a fee for viewing specifications submitted by customers; . a fee for submitting quotations in response to customer specifications; . a fee when a quotation is accepted.

29 Administrator interface In addition to the customer and provider interfaces described above, they system also provides an administrator interface. Figure 9 provides a basic representation of an administrator interface 900. The administrator interface 900 may be accessible by 5 logging into the system as an administrator (i.e. with a user name/password recognised by the system as having administrator privileges). Control of user accounts The administrator interface 900 may allow for the administration of user accounts via link/button 902. Selection of this link/button may launch a user account interface (not shown) by which the administrator can view information associated with user accounts, amend information associated with user accounts, delete user accounts, and/or add new user accounts (the user accounts may be customer accounts, provider accounts, or administrator accounts). Administration of designs The administrator interface 900 also allows for an administrator to view designs that i have been submitted to the system (via button/link 904). Selection of button/link 904 may launch a submissions interface (not shown) which displays a list of the designs that customers have been submitted, along with basic information regarding each design submission (e.g. date submitted, whether quotes have been provided, whether quotes have been selected, and whether the design has been completed and provided to the 0 customer). The administrator can download information regarding particular submissions, approve the submission, and and/or delete a submission (if, of course, the system is implemented such that administrator approval for submissions is required before the submissions become visible to the providers). This also allows the administrator to check that all of the necessary information is described in a submission 5 and no outstanding customer questions regarding the submission exist. The interface may also enable an administrator to contact the customer (via a link/button). Administration of quotations The interface 900 may also allow an administrator to view quotations that have been provided by providers (via link 906). The quotations may be listed in a table in a 0 quotation interface (not shown), again allowing the administrator to access details of quotations if desired. The system may also require administrator approval before a 30 quotation is made accessible to a customer, in which case the quotation interface provides for such approval. The quotation interface may also allow the administrator to contact the supplier or jeweller if the quotation is unusual or missing important information. i Facilitating completion of the purchase transaction The administrator interface 900 may also let an administrator view quotes that have been selected by customers (via button/link 908). Button/link may launch a quotes/payment interface (not shown) which enables the administrator to view the details of quotes which have been selected by customers and approve the selection to be passed on to jewellers and suppliers. The interface may enable the administrator to change the payment status of the selected quotes to indicate whether the payment amount is for example 'not paid', 'partially paid' or 'paid in full'. Optionally, the administrator may choose not to provide the jeweller or supplier with the quote selection until the payment amount has been paid in full. 5 The interface may also enable the administrator to record whether the piece of jewellery has been received, to pay to the supplier and/or jeweller, and/or to record for a selected quotation whether the relevant providers have been paid. Attending to requests for assistance The administrator interface 900 may further allow an administrator to view messages 0 from customers with requests for assistance (via button/link 910). Selection of button/link 910 launches a query interface (not shown) which displays requests that have been submitted by customers (using the contact button 518 as described above). The interface enables the administrator to view and reply to requests, and may also allow the administrator to refer a customer request to a provider if required. 5 As will be appreciated, the method and system described herein provide the advantage of a customer being able to select a jeweller and a materials vendor independently. The invention provides a system that is transparent to the customer, because the customer is able to view the costs of the material used for the jewellery separately from the costs 31 involved in manufacturing the jewellery. Although the invention has been described with reference to providing a compound quotation for a piece of custom made jewellery, it will be understood that the invention can extend to other applications. By way of non limiting example, the invention could be adapted to provide compound quotations for i other products or items such as a garment. In the case of a custom made garment, the design specification will refer to, for example, the size and type of a dress, while the material specification will refer to the type of fabric used, or could refer to the specification of any gem stones used to decorate the dress. It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for enabling the manufacture and acquisition of a piece of custom made jewellery, the system including: a computer server including a processor, memory, a bus coupling the processor 5 and memory, a network interface connecting the computer server to a communication network, the server being in communication with a database used to store information, the server being configured to maintain a website accessible by at least one customer and a plurality of providers, the server configured to: receive design specification information relating to the design of the piece of ) jewellery and store said design specification information in the database; receive material specification information relating to one or more materials to be used in the piece of jewellery and store said material specification information in the database; communicate the design specification information to at least one first provider; 5 communicate the material specification information to at least one second provider; receive at least one design quotation from the or each first provider, the or each design quotation being based on the design specification information, the or each design quotation being stored in the database; 0 receive at least one materials quotation from the or each second provider, the or each materials quotation being based on the material specification information, the or each materials quotation being stored in the database; and communicate at least one of the received design quotations and at least one of the received materials quotations to the customer. 33

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the or each first provider is a jeweller.

