Theme-base build

A jewellery store that looks like the jewellery

Curaye had fine gold and lab-grown diamonds. The starter theme did not match.

The problem

Curaye sells hallmarked 9ct gold and lab-grown diamond studs. The store looked like a starter theme.

The founder runs the brand around a full-time job. Two weeks. Not a six-month from-scratch rebuild. Studio Elephant used an existing theme as the base, then customised it in code.

The challenge

A generic Shopify look for a jewellery brand
Three named pieces treated like a normal catalogue
Gold, diamonds, and shipping buried away from the buy button
Two weeks to get it live

What Studio Elephant changed

1. Custom build, theme as the base

Started from an existing Shopify theme
Customised layout and product pages in code
Photography-led homepage with quiet type and less clutter

Why this worked. The photography was already strong. Custom work on a theme base got the store live in two weeks.

2. The menu is the range

The Paperclip, The Fifteen, The One Carat, Our Story
Three pieces. No shop-all dump
Each piece gets its own page

Why this worked. People buying premium studs want the piece, then the story.

3. Product pages that answer expensive questions

Carat, colour, clarity, and 9ct gold on the product page
Free express shipping and gold details next to add to cart
Details, care, and shipping as accordions so the buy button stays put

Why this worked. Jewellery buyers check gold and returns before checkout. If that is missing, they leave.

Product page for The One Carat with materials, shipping, and add to cart on the same screen

The results

Period: At launch (2-week build)

Live in two weeks

Custom build on an existing theme. Tight catalogue. Tight timeline.

Timeframe: 2 weeks
Measurement: Project delivery timeline

Three named pieces, each with its own page

Navigation matches how the brand actually sells. Materials, shipping, and returns sit next to add to cart.

Timeframe: At launch
Measurement: Live store structure at launch

The store looks like the jewellery

Hallmarked gold, express shipping, and returns shown where shoppers decide.

Timeframe: At launch
Measurement: Live product templates at launch

"Justin has been fantastic to work with on my Shopify store. He's quick to respond, explains things clearly, and handles changes and updates without any fuss — genuinely reassuring when you're running a business around a full-time job and don't have time to chase things up. Reliable, easy to communicate with, and clearly cares about getting the details right. Highly recommend him if you need someone dependable for your website. Will def use him again!!"
Mirela, Founder, Curaye

What this project taught

1. A theme as the base is still a custom build

Use a theme for the bones, then write the bits the editor cannot do. Faster than from scratch. More control than a plain theme setup.

2. Named products beat a catalogue

Curaye sells The One Carat, not generic studs. The menu should say that.

3. Materials belong next to the price

9ct gold, lab-grown diamonds, shipping, returns. If that is buried, trust suffers.

Common questions

How long did the Curaye Shopify build take?

Studio Elephant delivered the Curaye theme-base build in two weeks. An existing theme was the base, then customised in code for the jewellery brand.

Was Curaye built from scratch or from a theme?

Studio Elephant used an existing Shopify theme as the base, then customised layout and product pages in code. That kept the timeline to two weeks without a six-month from-scratch rebuild.

What does Curaye sell?

Curaye sells hallmarked 9ct gold and lab-grown diamond studs. The store focuses on three named pieces rather than a wide catalogue.

What made the Curaye product pages convert better?

Studio Elephant put carat, colour, clarity, gold details, and shipping next to add to cart. Jewellery buyers check materials and returns before checkout, so that information had to stay visible.

Want a theme set up properly?

Theme setups from $2,400 AUD. Custom builds start from $5,000 AUD when a theme cannot carry the store. Or start with a $699 AUD conversion audit if the store is live and you need a fix list.

Start theme setup — from $2,400 AUD See theme setup details