Gemist and Saban Onyx unite customization software with U.S. manufacturing

A birthstone pendant, a pair of initials in gold or a zodiac medallion no longer has to sit in a retailer’s special-order queue. Gemist and Saban Onyx are packaging customization software and U.S.-based manufacturing into what they call a “full-on, A-to-Z solution for any retailer that wants to sell custom,” a pitch aimed at turning bespoke jewelry from a slow exception into a more immediate sale.

The system is built to live on a retailer’s website, where customers can design in real time, see the price change as the piece changes and move toward purchase without the back-and-forth that usually weighs down custom work. Gemist says the platform lets retailers offer fully customizable collections without holding inventory, a meaningful shift for stores that want to carry pieces with personal symbolism, such as engraved initials, family marks, birthstones and zodiac motifs, without tying up capital in finished stock. Demos are scheduled at Saban Onyx booth #10065 at JCK Las Vegas.

Saban Onyx brings the production side of that equation. The company says it operates a factory in New York City with more than 80 employees, including a team of more than 50 skilled artisans and professionals. It also says every order comes with complimentary CAD designs and 360-degree videos, no minimums and no additional fees for small or custom orders, with turnaround at about 14 business days. For shoppers, that changes the conversation around custom work from vague promises to practical expectations: where the piece is made, how long it takes and what level of visual proof comes before the order is cast, set and finished.

Gemist’s founder and chief executive, Madeline Fraser, said retailers can use the system to provide “beautiful visuals, dynamic pricing, and a fast order path,” while the company extends the visualization and customization technology it first introduced for designer brands. Meir Saban, president of Saban Onyx, said the partnership represents “the future of fine jewelry retail” because it joins technology with craftsmanship. Gemist says the platform also supports white-label manufacturing and claims 10- to 14-day delivery, 24-hour CAD turnaround and support for more than 3,000 custom designs.

Fraser founded Gemist as a direct-to-consumer customizable jewelry platform before shifting the business into a B2B licensing model. The company raised $6 million in seed funding in June 2025 from Entrada Ventures, The Artemis Fund and Collide Capital, bringing reported total funding to $9 million. Gemist has also said its technology has driven stronger engagement, repeat purchases, units sold and average order values, a reminder that in jewelry, personalization is not only about sentiment. It is also about making the first draft of a keepsake easier to buy, and easier to trust.