3 The computer-implemented system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the or each second provider is a materials vendor. 5

4. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the or each design quotation relates to a first provider's estimated costs for manufacturing the piece of jewellery in accordance with the design specification information once provided with the materials in the materials specification information.

5. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ) server is further configured to: receive the customer's acceptance of a design quotation provided by a first provider; and receive the customer's acceptance of a materials quotation provided by a second provider. 5

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 5, wherein the server is further configured to: notify a successful first provider that the customer has accepted the design quotation provided by that first provider; and notify a successful second provider that the customer has accepted the materials 0 quotation provided by that second provider.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured to: enable payment of the successful first provider in accordance with the accepted design quotation; and 34 enable payment of the successful second provider in accordance with the accepted materials quotation.

8. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the server is further configured to enable transfer of the piece of jewellery made in i accordance with the design specification information and the materials specification information to the customer.

9. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a single provider may provide both a design quotation and a materials quotation.

10. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the material specification information includes a description of at least one of: one or more gem stones; and one or more metals to be used in the piece of jewellery.

11. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the server is further configured to: 6 provide the customer with a design template selection interface, the design template selection interface including one or more design templates; and receive a selection of at least one of the one or more design templates from the design template selection interface, and wherein the design specification information includes information derived from the at least 0 one design template selected from the design template interface.

12. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the server is further configured to receive textual and/or graphical design information from the customer, and wherein the design specification information includes the textual and/or graphical design information received from the customer. 35

13. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the server is further configured to: provide the customer with a materials selection interface, the materials selection interface enabling the customer to select and define one or more materials; and receive a selection of one or more materials from the materials selection interface, and wherein the materials specification information includes information derived from one or more materials selected from the materials selection interface.

14. The computer-implemented system of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the server is further configured to receive textual and/or graphical materials information from the customer, and wherein the materials specification information includes the textual and/or graphical materials information received from the customer.

15. A method enabling the manufacture and acquisition of a piece of custom made jewellery, the method including: receiving design specification information relating to the design of the piece of jewellery from a customer; receiving material specification information relating to one or more materials to be used in the piece of jewellery from the customer; providing the design specification information to at least one first provider; o providing the material specification information to at least one second provider; receiving at least one design quotation from the or each first provider, the or each design quotation being based on the design specification information; 36 receiving at least one materials quotation from the or each second provider, the or each materials quotation being based on the material specification information; and communicating at least one of the received design quotations and at least one of 5 the received materials quotations to the customer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the or each first provider is a jeweller.

17. The method of claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the or each second provider is a materials vendor.

18. The method of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the or each design quotation ) relates to a first provider's estimated costs for manufacturing the piece of jewellery in accordance with the design specification information once provided with the materials in the materials specification information.

19. The method of any one of claims 15 to 18, further including: receiving the customer's acceptance of a design quotation provided by a first 5 provider; and receiving the customer's acceptance of a materials quotation provided by a second provider.

20. The method of claim 19 further including: notifying a successful first provider that the customer has accepted the design 0 quotation provided by that first provider; and notifying a successful second provider that the customer has accepted the material quotation provided by that second provider.

21. The method of claim 20 further including: 37 arranging for payment between the customer and the successful first provider; and arranging for payment between the customer and the successful second provider. 5

22. The method of any one of claims 15 to 21 further including providing the piece of jewellery made in accordance with the design specification information and the materials specification information to the customer.

23. The method of any one of claims 15 to 22 wherein a single provider may provide both a design quotation and a materials quotation.

) 24. The method of any one of claims 15 to 23 wherein the material specification information includes a description of at least one of: one or more gem stones; and one or more metals to be used in the piece of jewellery.

25. The method of any one of claims 15 to 24, further including: 5 displaying one or more design templates to the customer; and receiving a selection from the customer of at least one of the one or more design templates, and wherein the design specification information includes information derived from the at least one design template selected by the customer. 0

26. The method of any one of claims 15 to 25, further including receiving textual and/or graphical design information from the customer, and wherein the design specification information includes the textual and/or graphical design information received from the customer. 38

27. The method of any one of claims 15 to 26, further including: displaying a materials selection interface, the materials selection interface enabling the customer to select and define one or more materials; and receiving a selection of one or more materials from the materials selection interface, and wherein the materials specification information includes information derived from one or more materials selected from the materials selection interface.

28. The method of any one of claims 15 to 27, further including receiving textual and/or graphical materials information from the customer, and wherein the materials specification information includes the textual and/or graphical materials information received from the customer.

29. Instructions executable by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 15 to 28.

30. A storage medium readable by a processor, the storage medium storing 5 instructions according to claim 29.

31. A computer-implemented system for enabling the manufacture and acquisition of a piece of custom made jewellery substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

32. A method for enabling the manufacture and acquisition of a piece of custom 0 made jewellery substantially as herein described.